Quality Assurance and Enhancement (QAE) Officer - Academic QAE

Job Title:  Quality Assurance and Enhancement (QAE) Officer - Academic QAE

Reporting to: Head of Quality Assurance and Enhancement 

Location: Griffith College – Any campus – Dublin, Cork or Limerick

Job Type: Full-Time / Permanent 

Job Summary:

The Quality Assurance and Enhancement (QAE) Department at Griffith College plays a key role in supporting, guiding and enhancing the quality of the College’s academic programmes, for learners, and faculty members alike. The QAED team members work directly with programme teams across all of the College’s faculties and support departments to ensure programmes and practices meet the requirements of national and international accreditation bodies and continue to evolve in the light of emerging best practice in higher education.

The QAED team facilitate this enhancement through a competent, knowledgeable and professional support service, reflecting the College’s core values of academic excellence, learner-centredness, and providing career focused programmes, in a friendly and inclusive environment. The QAED team is responsible for managing and oversight of the quality assurance and enhancement processes, including validation, programme approval, periodic review and re-validation, annual evaluation, monitoring, review and programme amendment. The team is also responsible for maintaining academic policies and procedures, liaison with collaborative partners and professional statutory and regulatory bodies (PSRBs), supporting protection for enrolled learners, and engaging with internal and external quality audit and review.

The Quality Assurance and Enhancement (QAE) Officer – Academic QAE plays an important role within the QAE team, contributing to and supporting the development and implementation of QAE academic policies and procedures, and their subsequent reporting processes. Working collaboratively with the team, and academic and professional colleagues, the QAE Officer will develop and apply expertise in QQI-related compliance and regulatory frameworks to support the design, enhancement, assurance and reporting of high-quality academic and learner-centred processes and policies that reflect current emerging trends across the higher education sector, while meeting institutional and national quality standards.

This dynamic role provides an exciting opportunity for the successful candidate to take on a position of responsibility that requires the ability to work both autonomously and with colleagues, with the confidence to provide sound direction and guidance, in respect of quality assurance requirements and procedures. It will also provide the opportunity for the successful candidate to engage in, lead and manage projects on behalf of QAED, and work directly with teams across the College, and with collaborative partners, to maintain Griffith College’s reputation for academic excellence and student success.

Job Responsibilities:

• Support academic managers and programme teams on programme development, management and administrative issues.
• Support the development and implementation of the College’s quality assurance and enhancement policies and procedures in association with the College’s QAED team.
• Edit and finalise documentation to comply with QAE practices, and to meet institutional and QQI standards.
• Support academic/administrative staff in relation to the development of College publications – e.g. student handbooks, lecturer handbooks, academic calendars, programme related documentation, etc.
• Support implementation of academic processes managed through the QAE Department – e.g. protection for enrolled learners (PEL), appeals, complaints, etc.
• Support the research and preparation of reports and related information for communication to external validating and accreditation agencies, for example in respect of internal reviews, institutional reviews, quality reviews and audits, etc.
• Support the College’s internal and external reviews by quality assurance agencies (e.g. institutional (CINNTE) reviews, curricular reviews, application for delegated authority, the international education mark (IEM)/TrustEd, etc.)
• Collaborate with programme directors and other college personnel in the completion of programme documentation for consideration by external agencies.
• Support other aspects of academic development and management, and quality assurance and enhancement, as required.
• Prepare and maintain relevant records, reports and files in accordance with agreed procedures.
• Membership and participating in college committees and working groups (including sectoral forums, symposiums, and conferences) as relevant to the role, and current projects.
• Undertake other related duties that support academic development and quality assurance and enhancement.
• Comply with college policies and procedures in relation to health and safety and data protection regulations.
• Any other duties that fall within the employee’s capabilities.

This position offers opportunities to progress within the QAED and the wider college.

