BACKGROUND INFORMATION

At Pearson we are committed to lifelong learning and supporting every step of your educational journey. Whether a student, educator, or navigating the world of work, Pearson will seek to assist. Together with schools and families, we’re working to enhance every learning journey. For FE Colleges, we are building vocational skills to progress to higher education, apprenticeships, and rewarding careers. For those progressing to university we are helping to support and enrich higher education teaching and learning for successful outcomes and finally for those in the world of work, we are solving the skills challenge and empowering future generations of workers.

NCA since 2010...

Pearson has a strong record of accomplishment in Marking and Marking Reviews at scale and has extensive experience of successful large-scale delivery across high stakes Assessments and Test Cycles. We have proven expertise in delivering the Marking requirements for the NCA KS2 Test Operation with over a decade of experience in managing Marking Delivery and Marking Quality for the National Curriculum Assessments Test Operations.

Pearson is proud of our track record of meeting the Data Quality criteria specified in the Data Exchange Standards (DES) by delivering 100% results and 100% data quality, in accordance with the timetable and deadlines required by STA when delivering NCA Test Cycles since 2010.

Part of Pearson School Qualifications, the Assessment division combines excellence in assessment with outstanding customer experience. The Assessment division has end-to-end responsibility for delivering on-time, accurate results for high stakes UK and international qualifications to our learners and first-class customer service to all our customers.

With expertise and experience of the Marking processes, procedures, systems and timelines, the Test Operation Services’ Marking workstream team ensures that every aspect of Marking is delivered; from production and delivery of Training Materials, through Live Marking Quality Assurance, return of results and Review Marking. This central team provides management and support to the Marking Teams to ensure timely delivery.

Your role

Part of the Test Operation Services’ Marking Workstream team, the Subject Manager is accountable for the on time and accurate delivery of all aspects of Marking (for either English Reading, English Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling or Maths). Ensuring all Key Milestones are met during Live Marking and Review Marking Phases. Leading a team of three, the Subject Manager is part of the Assessment management team and is responsible for representing Assessment and Test Operation Service across Pearson School Qualifications and the wider Pearson business.

The Subject Manager will be required to deputise for the Head of Marking as appropriate and work directly with other teams and Programme Director, Project Managers and matrix managers within the Test Operation Services and Assessment to deliver key accountabilities and lead on assessment content-related strategic initiatives.

Purpose

The Subject Manager provides technical assessment material development and marking expertise, within the Test Operation Service, as well as across Assessment division and Pearson School Qualifications as appropriate, while ensuring the strategic, timely, cost effective and accurate delivery of the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Assessment.

The purpose of the Assessment Subject Manager role is to:

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

Be recognised as a leader and deliver best in class line management experience

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

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

Be accountable for delivery of materials development and marking to budget, including providing focus on and visibility of budget planning, management and tracking

Build an Assessment Associate population for the future by developing strategic relationships with education experts ensuring succession planning within the marking hierarchy

Make strategic use of management information (MI) and reporting, providing visibility, driving improvement, and building confidence and trust in the Marking Workstream

Key Accountabilities

Deliver material development and marking for your area of responsibility

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

Ensuring your team, adhere to all requirements as per the Statement of Requirements, Product Breakdown Structure and Product Descriptions

Actively manage risks and issues, including contingency plans ensuring problems are swiftly identified and solutions put in place

Manage the deployment of resources within the team to mitigate risks or achieve delivery priorities

Ensuring Marking Workstream team exceed all deadlines within the Programme project plan, ensuring you always delivering on time

Leadership and people management

Be recognised as a leader within the Test Operation Service and wider Assessment division, as well as across Pearson School Qualifications, and deliver best in class line management experience

Be accountable for ensuring direct reports have effective training and development opportunities to enable them to succeed, including creating opportunities for high performance as well as actively managing and supporting poor performance

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

Actively contribute to, and deliver, the Pearson School Qualifications people strategy, driving people initiatives within Assessment as appropriate

Accountable for identifying and developing talent within Test Operation Service, including recruitment and retention

Evaluate the performance of roles within the Marking workstream ensuring poor performance is effectively managed as per our approach set out with STA

Be responsible for managing processes and teams based in different locations as appropriate.

Share knowledge

Technical Assessment expertise

Being the Marking expert for area of responsibility and continually developing expertise in light of changes to the primary education landscape

Represent the Test Operation Service and Assessment division as a technical assessment expert for 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 self and team.

Customer expertise

Ensuring that assessment instruments, such as question papers, mark schemes, examiner reports and skills maps are published to customers on time, are high quality and on brand

Implement changes that improve the accessibility of assessments for our customers in both content and layout

Collaborate with key stakeholders on the production of assessment content as a result of qualification reform, ensuring these materials act as a suitable template for all future assessments

Quality assurance and improvements

Be 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

Be accountable for the quality assurance for area of responsibility, including monitoring, managing and taking appropriate action to improve the quality of training materials, Marker training and Marking

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

Cost management

Take responsibility for ensuring the Marking workstream, within Test Operation Service, financials are accurate and includes all areas of expenditure, is cost effective and is achievable

Ensure that Marker fees and expenses continue to be reviewed and paid in line with the requirements within the Statement of Requirements

Drive cost efficiencies within area of responsibility and across the Test Operation Service as appropriate by scrutinising ways of working and providing appropriate challenge ensuring we are in line with expected spend.

Strategic relationships

Build a Marker population for the future by utilising the appropriate expertise in the National Curriculum Assessment to ensure a clear succession plan within the senior marking hierarchy

Evaluate the success of the Marker population for area of responsibility and be accountable for the structure, roles and make-up of the teams, as well as identifying and nurturing talent, to ensure the delivery of Marking and Review Marking to time, quality and budget

Develop and utilise strategic relationships across the Testing Operation Service and Pearson School Qualifications and the wider Pearson business

Be accountable for the delivery of marking within a matrix structure, including ensuring responsible teams within Test Operations Service have the data, tools and information needed to deliver their part within the test cycle.

Data

Make strategic use of Management Information (MI) and reporting, providing visibility, driving improvement, and building confidence and trust between ourselves and STA

Partner with the Operations, Technology and Customer Service workstreams to ensure we are aligned with our reporting to STA.

Make strategic use of data and reporting to assist in identifying improvements that can be implemented for future test cycles

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

Location: Hybrid working model, where you'll be required to work 1 day per week in any Pearson office: Manchester, London, Oxford, Rotherham.

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

What to expect from Pearson

Did you know Pearson is one of the 10 most innovative education companies of 2022?

At Pearson, we add life to a lifetime of learning so everyone can realize the life they imagine. We do this by creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are on a journey to be 100 percent digital to meet the changing needs of the global population by developing a new strategy with ambitious targets. To deliver on our strategic vision, we have five business divisions that are the foundation for the long-term growth of the company: Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Workforce Skills and Higher Education. Alongside these, we have our corporate divisions: Digital & Technology, Finance, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications, Human Resources, Legal, Strategy and Direct to Consumer. Learn more at We are Pearson.

We value the power of an inclusive culture and also a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture where differences are embraced, opportunities are accessible, consideration and respect are the norm and all individuals are supported in reaching their full potential. Through our talent, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion make us a more innovative and vibrant place to work. People are at the center, and we are committed to building a workplace where talent can learn, grow and thrive.

Pearson is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. We want a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. All 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 strive for a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities.

To learn more about Pearson’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, navigate to: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Pearson.

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.

Note that the information you provide will stay confidential and will be stored securely. It will not be seen by those involved in making decisions as part of the recruitment process.

Job: PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

Organization: Assessment & Qualifications

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Req ID: 16812