Learning Standards Manager - CIOF

Role purpose

Lead the development and maintenance of professional capability frameworks, learning pathways, qualifications, CPD and professional recognition, and oversee educational quality assurance across the learning offer.

The role leads work on learning pathways, chartered status, qualifications, CPD and professional capability standards, helping fundraisers develop throughout their careers and ensuring learning activity reflects sector needs and organisational priorities. The role also leads the development of proposed chartered status pathways and associated assessment and quality assurance arrangements and implements them following the necessary organisational approvals.

• Key responsibilities
• Professional development and learning
• Lead the frameworks, pathways and educational quality assurance that underpin the organisation’s professional development offer.
• Define professional capability requirements, learning pathways and development opportunities for fundraisers at different career stages.
• Ensure learning activity reflects professional capability standards, relevant fundraising practice standards, sector needs and organisational priorities.
• Identify future learning needs and opportunities across the fundraising profession.
• Professional capability standards and career pathways
• Lead development of professional pathways linking learning, qualifications, experience and professional recognition.
• Lead development of chartered status and progression routes.
• Ensure learning activity supports professional capability standards and continuing professional development.
• Maintain alignment between learning, professional capability standards and professional recognition.

Qualifications and partnerships

• Oversee qualifications, accreditation and learning partnerships.
• Build relationships with universities, awarding bodies and learning providers.
• Ensure qualifications and accredited learning remain relevant and credible.
• Support development of new professional recognition opportunities.
• Educational quality assurance and learning quality standards
• Lead educational quality assurance across learning and professional development activity.
• Provide quality assurance for tutors, trainers and expert contributors.
• Embed accessibility and inclusion in learning quality standards, learning pathways and assessment arrangements, including inclusive design and reasonable adjustments that preserve assessment validity.
• Ensure consistency and quality across courses, qualifications and learning activity.
• Set and maintain learning quality standards and educational quality assurance frameworks for learning design, content, teaching, assessment and evaluation; provide clear requirements for the Learning Lead’s commissioning and the Learning Delivery Manager’s delivery processes.
• Use feedback and insight to improve learning experiences.
• Review educational concerns referred by the Learning Delivery Manager, recommend corrective action on content, teaching or assessment, and monitor improvements; the Learning Delivery Manager retains operational ownership of learner complaints and participant responses.

Collaboration and development

• Work closely with colleagues across events, communities, content, policy and membership activity.
• Ensure learning is connected to wider professional development activity.
• Contribute to organisational planning and continuous improvement.
• Support understanding of future workforce and professional development needs.

External engagement

• Represent the organisation on learning, professional capability standards and educational quality assurance matters.
• Build relationships with partners, stakeholders and volunteers.
• Support relevant advisory groups and professional networks.

Other duties

Undertake other reasonable duties as requested by your line manager, consistent with the purpose, level and responsibilities of the role.

Role-specific knowledge, skills and experience

Essential

• Experience of learning, professional development, workforce development or professional capability standards activity.
• Experience of developing learning programmes, pathways or professional development frameworks.
• Demonstrable experience of educational quality assurance, assessment or professional frameworks.
• Experience of qualifications, accreditation or professional recognition.
• Knowledge of adult learning and professional development approaches.
• Experience of quality assurance and continuous improvement.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to use insight and evidence to support decision-making.
• Ability to manage projects and work across multiple priorities.

Desirable

• Knowledge of fundraising, charities, membership organisations or professional bodies.
• Experience of chartered status or CPD programmes.
• Experience of working with external learning providers, tutors or volunteers.

CIOF Core Competencies

The following competencies apply to all roles within the organisation. The level of responsibility and expectation will vary depending on the role.

Building Relationships: Builds positive and productive relationships with colleagues, members, volunteers, partners and stakeholders. Works collaboratively, communicates effectively and contributes to a culture of trust, respect, inclusion and belonging.

Passion for Fundraising: Demonstrates a commitment to the organisation's purpose and an appreciation of the vital role fundraising plays in supporting charities, communities and causes. For some roles this will include fundraising knowledge and experience; for all roles it includes enthusiasm for and commitment to fundraising and fundraisers.

Digital Confidence and AI: Uses digital tools and AI confidently, critically and responsibly to improve quality, efficiency, learning and impact. Keeps pace with emerging technologies, tests new approaches and develops their skills continuously. Understands the importance of human judgement, data protection, accuracy, transparency, inclusion and ethical use, and knows when AI should, and should not, be used.

Agility and Collaboration: Works flexibly across teams, projects and priorities. Builds connections across the organisation, shares knowledge, avoids silo working and is open to change, innovation and continuous improvement. Takes ownership of their work and contributes positively to organisational success.

Professional Representation: Acts as a positive ambassador for the organisation. Demonstrates professionalism, sound judgement and credibility when interacting with a wide range of people, from members and suppliers to senior leaders, trustees and external stakeholders.