Assessment Leader

Background information:

The Assessment Leader (AL) is responsible for managing the qualification and the assessment process within their designated specification(s) from the General Qualifications portfolio.

The AL reports to the Head of Subject, working as part of a subject team and closely with Subject Coordinators within the team, whose aim is to deliver a professional and customer focused service.

The role will be required to work collaboratively across other subjects when support is required, and if appropriate.

The role will be required to deputise for the Head of Subject when required, and if appropriate.

Purpose:

• They will manage the entire assessment process from the approval of assessment materials (i.e., question papers) to the completion, award and review of the examination series.

• They will ensure that the assessments on all qualifications are carried out to a high standard in accordance with all appropriate internal policies and external regulations and can withstand scrutiny by internal audit and all stakeholders - including regulators, students and parents.

• They will have a focus on customer experience, support, engagement and insight.

• They will support on implementing a cycle of continuous refinement and improvement to assessments by evaluating the performance data and applying a customer-centric approach into decision making.

• They will demonstrate a keen interest and an in-depth understanding of the specification and will support the Head of Subject on supporting customers with understanding the qualification.

• They will develop an understanding of good assessment and will be able to interpret and analyse assessment data to evaluate how assessments have performed.

Key accountabilities:

Customer Support

• Managing own performance in relation to internal and external service levels, for example timely resolution of customer queries and a high standard of customer communication.

• Developing a customer-first mindset with a focus on retention.

• Producing (as appropriate) customer-friendly assessment support to help customers understand assessment processes.

• Supporting the Head of Subject with customer facing research and support (e.g. Teacher training packs, support sessions, focus groups, surveys).

• Supporting any contingency arrangements implemented generally or for more specific customers.

Assessment excellence and functioning

• Adhering to regulatory and internal procedures and obligations at all stages and that all documentation is to the highest standard, meets the assessment criteria for given assessments and ensures our assessments meet the needs of learners.

• Awarding secure grade boundaries that are defendable.

• Running standardisation & awarding meetings.

• Analysing and interpreting assessment data to ensure comparability in our question papers series on series

• Using the assessment data to ensure question papers are written at the appropriate level.

• Supporting on an array of assessment initiatives across the department such as digital assessments, the mock service etc.

• Developing New Examiner Training and refresher training for AAs.

• Adapting and developing an understanding of digital assessment.

• Supporting and facilitating the production of other assessment content across all assessment services, for example, Examiner Reports, on-screen assessment material.

• Ensuring assessment material reflects Pearsons global DE&I principles and our assessments are inclusive of learners.

Planning, Project and Information Management

• Updating and reporting on key management information to the Head of Subject, ensuring all data is up-to-date and accurate, for example monitoring marking quality.

• Supporting on scheduling and forecasting activities to ensure optimum efficiency for series based activities whilst also factoring in cost and budget-based considerations.

• Ensuring online marking related set up activities are completed on-time for subjects responsible for and reviewing series on series to ensure consistency in the marking of exam papers.

• Escalating issues and risks to the Head of Subject in a timely manner together with potential solutions.

• Leading on cross-department projects, ensuring all team members are briefed and engaged and the projects are delivered to deadline.

Quality Management

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