Dale Bassett will start work at the exam board on 10 September, after working at Reform for four years.
Bassett said: 'Working with the CEO Andrew Hall and the team, I will be drawing on the organisation's research and expertise to develop ideas and solutions that will make a constructive contribution to the education policy debate.
'I am excited to join AQA to help make further use of that expertise for the benefit of policymakers and the education sector.'
He will be replaced at Reform by Thomas Cawston.
