Director of Professional Development

We are currently recruiting a Director of Professional Development for a Permanent contract. 
This role is hybrid, both working from home and in our Oxford or London hub. 

We encourage our colleagues to work flexibly between home and the hub to suit their needs and preferences, in line with our hybrid working policy.
Colleagues are able to work their hours flexibly, in line with core business hours and requirements. We also offer formalised flexible working agreements.  

The starting salary is £82,935 when based in Oxford and £90,060 when based in London.

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter to HRsupport@actuaries.org.uk by the closing date of 30 June 2026.

Purpose of the job

The Director of Professional Development is the institute's strategic and operational leader for the IFoA's lifelong learning propositions, with responsibility for all education quality and standards, qualifications development and delivery, learning pathways and continuing professional development (CPD). This role ensures that the institute's professional development framework remains globally respected, future-focused and aligned with the evolving needs of employers, members, policymakers, regulators and practitioners across international markets.

The postholder is accountable for the full lifecycle of professional learning and assessment – from qualification design and accreditation to CPD strategy, delivery, innovation and quality assurance – ensuring the institute remains the global benchmark for excellence in the actuarial profession and meets the IFoA's strategic and commercial objectives

Principal accountabilities

Strategic and Operational Leadership

• Working with the Chief Membership Officer and professional development team, lead the global strategy and plans for professional education, qualification frameworks and CPD, ensuring alignment with the institute's mission and long-term strategic growth objectives.
• Serve as executive sponsor for innovation in learning, assessment methodologies and digital professional education.
• Act as the senior authority for professional education standards, ensuring they remain relevant, evidence-based and internationally recognised.
• Accountable for the end-to-end delivery of the IFoA professional qualification to meet quality, education standards and commercial objectives, including curriculum development and management, question item development, exam operational delivery, marking and awarding.
• Governance – reporting to, working with and supporting the IFoA Education Committee and its sub-committees and groups as required.

Professional Qualification & Education Standards

• Oversee the research, design, development, delivery and review of all professional qualifications and certification routes.
• Ensure global consistency in standards while adapting pathways for practice and regional contexts, regulatory environments and market needs.
• Lead the development and governance of syllabi, competency frameworks, assessment models, recognition of prior learning and learning support content and products.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

• Define and drive the development and delivery of global CPD strategy to uphold lifelong learning for all members, within a product lifecycle approach.
• Oversee design, development and quality assurance of CPD offerings, including digital learning content and products, events, micro-credentials and partner-led CPD.
• Ensure CPD frameworks promote currency of practice, ethical competence and professional excellence.

Education Standards, Quality Assurance & Accreditation

• Maintain rigorous quality assurance across all qualifications, examination assessments, providers and assessment partners, and CPD delivery channels.
• Ensure compliance with national and international regulatory requirements, accreditation bodies and chartered standards.
• Lead audit processes, risk management and continuous improvement of professional education and assessment standards.

Assessment and Qualification Systems & EdTech

• Lead the institute's transformation agenda for education and assessment, including the adoption of digital platforms, AI-enabled assessment and content tools, remote proctoring, digital credentials and data-driven quality assurance.
• Provide leadership for the institute's global assessment and qualification systems, ensuring they are robust, scalable and secure internationally.
• Oversee the end-to-end digital ecosystem supporting professional qualifications, assessments, learner records, CPD tracking and education provider management.
• Champion innovation in assessment methodologies – including formative assessment, competency-based evaluation, scenario-based testing and digital simulations – ensuring global relevance and credibility.

Stakeholder & Partner Engagement

• Build strong relationships with and manage regulators, academic and higher education institutions, awarding bodies, training providers, and international associations and bodies.
• Define roles, work packages and effectively manage the IFoA's internal and external faculty and subject matter experts to deliver on the professional development and assessment plan.
• Represent the institute as a global thought leader in professional education, development and future skills for the actuarial profession.
• Work closely with Membership, Marketing & Communications, Markets and Policy functions with integrated planning to strengthen the value proposition for learners, exam candidates and members.

Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Lead and develop high-performing teams across professional qualifications development, learning design, CPD, accreditation and quality assurance.
• Manage budgets, forecasting, revenue models and commercial development of assessment and learning products.
• Develop data-driven insights to inform strategy, product development and global market growth.
• Act as executive advocate for learners and exam candidates, influencing organisational priorities and cross-functional decision-making.

Main contacts

Internal: 

• Chief Membership Officer
• Executive Leadership Team
• Director colleagues across the Membership group
• Professional Development, assessment and curriculum teams
• Technology & Transformation
• Finance
• General Counsel
• IFoA Education Committee and governance groups.
  
  

External: 

• Regulators
• Academic and higher education institutions
• Awarding bodies
• Training providers
• International professional associations and bodies
• Employers and industry partners
• External faculty and examiners
  
  

Decision-making and complexity

The postholder sets objectives and deliverables for the Professional Development function, referring matters outside their own remit to the Chief Membership Officer. They exercise significant autonomy in leading a complex, multi-stream function with global reach, making decisions with long-term implications for the institute's qualifications, regulatory compliance and commercial performance.

The role requires sophisticated judgement in balancing regulatory requirements, commercial objectives, learner needs and professional standards simultaneously across multiple international markets.

Knowledge and experience

• Proven executive or senior leadership experience within a professional body, chartered institute, awarding organisation or global education environment.
• Deep expertise in the development and delivery of qualification frameworks, assessment strategies and professional education standards.
• Experience overseeing qualifications and CPD programmes at scale, ideally in a membership-based or regulated profession.
• Strong familiarity with global education systems and international accreditation.
• Track record of leading multi-disciplinary teams and managing complex stakeholder ecosystems.
• Visionary leadership and strategic thinking with the ability to influence at board level.
• Strong expertise in digital assessment and learning, product management, innovation and future skills.
• Commitment to professional ethics, integrity, inclusion and evidence-based practice.

Alternative format and adjustments

Please email the HR Team if you require:

• any information regarding our vacancies in an alternative format
• any adjustments to support you to fully participate in any part of the application and recruitment process

Any information shared will be used only to enable us to make reasonable adjustments to support candidates to participate in the recruitment process. It will not inform selection decisions.

You can reach us at HRsupport@actuaries.org.uk.