Candidate Profile – Requirements and Likely Attributes

Requirements (All)

• Previous experience of implementing/managing quality assurance procedures in higher education.
• Wide interests across a range of subject disciplines and welcomes opportunities to learn and explore new areas.
• Professional, respectful and welcoming in all their interactions, supporting diversity and inclusion.
• Proven report writing capabilities to meet the expectations of audiences within higher education external agencies, both nationally and internationally.
• Enjoys paying attention to detail and producing written work to exacting standards and provides guidance to others in this regard.
• Strong work ethic and commitment to delivering on goals and timelines, once agreed.
• Works well on their own – taking initiative and working independently as appropriate, to meet project deadlines.
• Works well as part of a team or multiple teams, building and maintaining constructive relationships, and meeting and supporting others to meet shared deadlines.
• Deals with all information relating to activities undertaken, and information received, in the strictest confidence.
• Ability and confidence to contribute to ongoing enhancement and improvements.
• Flexible, agile and innovative.
• Welcomes and supports change as a key enabler of ongoing quality improvements.
• Excellent customer service, attention to detail, interpersonal, communications and time management skills.
• Excellent command of English and can write fluently for and present to different target audiences to communicate complex information in an effective, concise and tactful manner.
• Strong existing IT skills, with proficiency and competence in appropriate office software and database systems, with an enthusiasm, ease and adaptability in integrating new technologies, work practices and skills, as required.
• Values their own academic qualifications and respects the importance and reputation of the college’s qualifications for learners, employers and everyone involved in their development and delivery.

Likely Attributes (Most, if not all)

• Previous experience in “high stakes” administration requiring clarity and accuracy.
• Previous administration experience in higher or further education.
• Previous experience in a programme development role.
• Hold a third-level qualification, at level 9 / master’s level (or equivalent experience).
• Previous experience as a lecturer / tutor in tertiary education.
• Legally entitled to work full time for any employer in Ireland.

About Griffith College

Griffith College is a welcoming, ambitious and people-focused institution where the quality of the working environment is shaped as much by the people as by the purpose. Across our campuses in Dublin, Cork and Limerick, colleagues work in supportive teams where professionalism, mutual respect and collaboration are part of everyday life.

Founded in 1974, Griffith College is Ireland’s largest independent third-level institution, with a community of over 8,000 students across its campuses. The College delivers a broad range of undergraduate, postgraduate and professional programmes across disciplines including business, law, computing, journalism, design and pharmaceutical science.

What sets Griffith apart is not only its commitment to high-quality education, but the culture that underpins it. Staff regularly speak about the strength of the relationships they build here, the trust

between colleagues, the willingness to support one another, and the opportunity to contribute to an organisation that has meaningful impact on students from Ireland and internationally, working alongside people who genuinely care about what they do and who they work with.

Our Vision

"To be recognised among the leading, innovative and socially enterprising of Ireland’s universities”

Why work for Griffith College?

• Competitive salary package
• Access to the College’s pension scheme
• Access to healthcare plans for employees and their families
• Enhanced maternity leave pay

• Flexible working arrangements in line with the College's remote working policy
• Access to ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes, up to Doctorate level
• Subsidised College programmes to support career development and upskilling.
• Opportunities for staff mobility through Erasmus+ and other international mobility programmes

• Mental Health and Wellbeing support available
• Availability of green space on campus, accessible to staff for sports and recreational activities
• Cycle to Work scheme

• Vibrant, multidisciplinary and multicultural learning environment
• Inclusive and diverse community
• Innovative and agile place to work
• Welcoming environment committed to both learner and staff development
• Staff discounts and offers from a wide range of retailers and service providers
• Preferential accommodation rates during the summer period for staff, and for friends and family of staff at Griffith Rooms
• Year-round staff social and wellbeing events, including BBQs, coffee mornings, wellness talks, EDI events, and more
• Free weekly yoga classes*
• Access to onsite fitness equipment*
  

• Onsite subsidised restaurant*
• Free parking facilities*
• Staff Social Club with regular events*
• *Dublin campus on South Circular Road.
  

This job description is not to be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive. It is intended as an outline of proposed areas of activity and will be amended in the light of the changing environment within the Faculty and the College.

Griffith College is an equal opportunities employer. Candidates must be eligible to work full-time for any employer in Ireland.