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About the Role

The Apprenticeship Programme Delivery Manager is an employer facing role where you will be required to operate independently and manage a caseload of employers. You will support these employers by providing regular apprentice progress reports, meeting with the employers on a monthly/quarterly basis to ensure that our apprenticeships operate smoothly. You will work with your allocated employers to identify ongoing skills gaps and plan future apprenticeship cohorts. In addition, you will onboard new apprentices to ensure eligibility and suitability for our programmes. Working within the Business Development Unit you will be part of a wider team providing administration and operational support to deliver apprenticeships and working closely with university faculties.

Key Responsibilities

• Establishing and maintaining strong relationships with employers, in particular, apprenticeship leads within organisations through ongoing structured contact, including regular monthly/quarterly meetings (face to face or virtual), and preparing/issuing apprenticeship progress reports in accordance with our service level agreement.
• As part of employer relationship management your role will involve supporting your caseload of employers with future workforce planning, identifying new apprenticeship cohorts.
• Responsible for the completion of apprentices’ onboarding and registration to ensure compliance with the Department for Education (DfE) Rules. Ensure applicants meet the suitability and eligibility criteria and receive the employer support required to successfully achieve their apprenticeship. Where appropriate signpost applicants to alternative training or apprenticeship routes.
• To utilise the Aptem platform for the applicant and employer onboarding journey to ensure an efficient and seamless experience for all users.
• Conduct robust applicant initial assessment reviews and discussions to identify suitability and additional support needs.
• Prepare and deliver employer and applicant information sessions and briefing webinars as required. Support employers to use the Aptem onboarding system.
• Responsible for employer change of circumstances such as break in learning, withdrawal, and redundancy to ensure they are processed in a timely manner in accordance with the DfE funding rules and Open University registration policy.
• Responsible for managing the end-to-end change of employer process to ensure a timely transition for all parties.
• Support Student Experience Managers and Staff Tutors with queries relating to individual apprentices or employers and provide relevant guidance to enable resolution within the regulatory compliance. Ensure communications with apprentices and employers are shared regularly with faculties.
• Strong team player with positive can-do attitude. Able to work collaboratively with colleagues and the wider Apprenticeship Services Team to ensure consistent and efficient ways of working. Supporting ad hoc duties as required.
• Through analysis and tutor feedback, work in conjunction with the faculties to escalate concerns with apprentice progress or at risk of non-completion.
• Responsible for maintaining knowledge of current rules and regulations relating to apprenticeships.
• Develop a comprehensive knowledge of Open University apprenticeship programmes including pedagogy, assessment, and pattern of delivery, participating in quality assurance or other audits of our apprenticeship delivery as required.

About You

• Experience of working in a similar role for an apprenticeship or training provider with an understanding of Higher and Degree Level Apprenticeship programmes and the Apprenticeship Levy. A particular appreciation of the need for accurate data collection (such as the Individual Learner Record - ILR).
• Experience of quality assurance, quality inspections and Department for Education (DfE) compliance and understanding of additional learning/social needs and safeguarding policies. An awareness of Health & Safety considerations for employers would be advantageous.
• Understanding of a “beginning to end” work-based learning/training programme including recruitment, induction, workshops, and apprentice reviews, etc.
• An experienced, goal orientated professional who can work autonomously while managing their own area. Excellent planning and prioritising capabilities and able to cope with multiple demands effectively. Encompassing ability to work with minimum supervision and taking personal responsibility and ownership of tasks.
• Excellent communication skills; face-to-face, online and written, ideally with experience of facilitating meetings and webinars with strong presentation skills. Able to communicate effectively with stakeholders across multiple levels and functions of the organisation and with external stakeholders.
• Experience of stakeholder engagement, influencing and negotiating skills, and experience of dealing with large organisations; preferably within an apprenticeship provider setting. Good networking skills and the ability to build effective and collaborative cross-functional working relationships.

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email careers@open.ac.uk quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes office it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d anticipate this to be on average at least once per week.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

We anticipate that face-to-face interviews for this role will be taking place on-site at our Milton Keynes campus on Wednesday 8 July 2026. 

Early closing date notification

While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented.

If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.

How to apply

To apply for this role please submit the following documents:

• CV
• A personal statement of up to 1000 words. You should set out in your statement why you are interested in the role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the criteria for this role as detailed above within the job description.

You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.