Advanced Associate, Assessment

Pearson; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Pearson is seeking a Learning Subject Matter Expert to join the Assessment & Qualifications team in a hybrid role based in Manchester. You will contribute to the development of assessment materials and support marking for Key Stage 2 assessments, collaborating with managers, specialists and project teams to meet time, quality and budget targets.

You will bring knowledge of primary education, strong stakeholder collaboration and a proactive approach to continuous improvement, ensuring

Qualifications

• Degree or equivalent qualification required.
• Experience in assessment or education sector is desirable.
• Strong stakeholder and project collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Support development and marking of Key Stage 2 assessment materials.
• Collaborate with managers and specialists to meet timelines and budgets.
• Ensure high-quality, customer-focused service across the assessment process.

Skills

Customer focus

Communication

Collaboration

Problem solving

Creativity

Self-motivation

Education

Degree or equivalent qualification

Job description

Your role

Part of the NCA Marking Workstream Team, the Advanced Associate, Assessment is accountable, in collaboration with the Manager, Assessment and Specialist, Assessment, for the on time and accurate delivery of all aspects of marking (either for English), ensuring all key milestones are met during all marking phases. This role aligns to industry titles such as Subject or Assessment Co‑Ordinator.

The Advanced Associate, Assessment will be required to deputise for the Specialist, Assessment as appropriate, and work directly with other teams, project managers and matrix managers within the NCA Marking Workstream Team and wider Assessment Division to deliver key accountabilities and be part of divisional initiatives. The Advanced Associate, Assessment will be required to contribute to collective achievement of business goals and objectives from the Assessment Division, Pearson School Qualifications and wider Pearson Business.

Purpose

In collaboration with the Specialist, Assessment and under the management of the Manager, Assessment, you will provide technical assessment material development and marking support for your given subject area, while assisting timely, cost effective and accurate end‑to‑end delivery of the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Assessments. Reporting to the Manager, Assessment and working as part of a wider team within the NCA Marking Workstream, you will play a contributory role in delivering a professional and customer‑focused service.

The purpose of the Advanced Associate, Assessment role is to:

• Support the Specialist, Assessment in your given subject area in delivering the training material development and marking requirements for Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Assessments to time, quality and budget.
• Be recognised as a technical assessment material development and marking professional within the NCA Marking Workstream Team, as well as across the Assessment Division and Pearson School Qualifications, as appropriate.
• Contribute to ensuring the integrity for which NCA material development and marking processes are followed, reviewed and amended.
• Be financially aware of the importance of the delivery budget, including material development and marking. Support the Marking Workstream Team in maintaining a strong focus on budget planning, management and tracking processes.
• Collaborate with the Specialist, Assessment to build an assessment associate population for the future by developing strong working relationships with education experts within the marking hierarchy.

Key Accountabilities

• Supporting the delivery of training material development and marking to time, quality, budget and security.
• Working 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 assisting markers with their marking of assessments through quality assurance monitoring and checks.
• Actively flagging and escalating risks and issues with the Specialist, Assessment and Manager, Assessment to help ensure mitigations, solutions or contingency plans are swiftly identified and put in place.
• Motivating, supporting, training and guiding a team of senior markers.
• Managing your own training and seeking advice and support from the Specialist, Assessment and Manager, Assessment, when required.
• Ensuring all deadlines for the Marking Workstream Team are adhered to.

Training and Support

• Being a positive advocate for the NCA Marking Workstream Team 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 engaging with people initiatives within the Assessment Division, as appropriate.
• Sharing knowledge and expertise with those around you.

Technical assessment expertise

• Being an assessment professional in your subject and continually developing expertise in light of a changing primary education landscape.
• Representing the NCA Marking Workstream Teamand Assessment Division as a technical assessment professional for your subject, assisting with approaches during both training material development and marking.
• Owning personal development in relation to building technical assessment expertise, including identifying individual training and development needs and opportunities, and being responsible for continuous professional development of yourself.

Quality assurance and improvements

• Contributing to the integrity by which marking processes are followed, reviewed and amended, including engaging with improvements in the methodology for assuring quality of our processes in line with the Statement of Requirements (SoR).
• Contributing to the quality assurance within your subject, including monitoring, guiding and assisting with appropriate actions to improve the quality of training materials, marker training and marking.
• Being able to support with the quality assurance and improvement programme, including active participation in the lessons learned process for your area of responsibility, ensuring learning is taken forward into the next test cycle.

Cost management

• Assisting the Specialist, Assessment and Manager, Assessment in ensuring the Marking Workstream Team's financials are accurate within your subject or within the wider NCA Service.
• In collaboration with the Specialist, Assessment and Manager, Assessment, contributing to driving cost efficiencies within your given subject area and across the NCA Service, as appropriate.

Strategic relationships

• Collaborating with the Specialist, Assessment in building an assessment associate population for the future by utilising the appropriate expertise in National Curriculum Assessments.
• Supporting the Specialist, Assessment in evaluating the success of the assessment associate population in your subject 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 our peers within Operations, Systems and Data, and Customer Service Workstreams to ensure that we are aligned with our reporting to STA.
• Assisting with reporting accurate and timely data and information to the STA and the wider business, escalating issues, as appropriate.
• Contributing to the management of the online marking system (OMS), ensuring set‑up and MI output is as stated in the Statement of Requirements (SoR).

Person Specification

The ideal candidate for this position would have a varied background in assessment roles (highly desirable), including knowledge of the primary Key Stage 2 curriculum, 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 beneficial.

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 manage it appropriately.
• Prepared to be flexible in their approach to problem solving.

Pearson Leadership Profile

Leading Self:

• Always learning
• Courageous
• Ethical
• Determined
• Customer focussed
• Transformational

Strategic and visionary

• Innovative
• Developer
• Inspirational
• Relationship builder
• Makes it happen
• Pearson Values
• Brave
• Imaginative
• DecentAccountable

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:

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 realise 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.

Job: Learning Subject Matter Experts

Job Family: LEARNING\\<>&\\CONTENT_DEVELOPMENT

Organization: Assessment & Qualifications

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Req ID: 25091