At AQA, we’re committed to advancing education and we’re committed to our people. As the largest provider of academic qualifications in the UK, we mark over 10 million exam papers each year and it’s our people who make this happen.
Sales & Marketing Assistant - AQA Global
Fixed Term Contract 12 months
Manchester: £31,400 - £35,000
Working Arrangements: Hybrid – min 2 days per week in office
Helping to shape the future of education around the world.
If you're looking for a role where you can gain real business development and marketing experience from day one, this could be the opportunity you've been looking for. You'll join AQA Global Assessment Services, a growing international business that works with education organisations across the UK and globally, supporting the development and delivery of high-quality assessment services. You'll play an active role in tender submissions, business development activity and marketing campaigns and customer engagement, while learning from experienced colleagues in a supportive and ambitious team.
In this role, you'll be responsible for:
Assisting with the production of high-quality sales proposals, bids and tender submissions.
Researching markets, customers and business opportunities to help identify new leads and support growth.
Maintaining customer and sales information within CRM and other business systems.
Monitoring and reporting on sales, tender and business development activity to support informed decision-making.
Coordinating exhibitions, conferences and other marketing events.
Supporting the delivery of marketing campaigns, communications and promotional activity.
Creating and maintaining marketing materials, website content, newsletters and social media content.
What's in it for you?
This is an opportunity to build valuable commercial, business development and marketing experience while contributing to work that supports learners and education providers around the world.
Exposure to international projects, clients and markets.
The opportunity to develop skills across marketing, bid management and business development.
A supportive team environment with excellent learning and development opportunities.
A 35-hour working week with flexible, hybrid working.
25 days' annual leave, rising to 30 days, plus Christmas closure days.
A benefits package including up to 11.5% pension contribution, healthcare support, wellbeing programmes and volunteering opportunities.
The opportunity to be part of AQA's inclusive and values-led culture.
You'll thrive in this role if you have:
Strong organisation skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office and confidence learning new systems and technology.
Attention to detail and the ability to produce accurate, high-quality work.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create engaging content.
A genuine interest in developing a career in business development, marketing, or communications.
You'll enjoy this role if you're naturally curious, organised and keen to learn. You'll be motivated by variety, enjoy working with different people and be looking for a role that offers genuine career development within marketing and business development.
Nice to have:
Experience in marketing, sales support, business development or customer-focused roles.
Knowledge of education, assessment, training or publishing sectors.
Understanding of tendering, procurement processes or CRM systems.
Diversity and Inclusion Statement
At AQA, we are committed to fostering a workplace that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We believe that a diverse team brings richer perspectives and drives better outcomes. Our ED&I strategy ensures that everyone—regardless of religion, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, age, disability, sexual orientation, or background—is valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We actively promote inclusive language, avoid stereotypes, and strive for representation across all dimensions of diversity. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and lived experiences.
What's Next?
To apply, please submit your CV along with a short cover letter explaining why you're interested in the role and how your skills and experience align with the opportunity.
Application deadline: Sunday 2 August 2026 at 23:59
Interviews: Face to face in the Manchester office on either 12 or 13 August
Start date: as soon as you are available
Please note that a basic DBS is required for this position.
If you're ready to take the first step in your marketing career and want to gain experience across marketing, business development and customer engagement in a purpose-led organisation, we'd love to hear from you.
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Recruitment Agencies
We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.
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Full Job DescriptionSummary
AQA Global Assessment Services is a successful and growing assessment product and service business with an outstanding reputation and an entrepreneurial can-do culture, operating in the UK and international education sectors.Our sales approach is highly consultative, with sales durations of 1-18+ months and projects ranging from £25k to several £million. We enjoy significant amounts of repeat business, but our success historically and in the future relies on securing business from new customers, and in new territories. Matching supplier and customer culture in education is a critical success factor, as is a deep understanding of education and assessment, both in its current forms and how it may develop in future. AQA Global Assessment Services’ reputation is as a trusted ethical professional organisation that cares about education – we need this reputation to be maintained and enhanced as our team grows.
The Sales and Marketing Assistant will be a graduate with an interest in pursuing a career in marketing and possess high quality communication skills in speech and in writing. They will report to the Head of Marketing and provide marketing and administrative support to the business development team. They will be based in the Manchester head office with part-time home working as an option.
AQA Global Assessment Services has an entrepreneurial and can-do culture that provides an excellent development environment for a young ambitious graduate.
• To support a variety of marketing and communication activity.
• To support the production of sales proposals/bids/tenders.
• To support administrative and other aspects of the business development function including sales, marketing and account management.
• To support the work of the Business Development and Tenders Manager.Landscape:
Understanding the market
Developing a comprehensive working knowledge of the company's services and articulating this in written and verbal form both internally and to existing and potential clients in a professional manner.
Developing an understanding of the education sectors in which AQA Global Assessment Services operates – markets, clients and suppliers, partners, and the educational services that they supply and consume.
Gathering market and customer information and researching possible leads.
Researching the market, analysing opportunities, assessing risk, determining the business case and work involved.
Working with colleagues across the company
Publicising tendering opportunities to colleagues across the company and supporting decision-making on whether to pursue the opportunities.
Liaising with staff and associates relating to the handover of new projects into operational teams.
Developing and maintaining effective trusted relationships with staff and other team members, particularly in relation to explaining the need for and securing support for sales and marketing activity.
