Professional Standards & Licensing Manager

About the Role

WE Talent are supporting the recruitment of a Professional Standards & Licensing Manager on behalf of a respected professional regulatory organisation.

This is a varied and influential leadership role, combining professional standards, licensing, stakeholder engagement and strategic programme development.

Working within a small, collaborative organisation, this is a hands-on opportunity for someone who enjoys creating, improving and implementing new ideas. You''ll be equally comfortable developing strategy, researching opportunities, engaging stakeholders and rolling up your sleeves to turn concepts into practical solutions.

Alongside leading professional standards and licensing activities, you''ll play a key role in supporting the organisation''s strategic ambitions by improving access to education and professional development, strengthening engagement across the profession and helping to grow the regulated community. You''ll have the autonomy to identify opportunities, build initiatives from the ground up and drive meaningful change that ultimately delivers better outcomes for both the profession and consumers.

Reporting into senior leadership and managing a small team, you''ll balance operational leadership with strategic thinking, helping to shape the future direction of professional standards, education and licensing.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a small team responsible for professional standards, licensing and compliance activities.

• Oversee professional standards and licensing processes, ensuring regulatory requirements are applied consistently and effectively.

• Review and sign off complex casework, providing guidance on escalated queries and supporting high-quality decision making.

• Deputise for senior leadership when required, representing the department internally and externally.

• Identify opportunities to strengthen education, licensing and professional standards, researching options, developing proposals and leading their implementation.

• Take ownership of projects from initial concept through to implementation, creating structure and momentum where programmes are still evolving.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues to improve the accessibility, visibility and reach of education, licensing and professional development pathways.

• Build strong relationships with education providers, employers, training organisations and wider sector stakeholders to encourage participation, raise awareness and support growth within the regulated profession.

• Identify opportunities to broaden engagement with licensed practices and individuals, ensuring regulatory services remain relevant, accessible and responsive to the changing needs of the profession.

• Gather insight from stakeholders, research emerging trends and, where information doesn''t already exist, develop the evidence needed to inform future decisions and strategic priorities.

• Support the ongoing review and development of regulatory and education frameworks, ensuring they continue to meet evolving professional standards and deliver positive consumer outcomes.

• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, identifying practical ways to enhance services, processes and stakeholder experience.

About You

We''re looking for an experienced manager who combines operational leadership with strategic thinking and enjoys turning ideas into reality.

You''ll thrive in a smaller organisation where priorities evolve, projects aren''t always fully defined and success often comes from taking the initiative. Rather than waiting for direction, you''ll enjoy identifying opportunities, creating solutions and seeing them through to successful delivery.

You''ll ideally have:

• Experience leading professional standards, licensing, education, quality assurance or regulatory functions.

• Previous experience managing and developing a small team.

• Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to build productive relationships across a range of audiences.

• Experience developing new initiatives, improving services or contributing to organisational strategy.

• The confidence to research complex issues, gather evidence and develop practical recommendations where no established blueprint exists.

• Excellent communication and influencing skills with the ability to build credibility across a range of stakeholders.

• Strong organisational and project management skills, balancing operational responsibilities alongside strategic initiatives.

• A proactive, collaborative and solutions-focused approach.

• An interest in professional education, workforce development or improving access to learning would be advantageous.

Why Join?

This is an opportunity to join a respected organisation at an exciting stage of its development, where you''ll have genuine influence over future direction and the freedom to shape new initiatives.

In return, you''ll benefit from:

• Hybrid and flexible working.

• A collaborative and supportive working environment.

• The opportunity to influence strategic change and improve professional standards across the sector.

• A varied role with autonomy and ownership.

• Competitive salary and benefits package.

Apply Now

If you''re an experienced leader who enjoys combining strategy with delivery and wants to make a genuine impact through professional standards, education and stakeholder engagement, we''d love to hear from you.

WE Talent is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

We are committed to equal opportunities and welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. We believe diverse teams create stronger organisations and are dedicated to supporting inclusive recruitment practices throughout the hiring process.