Internal Verifier (Diploma Level 4)

CERT The Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training; Sharjah; On-site; AED 167,000 - 246,000; Full time

Job summary

CERT The Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training seeks an Internal Verifier to safeguard assessment quality for UAE Diploma Level 4. You will work with the Qualification Developer and SMEs to ensure valid, reliable and auditable verification across instruments, criteria and evidence.

This role requires strong documentation, regulatory knowledge and independence. Essential collaboration includes sign‑off on instruments, standardization support, and monthly reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in education, security studies, policing, law or related field is essential.
• Internal verification or quality assurance qualification plus an assessor award is essential.
• 3+ years in assessing/verifying vocational qualifications at Level 3–5, UAE context is essential.
• Experience with NQC/SQC standards and regulatory requirements is essential.

Responsibilities

• Verify drafts against QFEmirates Level 4 descriptors and NQC/SQC templates.
• Sign off assessment instruments and marking schemes before release.
• Log SME reviews and track corrective actions to closure.
• Plan sampling and verify learner evidence for external verification readiness.
• Provide feedback to qualification developers and support standardization meetings.

Skills

English proficiency

Attention to detail

Integrity & confidentiality

Planning & organization

Digital records

Evidence-based judgment

Education

Bachelor's degree in education, security studies, policing or related field

Master's degree (Desirable)

IQA/IQA qualification + assessor award (Essential)

External verifier/lead IQA award (Desirable)

Tools

LMS/learner management systems

e-portfolios

Spreadsheet tracking

Job description

The Internal Verifier (IV) safeguards the quality, consistency, and standards compliance of assessment for the Diploma Level 4 program, working day to day with the Qualification Developer to ensure the qualification is designed, assessed, and evidenced in line with National Qualification Center (NQC) and Security Qualification Center (SQC) requirements in the United Arab Emirates.

Department: Academic Quality Assurance

Works directly with: Qualification Developer (Diploma Level 4), subject matter experts (SMEs) appointed by the Qualification Developer, assessors, and trainers

Regulatory alignment: NQC and SQC standards; QFEmirates Level 4 descriptors

Employment type: Full-time (project-based, 12 months)

The IV is the independent, second line of quality assurance. The qualification developer designs the qualification, units, learning outcomes, and assessment instruments; the IV verifies that these are valid, reliable, fair, and fit for external verification, and that assessment decisions taken against them are sound before they are certified.

Key responsibilities

Qualification design verification (with the qualification developer)

• Review draft unit specifications, learning outcomes, and assessment criteria against QFEmirates Level 4 descriptors and NQC/SQC unit and qualification templates.
• Verify that assessment instruments (assignments, practical observations, knowledge tests, and portfolios) cover every assessment criterion, at the right level, with no gaps or duplication.
• Check that assessment methods are valid, reliable, fair, and safe for the security context, including scenario-based and simulation-based assessments.
• Sign off assessment instruments and marking schemes before they are released to assessors and learners.
• Feedback verification findings to the qualification developer and track corrective actions to closure.

Working with subject matter experts (SMEs)

• Work with the SMEs selected by the Qualification Developer to confirm that unit content, assessment tasks and marking schemes reflect current security-sector practice and the SQC/NQC specification.
• Route verification queries on technical content to the relevant SME, record their input and make sure it is reflected in the revised instrument before sign-off.
• Invite SMEs to standardization meetings where a unit's technical benchmark needs expert agreement, and record the agreed benchmark.
• Keep a log of SME reviews (unit, SME, date, outcome) as part of the verification records for external verification.

Assessment verification

• Plan and carry out sampling of assessor decisions across units, assessors, learners, assessment methods and sites, using a documented sampling strategy agreed with the Head of Quality Assurance.
• Verify that judgments of learner evidence are accurate and consistent with the assessment criteria and the SQC/NQC assessment specification.
• Observe assessors conducting assessments and giving feedback, and record outcomes.
• Confirm authenticity, sufficiency, currency and validity of learner evidence before results are submitted for certification.
• Verify assessment records, learner tracking sheets and result submissions before external verification visits.

