Academic & Quality Assurance Manager

We are seeking an experienced, highly organised and solutions-focused Academic & Quality Assurance Manager to lead and support the academic operations, quality assurance and continuous improvement requirements of MasterStart Institute and its partners, including MasterStart, with a strong focus on the effective delivery and quality management of distance and online learning programmes.

The Academic & Quality Assurance Manager will be responsible for ensuring that programmes are delivered consistently, students are appropriately supported, academic standards are maintained, and institutional practices remain aligned with regulatory and quality requirements. The role will coordinate academic teams, the student academic lifecycle, programme performance, accreditation and regulatory processes, academic policies and records, and the use of academic data to identify risks and drive continuous improvement.

This role requires strong academic judgement combined with practical operational execution and a clear understanding that quality is not simply a compliance function, but an integral part of effective academic delivery and student success. Particular emphasis will be placed on ensuring that academic quality, student support, assessment, faculty engagement and institutional controls are effective within a distance learning environment.

Key Responsibilities

The responsibilities outlined below are indicative of the role and may evolve in accordance with business needs.

Academic Operations

• Manage the day-to-day academic operations required for the effective delivery of programmes across the institution, with particular focus on distance and online learning delivery.
  

• Coordinate academic calendars, programme schedules, assessment cycles, academic resources and key delivery milestones.
  

• Monitor programme delivery against approved curriculum, academic standards and institutional requirements.
  

• Work closely with academic, learning design, operations and student support teams to ensure delivery readiness across the online learner journey.
  

• Identify academic and operational risks and implement appropriate corrective actions.
  

• Monitor programme performance and escalate areas requiring academic intervention.
  

• Support effective allocation and utilisation of academic resources.
  

Quality Assurance

• Coordinate institutional academic quality assurance processes across programme design, delivery, assessment and student support, including the quality assurance requirements of distance learning provision.
  

• Maintain quality assurance frameworks, processes, templates and evidence repositories.
  

• Conduct internal quality reviews to identify gaps, risks and opportunities for improvement.
  

• Monitor adherence to institutional academic policies and procedures.
  

• Track quality findings, corrective actions and improvement initiatives through to completion.
  

• Support programme reviews and continuous improvement processes using academic performance data, student feedback and faculty insights.
  

• Promote a culture of quality in which academic standards are embedded into everyday operations rather than treated solely as a compliance requirement.
  

Accreditation & Regulatory Compliance

• Support institutional compliance with relevant CHE, SAQA and DHET requirements, including requirements applicable to distance and online learning provision.
  

• Coordinate evidence and documentation required for accreditation, programme approval, institutional reporting and regulatory submissions.
  

• Maintain accreditation and compliance trackers to ensure that regulatory commitments, conditions and deadlines are actively managed.
  

• Support preparation for institutional audits, programme reviews and regulatory engagements.
  

• Coordinate responses to regulatory requests and ensure supporting evidence is accurate, complete and appropriately controlled.
  

• Monitor regulatory developments affecting institutional academic operations and communicate implications to relevant stakeholders.
  

Academic Governance

• Support the effective functioning of academic governance structures and committees.
  

• Prepare academic reports, supporting documentation, agendas and evidence for governance meetings.
  

• Maintain records of academic decisions, recommendations and actions.
  

• Track implementation of Academic Board and committee resolutions.
  

• Support programme approval, amendment and review processes through appropriate governance structures.
  

• Ensure academic decisions are appropriately documented and supported by evidence.
  

Assessment & Academic Integrity

• Oversee operational implementation of assessment policies and procedures, including online assessment processes.
  

• Coordinate assessment schedules, marking, moderation and results processes.
  

• Monitor assessment quality and consistency across programmes.
  

• Support internal and external moderation processes.
  

• Monitor academic integrity matters and ensure cases are managed in accordance with institutional policy.
  

• Maintain appropriate assessment records and quality assurance evidence.
  

• Identify recurring assessment issues and recommend improvements to assessment design or implementation.
  

Faculty & Academic Staff Management

• Coordinate academic staff and faculty involved in programme delivery, including faculty operating in a distance learning environment.
  

• Support faculty recruitment, onboarding and academic induction.
  

• Monitor academic performance, engagement and delivery against agreed expectations.
  

• Coordinate peer review, academic observation and developmental feedback where appropriate.
  

• Identify faculty development requirements and support targeted professional development.
  

• Monitor academic workload and capacity to maintain appropriate delivery standards.
  

Student Success & Retention

• Monitor student engagement, progression, performance and retention, with particular attention to engagement and persistence within distance learning programmes.
  

• Use academic and operational data to identify students requiring additional support or intervention.
  

• Work with student support teams to implement appropriate academic interventions.
  

• Monitor trends in withdrawals, progression, completion and academic performance.
  

• Analyse student feedback and academic outcomes to identify systemic improvement opportunities.
  

• Support the resolution of complex academic student queries and escalations.
  

Data, Reporting & Continues Improvement

• Develop and maintain academic and quality dashboards, trackers and management reports.
  

• Analyse academic performance, retention, progression, completion and quality indicators.
  

• Use evidence to identify emerging risks and recommend appropriate interventions.
  

• Prepare academic and quality reports for senior management and governance structures.
  

• Monitor implementation and effectiveness of improvement initiatives.
  

• Translate academic data into practical recommendations for operational and strategic decision-making.
  

• Contribute to the development or revision of institutional academic policies, procedures and quality frameworks.
  

Requirements

Requirements

• Master’s qualification.
  

• Minimum of 10+ years’ work experience in higher education.
  

• Strong experience across academic operations, academic quality assurance, curriculum delivery and institutional quality management.
  

• Demonstrated experience in distance learning, online learning or digitally enabled higher education delivery.
  

• Strong understanding of academic governance, assessment, moderation, student support and quality assurance processes.
  

• Experience supporting accreditation, programme approval, institutional reporting and regulatory submissions.
  

• Exposure to CHE, SAQA and DHET regulatory and quality requirements.
  

• Experience coordinating academic teams and managing multiple academic priorities, deadlines and stakeholders.
  

• Experience using academic and operational data to monitor programme performance, student success and quality indicators.
  

• Experience in corporate Learning & Development would be advantageous.
  

• Learning Management Systems (LMS)
  

• Student Management Systems
  

• Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace
  

• Academic reporting and dashboards
  

• Data analysis and reporting tools
  

• Online assessment platforms
  

• Quality assurance and document management systems
  

• AI-enabled education and productivity tools
  

Professional Attributes

• Strong academic judgement
  

• Highly organised and detail-oriented
  

• Evidence-driven