[Hiring] Head of Learner Experience @Cambridge Spark

Role Description

This is a senior leadership role at the intersection of learner experience, commercial product design, and apprenticeship quality. The Head of Learner Experience owns the end-to-end learner journey across Cambridge Spark's AI and data apprenticeship portfolio, from how programmes are designed to meet enterprise transformation needs, through to how learners experience and achieve through them. The north star for this role is learner outcomes: completion rates, EPA achievement, CSAT, and most importantly, whether learners are genuinely applying what they learn in the workplace.

Cambridge Spark's approach has always been to design apprenticeship programmes that solve real problems for enterprise clients, not simply to package KSB standards into teachable content. This role requires someone who can hold that tension: building programmes that are commercially compelling and employer-relevant, while remaining fully compliant with apprenticeship standards and Ofsted requirements. It is not a traditional curriculum production role.

The Head of Learner Experience sits within the Apprenticeships business unit, reporting to the VP Apprenticeships, with a dotted line to the Director of Customer Solutions to ensure the curriculum supports Open Programmes and Executive Education. They will lead Learner Experience Product Managers (LE PMs), a LE Project Team Lead, and Learning Designers, working closely with the Chief AI Officer, the Head of Training, and the Engineering team.

Key Responsibilities

• Learner Experience & Programme Quality
  • Own the learner experience strategy across Cambridge Spark's apprenticeship portfolio, ensuring every programme is designed around how learners actually learn.
  • Drive a continuous and iterative approach to content review, working with Learner Experience Product Managers (LE PMs) to ensure programmes are improved in response to learner feedback, CSAT data, and delivery insight.
  • Set the quality bar for programme design: clear learning objectives, strong KSB signposting, effective assessment design, and a learner journey that builds capability progressively.
  • Use learner experience data (CSAT, module NPS, completion rates, EPA outcomes, workshop feedback) as the primary signal for what is working and what needs to change.
  • Ensure all programmes are Ofsted inspection-ready, owning the curriculum's contribution to the self-assessment report and quality improvement planning.
• Apprenticeship Standards and Compliance
  • Work closely with the Quality team to translate regulatory requirements into programme design decisions.
  • Lead the curriculum response to regulatory changes when KSB standards are updated or assessment requirements change.
  • Own the process of ensuring programme content is updated proactively.
  • Own the curriculum's interface with End-Point Assessment, ensuring programme design gives learners the best possible preparation for EPA.
  • Collaborate with the Quality and Funding teams to ensure curriculum documentation supports accurate ILR data and audit readiness.
• Team Leadership and Product Development
  • Lead and develop a multi-disciplinary team of Learner Experience Product Managers (LE PMs), a LE Project Team Lead, and Learning Designers.
  • Own the learner experience product vision and strategy, working with PMs and project team lead to define programme objectives.
  • Oversee the quality of content produced by external SMEs and contractors.
  • Be the internal champion for learner-centred design.
  • Build a learner experience function that can scale: clear standards, repeatable processes, and a team that improves continuously.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with the Chief AI Officer and the Solutions Engineering team to ensure the curriculum reflects the latest developments in AI and data practice.
  • Partner with the Head of Training and the training team to ensure curriculum design supports effective delivery.
  • Provide curriculum content input and support for Open Programmes and Executive Education.
  • Work with Sales and Client Success to understand employer needs and translate that into curriculum design decisions.
  • Contribute to the commercial positioning of Cambridge Spark's programmes.
  • Partner with Engineering (EDUKATE.AI platform) to ensure curriculum is designed to make full use of the platform's capabilities.
  • Represent Cambridge Spark externally where relevant.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in curriculum design and development within the UK apprenticeship sector, ideally in an AI, data, technology, or digital skills context.
• Demonstrable commercial awareness; understands that programme quality drives employer retention and upsell.
• Deep knowledge of the apprenticeship regulatory landscape: ESFA funding rules, apprenticeship standards and KSBs, Ofsted Education Inspection Framework, and EPA processes.
• Track record of leading curriculum improvement initiatives that have resulted in measurable improvements in learner outcomes.
• Experience managing and developing a team of curriculum or learning design professionals.
• Strong understanding of applied, work-based learning pedagogy.
• Excellent project management skills; able to manage multiple curriculum development workstreams simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Requirements

• Experience with AI or data curriculum specifically; familiarity with the L3/L4/L5/L6 apprenticeship standards in the AI and data landscape.
• Experience working with a technology platform as part of the learning experience.
• Involvement in apprenticeship standard development, EPA design, or awarding body engagement.
• Teaching or coaching qualification (e.g. PGCE, AET, CAVA, TAQA), not essential but valued.
• Experience in a fast-growing, commercially-driven training provider environment.

Benefits

• Pension with 4% matched contributions, opportunity to opt into salary sacrifice scheme.
• 25 days holiday + Flexi bank holidays + 1 day off on your birthday.
• A day for volunteering.
• Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave.
• Health & Wellbeing allowance of up to £30 per month.
• Annual Summer and Xmas events.
• Company socials including everything from Cambridge College formals, pub nights to team building events.
• CPD Allowance alongside quarterly reflections to ring fence time for development and growth.
• Private medical insurance and cash plan.
• Holiday buy back scheme (up to 10 days p/a).
• Employee Assistance Programme with a dedicated company counsellor.

Company Description

We are an education technology company that enables corporate and government organisations to achieve their business goals by educating their workforce with critical digital transformation skills to succeed in the AI era.

We deliver unique and innovative professional education that is accelerating the digital transformation of our clients, advancing the careers of their employees, helping people get into work and closing the digital skills gap.

We are at the cutting edge of teaching applied data and digital skills, with our unique patented learning platform EDUKATE.AI offering our clients and learners a unique learning experience.

Since 2016, we have supported more than 15,000 learners across four continents with nearly 550,000 pieces of code submitted for feedback on EDUKATE.AI.