Specialist, Assessment

Your role

Part of the Test Operation Services’ Marking Workstream Team, the Specialist, Assessment is accountable, in collaboration with the Manager, Assessment, for the on time and accurate delivery of all aspects of marking (for Maths), ensuring all key milestones are met during all Marking Phases. The Specialist, Assessment is responsible for representing the Assessment Division and the Test Operation Service across Pearson School Qualifications and the wider Pearson business. This role aligns to industry titles such as Assessment Subject Advisor, Subject Leader, or Assessment Leader.

The Specialist, Assessment will be required to deputise for the Manager, Assessment as appropriate, and work directly with other teams, Project Managers and Matrix Managers within the Test Operation Services and wider Assessment Division to deliver key accountabilities and be part of divisional initiatives.

Purpose

In collaboration with the Manager, Assessment, you will provide technical assessment material development and marking expertise for your given subject area, while ensuring timely, cost effective and accurate end-to-end delivery of the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Assessment. Reporting to the Manager, Assessment and working as part of a wider team within the Test Operations Service Marking Workstream Team, you will play a key role in delivering a professional and customer-focused service.

The purpose of the Specialist, Assessment role is to:

• Deliver the training material development and marking for Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Assessments for which they are responsible for, to time, quality and budget.



• Be recognised as a technical assessment material development and marking expert within the Test Operation Service, as well as across the Assessment Division and Pearson School Qualifications, as appropriate.



• Be accountable for the integrity for which National Curriculum Assessment material development and marking processes are followed, reviewed and amended.



• Be financially conscious of the importance of the delivery budget, particularly in relation to materials development and marking. Maintain a strong focus on and provide visibility into budget planning, management and tracking processes.



• Work with the Manager, Assessment to build an Assessment Associate population for the future by developing strong working relationships with education experts, ensuring succession planning within the Marking Hierarchy.

Key Accountabilities

• Delivering training material development and marking to the highest quality for your area of responsibility.



• Being accountable for the delivery of training material development and marking to time, quality, budget and security.



• Ensuring you adhere to all requirements as per the Statement of Requirements (SoR), Product Breakdown Structure and Product Descriptions.



• Focusing on providing best-in-class customer experience, support and engagement.



• Providing, as appropriate, customer-friendly support to help customers understand the assessment process.



• Actively ensuring the quality of markers and their marking of assessments through quality assurance monitoring and checks.



• Actively flagging and managing risks and issues with the Manager, Assessment, ensuring mitigations, solutions or contingency plans are swiftly identified and put in place.



• Motivating, leading, training and managing a team of senior markers.



• Managing your own training and seeking advice and support from the Manager, Assessment, when required.



• Ensuring all deadlines for the Marking Workstream are adhered to.

Training and Support

• Being a positive advocate for the Test Operation Service and within the Assessment Division, as well as across Pearson School Qualifications, modelling Pearson behaviours and leading by example.



• Actively contributing to, and delivering, the Pearson School Qualifications strategic priorities, as well as driving people initiatives within the Assessment Division, as appropriate.



• Sharing knowledge and expertise with those around you.

Technical Assessment expertise

• Being the marking expert for your area of responsibility and continually developing expertise in light of a changing primary education landscape.



• Representing the Test Operation Service and Assessment Division as a technical assessment expert for your area of responsibility, advising on approaches during both training material development and marking.



• Owning personal development in relation to building technical assessment expertise and project management, including identifying training and development needs and opportunities, and being responsible for continuous professional development of yourself and the wider team.

Quality assurance and improvements

• Being accountable for the integrity by which marking processes are followed, reviewed and amended, including driving improvements in the methodology for assuring quality of our processes in line with the Statement of Requirements (SoR).



• Being accountable for the quality assurance for your area of responsibility, including monitoring, managing and taking appropriate action to improve the quality of training materials, marker training and marking.



• Being able to articulate the quality assurance and improvement programme, including owning and delivering lessons learned, for your area of responsibility ensuring learning is taken forward into the next test cycle.

Cost management

• Ensuring the Marking Workstream financials are accurate for your area of responsibility within the wider Test Operation Service.



• In collaboration with the Manager, Assessment, seeking to drive cost efficiencies for your area of responsibility and across the Test Operation Service, as appropriate, by scrutinising ways of working and providing appropriate challenge, ensuring that we are in line with expected spend.

Strategic relationships

• Building a Marker population for the future by utilising the appropriate expertise in National Curriculum Assessments to ensure a clear succession plan within the senior positions of the Marking Hierarchy.



• Evaluating the success of the Marker population for your area of responsibility and being accountable for the structure, roles and make-up of the teams, as well as identifying and nurturing talent, to ensure the delivery of all marking phases to time, quality and budget.

Data

• Making use of Management Information (MI) and reporting, providing visibility and building confidence and trust between ourselves and STA.



• Partnering with your peers within Operations, Systems and Data, and Customer Service Workstreams to ensure that we are aligned with our reporting to STA.



• Being accountable for reporting accurate and timely data and information to the STA and wider business, escalating issues (with proposed solutions), as appropriate.



• Managing the Online Marking System (OMS), ensuring set-up and MI output is as stated in Statement of Requirements (SoR).

Person Specification

The ideal candidate for this position would have a varied background in Assessment roles, including experience as a primary teacher (highly desirable), a departmental lead in a school, or any other role within the education sector.

In addition to this, it would be highly beneficial for the candidate to have previous experience in a customer-facing role. A subject specialism and/or familiarity with Assessment materials and processes within a regulated or contractual framework would also be crucial.

We are looking for a highly motivated individual who can prioritise and manage their own workload effectively, ensuring that critical tasks are handled within tight, non-negotiable deadlines. The ability to problem-solve effectively and respond positively to change is essential, particularly when conflicts arise. Moreover, strong communication skills are vital, as the role requires the ability to influence others and work collaboratively with key stakeholders.

Experience

Core competencies:

• Providing a customer focused service.



• Communicating with influence.



• Working with others to achieve goals.



• Ability to build trusting relationships with internal and external teams.



• Delivering goals in a changing environment.



• Taking a creative and innovative approach to work.



• Maximising potential in self and others.

Education, qualification and training:

• Degree or equivalent qualification

Personal style and behaviour:

• Highly motivated individual with personal drive and energy.



• Able to prioritise and manage own workload.



• Actively seeks information and is able to handle it appropriately.



• Prepared to be flexible in their approach to problem solving.

Pearson Leadership Profile

Leading Self / Leading Others / Leading the Business:

• Always Learning



• Courageous



• Ethical



• Determined



• Customer Focussed



• Transformational

Strategic and visionary

• Innovative



• Developer



• Inspirational



• Relationship builder



• Makes it happen



• Pearson Values



• Brave



• Imaginative



• Decent



• Accountable

Your rewards & benefits

We know you’ll do great work, so we give a lot back with some of the best benefits in the business. We know one size doesn’t fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams, and their families too.

Please see our attractive UK benefits here: Pearson Jobs – Benefits

Role location: This is a hybrid role and will allow home working as well as from our office at least one day per week. Occasional travel to our other office locations may be required.

Who we are:

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.

Job: Learning Subject Matter Experts

Job Family: LEARNING&CONTENT_DEVELOPMENT

Organization: Assessment & Qualifications

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Req ID: 25090