Contributing to how best to present services to the relevant marketplaces.
Contributing to wider discussions about business strategy (for example, decisions relating to development of new products and services).
Working with the wider sales and marketing team to provide management information.
Working with clients, suppliers and partners
Responding appropriately to relevant incoming enquiries by email and telephone.
Supporting the business development team
Creating and completing bid documents, reports, marketing and other materials to deadline, a high standard and in house style.
Contributing to the processes of providing quotations and other cost estimates for clients.
Project-managing bidding opportunities working with colleagues to develop proposals.
Managing receipt of internal responses to tender elements from AQA Global Assessment Services staff and associates.
Monitoring and reporting on business development and bidding activity.
Managing all aspects of sales administration within the office, including the maintenance of information and CRM and other information systems.
Liaising with the finance team to validate the proposed pricing and scheduling of services based on the out-turn of previous projects and to maintain standard price lists for products and services.
Supporting the marketing function
Organising marketing and logistics, including proactive marketing campaigns and exhibitions/conferences.
Using the internet to promote services.
Working with 3rd party suppliers of marketing services, eg forweb design
Representing the company at exhibitions and other events.
Developing new marketing materials and updating existing ones.
Supporting the production of content for the website, newsletter and social media.
Other duties
Undertaking other duties appropriate to the post under the direction of the Head of Marketing.
Typical Outputs
Assistance with production of proposal/bid documentation and other sales and marketing materials.
Business development mini projects.
Reports on sales and bid/tendering activity/progress to line-manager and directors as directed.
Informed contributions to weekly team meetings.
Key relationships (Internal)
Head of Marketing, Business Development and Tenders Manager
Other members of the business development team
Project directors and managers
Operations manager
PMO team
Finance team
Trainee project manager
Key relationships (External)
Direct clients, participation in bid development meetings/calls
End clients (where appropriate/applicable) – participation in bid development meetings/calls
Partners and suppliers
Resources for which the job holder is accountable
Management of contributions from colleagues, associates and sub-contractors
Data - maintaining databases and retaining information in compliance with data protection guidelines and company requirements
Supporting the creation of the sales and marketing budgets and monitoring expenditure
To be successful in this role, you will need to know:
Personal attributes
Essential
Confident, with excellent written and spoken communication skills, including a flair for writing in an engaging fashion.
Good general IT user skills including complete proficiency with the everyday functionality of Microsoft Office.
An aptitude to learn new IT user skills and programmes.
Intellectually inquisitive and enquiring, able to quickly understand technical aspects of assessment and related areas of education, at a postgraduate level.
Proactive in identifying areas of required learning and seeking out people to help develop that knowledge.
An aptitude for developing commercial awareness.
Sufficient numeracy to understand the implications of project budgets.
Ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams in a variety of contexts.
Excellent organisational/personal work management skills to be able to operate in a multi-project environment.
High levels of attention to detail, producing appropriate, accurate, high quality written work within often challenging word limits.
Good interpersonal skills – a “team player” – happy to work in a busy team in a busy office.
Flexible, creative and adaptable in approach to work.
Ability to develop skills as an ambassador for AQA Global Assessment Services in all dealings with external clients and contractors.
Ability to work with a diverse and geographically distributed set of employees.
Qualifications and Professional/Technical competencies
Essential
GCSE Maths and English at grades A – C or (5 or above) or equivalent
Good GCE A levels or equivalent
University degree (Hons) or equivalent, or relevant experience
Fluency with office IT systems
Excellent self-management skills (meeting deadlines, acting professionally, asking for help, etc.)
Excellent customer service skills
Financial awareness
Ability to provide first line editorial checks of written work to a high standard
Desirable
Languages/arts degree or degree in business/marketing
Relevant experience
Desirable
Knowledge of sales/procurement/business development/
Knowledge of tendering portals and public sector procurement practices
Communication in written form at a high level
Experience in one or more of the following sectors/fields:Education
Training
Assessment
Publishing
Business to business marketing
Skills Required
- University degree (Hons) or equivalent, or relevant experience
- GCSE Maths and English (A-C or 5 or above) or equivalent
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and office IT systems
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and high-quality editorial checks
- Strong organisational and self-management skills, able to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
- High attention to detail and ability to produce accurate work to deadlines
- Excellent customer service and interpersonal skills, ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams
- Sufficient numeracy and financial awareness to understand project budgets
- Basic DBS check (required)
- Experience in marketing, sales support, business development or customer-focused roles
- Knowledge of education, assessment, training or publishing sectors
- Understanding of tendering, procurement processes or CRM systems
- Languages/arts degree or degree in business/marketing (desirable)
- Experience with tendering portals and public sector procurement practices
What We Do
At AQA, we’re proud to be the leading provider of accessible qualifications and support services for teachers and students. We set and mark around half of all GCSEs and A-levels taken in the UK every year; we ask the questions that matter, so that every learner can achieve the results they deserve. Teachers and learners are at the heart of everything we do. As an independent education charity, any money we make is reinvested back into research so that every learner receives fair and inclusive assessment. We’re always here for our teachers and support them through free training, expert guidance and unbeatable resources. As the most chosen awarding body, we have the biggest teaching community too – teachers are in good company with AQA. The AQA Group also includes Exampro, TQUK, Project Q, AlphaPlus, Grademaker.