Standardization and assessor support

• Lead standardization meetings for assessors and trainers, with minutes, agreed benchmarks and action points.
• Induct new assessors into the qualification, the assessment strategy and the verification process.
• Identify assessor development needs and agree support or CPD plans.

Compliance and records

• Maintain complete internal verification records (sampling plans, verification reports, observation records, standardization minutes, action logs) in the format required by NQC and SQC.
• Prepare for, host and follow up NQC/SQC external verification visits and audits, and close any actions raised.
• Keep the programme's assessment and verification policies current and applied.
• Monitor appeals, malpractice and reasonable-adjustment cases and ensure they are handled per policy.
• Report verification outcomes, risks and trends monthly to the Programme Director.
• Do not verify assessments you have delivered or marked yourself; declare any conflict of interest and hand the sample to another verifier.

Qualifications, experience, and competencies:

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in education, security studies, policing, law, or a related field—Essential
• Master's degree in a related field-Desirable
• Recognized internal verification/internal quality assurance qualification (e.g. NQC- or VETAC-recognised IQA/IV award, or Level 4 IQA equivalent) plus a recognised assessor award-Essential
• External verifier or lead IQA award-Desirable

Experience:

• 3+ years assessing or verifying vocational qualifications at Level 3–5; hands‑on experience with NQC and/or SQC accredited programs in the UAE-Essential
• Experience verifying qualifications in security, policing, or emergency services; experience with simulation- or VR‑based assessment-Desirable

Regulatory knowledge:

• Working knowledge of QFEmirates level descriptors, NQC qualification approval and verification requirements, and SQC assessment specifications-Essential
• Familiarity with international security‑sector qualifications for benchmarking-Desirable

Language:

• Professional written and spoken English; Arabic for learner evidence and assessor records—Essential

Other:

• Eligible to work in the UAE; clean security clearance record-Essential
• Membership of a professional assessment or quality assurance body-Desirable
• Attention to detail and evidence-based judgment: applies assessment criteria consistently and can justify every verification decision in writing.
• Standards fluency: reads unit specifications, level descriptors and regulator guidance and turns them into practical checklists for assessors.
• Constructive feedback: gives clear, documented developmental feedback to assessors and the Qualification Developer without compromising independence.
• Planning and organization: builds and keeps to sampling plans, verification calendars and audit‑readiness timelines.
• Integrity and confidentiality: handles learner records and security‑sector content with discretion.
• Digital records: competent with learner management systems, e‑portfolios and spreadsheet‑based tracking.

Working relationships and performance measures:

• Qualification Developer (Diploma Level 4):Daily: review and sign‑off of units, assessment instruments and marking schemes; joint response to NQC/SQC feedback
• Subject matter experts (SMEs) appointed by the Qualification Developer: Technical review of unit content and assessment tasks; resolving content queries raised during verification; benchmark agreement at standardization
• Assessors and trainers: Sampling, observation, standardization, feedback and development
• Head of Academic Quality Assurance / Programme Director: Sampling strategy approval, monthly verification reporting, escalation of risks
• NQC and SQC external verifiers: Hosting external verification visits, providing records, closing actions
• Client academy quality team: Coordinating assessment schedules, learner records and reporting

Key performance indicators

• 100% of assessment instruments internally verified and signed off before first use.
• Sampling plan delivered on schedule, covering every assessor and every unit at least once per cohort.
• Verification records complete and audit‑ready at least 2 weeks before each external verification visit.
• Zero unresolved external verification actions past their due date.
• Standardization meeting held at least once per assessment cycle, with minutes and actions recorded.
• Assessor feedback and corrective actions closed within 10 working days of the verification report.

Authority

• Withhold sign‑off of any assessment instrument or result that does not meet the standard, and require re‑assessment or re‑marking.
• Escalate suspected malpractice or systemic assessor issues directly to the Programme Director.