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.
Job title: Recruitment Marketing Manager
Contract type: 12‑month fixed term contract
Location: Manchester or Guildford
Salary: Manchester £41,000 – £48,500 per annum | Guildford £43,000 – £50,500 per annum
Working arrangements: Hybrid – 2 days in the office per week
Do you love combining creativity with data to deliver campaigns that make a measurable impact?
Are you ready to lead targeted recruitment marketing that attracts the right talent at the right time?
You enjoy turning insight into action. You create campaigns that reach the right people, in the right places, at the right time. You use data to make clear decisions and you care about inclusive outcomes. If that sounds like you, this role gives you the chance to shape how AQA attracts great candidates during a key period of organisational change and government curriculum reform.
Purpose of the role
As a key member of the Internal Talent Acquisition team at AQA, you will design and deliver recruitment marketing that raises awareness of AQA, improves candidate engagement, and increases quality applications. Your work will support AQA’s mission to help learners of all abilities by bringing in the skills and perspectives that help us serve schools and students better.
Key responsibilities
- Planning and delivering targeted attraction campaigns end to end across priority roles and segments, then reporting on reach, quality and conversion from application to hire.
- Owning and optimising attraction spend within the Resourcing and Talent budget, shifting investment by channel based on performance data and agreed goals.
- Creating and adapting campaign assets such as short videos, landing pages and email journeys, and working with internal teams and suppliers to deliver activity on time and within budget.
- Managing external creative agencies and ensuring campaigns align with AQA’s tone of voice and brand standards.
- Supporting strategic campaigns for high‑volume recruitment and roles linked to curriculum reform.
You’ll thrive in this role if you can:
- Deliver paid LinkedIn and Google Ads campaigns end to end, including targeting, creative testing, and accurate performance tracking.
- Use Google Analytics and LinkedIn Campaign Manager to monitor results, apply A/B testing, and optimise campaigns for better conversion.
- Manage attraction budgets and supplier relationships, ensuring spend delivers measurable ROI.
- Create engaging assets (video and static) using Canva or similar tools, and work confidently with external agencies.
- Turn technical insights into clear recommendations for non-marketing stakeholders, with curiosity for tech-enabled solutions and emerging tools like AI.
- Ideally, bring experience with Employee Value Proposition (EVP) development and an understanding of the education sector (or the ability to learn quickly).
What’s in it for you
You will influence how AQA tells its story to candidates and see the results in better hiring. You’ll have:
- Impactful work shaping attraction for Core, Temporary and Associate hiring during a key period of curriculum reform.
- Growth and learning through varied campaigns and cross‑functional projects.
- Flexibility with hybrid working and a 35‑hour week.
- Time to rest with 25 days’ annual leave rising to 30 with service plus bank holidays and Christmas closure.
- Benefits that support you including an excellent contributory pension, life assurance, BUPA PMI and a Health Cash Plan.
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.
Application process
To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter by 23:59 Sunday January 25th, 2026. As part of your application, you'll also complete a short questionnaire to help us understand your experience and approach. Interviews will include two stages:
- Stage 1: Week commencing 9 February (via Teams)
- Stage 2: Week commencing 26 February (face-to-face in Manchester or Guildford with a work sample task as part of the interview)
#CRE23
Recruitment Agencies
We have a preferred supplier list (PSL) in place.
Unsolicited CVs will be treated as a gift. We will not be subject to or liable under your terms and conditions for agency fees.
Full Job Description
Summary
Purpose
The Recruitment Marketing Manager is designing and deploying attraction campaigns across Core, Temporary, and Associate recruitment that return a high level of ROI and deliver against business demand. Led by data and external best practice, they will deliver against the Resourcing & Talent strategy and shape practices that impact how we build awareness of AQA, attract and engage talent in the organisation.
Landscape
The Recruitment Marketing Manager role sits in the Resourcing & Talent team as part of People Group, and reports directly to the Head of Talent Acquisition, Diversity and Inclusion as part of the R&T Management Team. They work alongside the Recruitment Managers for Core and for Volume, who will consult, contract and commission them to support marketing strategies and attraction activity for their markets. This role will work closely with cross-functional teams spanning areas such as Communications & Engagement, Marketing & Brand, Digital and Sourcing & Supplier Management to ensure seamless activity that best exploits our internal capabilities and expertise. They will also work with external suppliers to identify innovative and effective routes to market.
Activities
Designs, delivers, and measures the success of recruitment marketing and candidate attraction campaigns that deliver results
Plans and executes all attraction spend within the R&T budget (c.£300,000), working with the Recruitment Managers for Core and Volume Recruitment ensuring a positive ROI is achieved by monitoring campaign effectiveness
Works with external suppliers such as agencies and job boards to activate marketing activity that attracts the right talent to AQA
Creates collateral used in our recruitment marketing, for example candidate brochures, job description videos, email marketing templates etc
Works across departments to achieve common goals – eg Marketing, Customer Service, Communications – building relationships based on trust and influence
Explores and looks to understand the motivations and drivers of the workforce segments that AQA requires, converting this into successful recruitment campaigns
Develops a knowledge of the external market place with relation to branding and attraction technologies that may benefit AQA
Maintains plans and trackers to ensure budgets are maintained and Purchase Orders are raised, receipted, and closed accurately
Delivers a measurable impact to effectiveness of our processes eg conversion rates from application to interview and hire
Builds and maintains a Continuous Improvement approach to attraction and brand – focused on incremental benefits and an agile, fail-fast attitude
Build a network external to AQA to gain new ideas and knowledge that can be adapted to meet AQA requirements
Need to know – to be successful in this role you will need to know
Experience either in recruitment or in a consumer marketing/brand development role
Strong understanding of external best practices in candidate attraction
Strong skills in data manipulation and analysis, able to influence and act based on data
Experience of creating compelling content that positively influences candidates
Experience of working cross-functionally within a complex organization
Budget management experience, ensuring optimised ROI
Ability to build strong and mutually beneficial relationships with external suppliers
Digital fluency – expertise in social media, SEO optimization, website development, etc
Ability to manage both slower, large-scale pieces of work alongside faster-paced demands for ad hoc quick wins