Assistant Manager, Academic Quality

Heriot Watt University, United Kingdom

Updated: 3 months ago
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 13 Feb 2026




Job Description

The Registry and Academic Support (RAS) of the campus provides professional services and administrative support on a range of activities, which include programme approvals, programme accreditations, institutional audits/accreditations, enrolments, payments, records, examinations and graduations; as well as supporting the delivery of programmes and courses.  The department has 3 main divisions namely, Academic Quality, Academic Operations and Student Life. 

The Assistant Manager, Academic Quality and Regulatory Compliance will be a member of the Academic Quality team, a section under RAS, responsible for providing professional advice and support for the maintenance of academic standards and quality of programmes at HWUM, as well as monitoring HWUM operations to ensure compliance with the Malaysian Private Higher Educational Institutions Act (Act 555) and other policies by the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE).

A good understanding of the Malaysian MOHE and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) frameworks, rules and regulations, as well as the University policies and procedures, is essential for this role.  This position will be responsible for ensuring the campus acts in compliance with all the relevant regulatory requirements.

The post holder will be required to participate in other activities administered by the Academic Quality team, including but not limited to any programme/institutional approvals, accreditation audits, academic reviews and rating/ranking for higher education institutions in Malaysia.

The Assistant Manager, Academic Quality and Regulatory Compliance is expected to work in collaboration with the global Academic Quality teams to ensure compliance and consistency in practice across all HWU campuses, and most importantly in ensuring compliance with the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) and Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) frameworks, policies and procedures.  The post holder will also be required to build professional relationships and maintain effective links with the local authorities, professional agencies, academic leaders, and as well as other relevant staff at the University.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

  • Ensure the campus and all academic programmes are properly registered with the regulatory agencies and/or professional bodies.
  • Coordinate and support all activities related to getting the approval and accreditation – including provisional, full and reaccreditation of programmes for the Malaysia campus.
  • Prepare and support academic schools and professional services departments in the management and submission of institutional records/data in relation to external accreditations and approvals.
  • Act as the primary contact point and resource person for academic schools and professional services departments on internal and external academic standards, guidelines, policies, procedures and compliance requirements.
  • Coordinate and support internal audits and quality assurance activities to monitor compliance with established standards and identify areas for improvement
  • Provide secretariat support for accreditation audits and monitoring visits by external regulatory agencies and internal committees, ensure all documentations meet requirements and submitted according to intended deadlines.
  • Maintain the information systems provided by the Malaysian MOHE and MQA, ensure data accuracy, operational efficiency, and compliance with the regulatory requirements.
  • Support projects in relation to the work of the unit including contributing to business process improvement activities in relation to areas of responsibility to ensure they are effective, efficient and meet the University’s regulatory and statutory responsibilities.
  • Maintain effective document management with respect to active records, archives, being mindful of legislation and regulations on data protection, and maintaining standards of security and confidentiality.
  • Support relevant internal reviews, statutory cycle and professional body events and to act as a professional ambassador for Academic Quality at University committees, projects or working groups and with external agencies or networks as appropriate.
  • Deputise where necessary for the Manager/Senior Manager, Academic Quality and Regulatory Compliance and to undertake any other duties requested by the Manager/Senior Manager, Academic Quality and Regulatory Compliance commensurate with the grade of the post.

    • All HWUM staff endeavours will embody our shared values of: Inspire, Collaborate, Belong, and Celebrate. 

    Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post and its general responsibilities. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.

    Person Specification   

    This section details the attributes e.g. skills, knowledge/qualifications and competencies which are required in order to undertake the full remit of the role. 

    Attributes 

    Essential 

    Desirable 

    Means of Assessment 

    Education & Qualifications 

    Degree or equivalent

    Masters

    Academic certificates

    Experience 

    Minimum three (3) years of relevant experience

     

    Application form and interview

    Competencies, Skills & Knowledge 

     

    Excellent organisational, communication and networking skills

    Good verbal and written English and Bahasa Malaysia languages skills

    Ability to work under pressure and with attention to detail whilst maintaining quality

    Ability to work flexibly, to plan and prioritise workload, and to meet deadlines

    Effective team working

    Good IT skills including sound working knowledge of Microsoft applications

     

    Application form, interview and references

    Special Factors (if applicable) 

    Must be able to work on selected weekends

     

     

    Essential Criteria – these are attributes without which a candidate would not be able to undertake the full remit of the role.  Applicants who do not clearly demonstrate in their application that they possess the essential requirements will normally be eliminated at the short-listing stage.  

    Desirable Criteria – these are attributes which would be useful for the candidate to hold.  When shortlisting, these criteria will be considered when more than one applicant meets the essential criteria.   

    Application Process

    Applications should be submitted to Careers system.   

    Applications must be submitted by 13 February 2026. If you are not contacted by the selection committee by 28 February 2026 then please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful. 

    The University is committed to equality of opportunity. 


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