Lead Specialist, Education Specialist

Role Title: Lead Specialist, Education Specialist
Location: Hybrid (Manchester / London)

This role aligns with positions commonly known in the external market as Communications Lead, Programme Communications Manager, Stakeholder Communications Manager or Operational Communications Manager.

Role Purpose

The Communications Lead is responsible for the end-to-end management of communications across the TOpS programme, ensuring schools, Local Authorities (LAs), Assessment Associates and other stakeholders receive timely, accurate and effective communications throughout the assessment cycle.

The role will lead communications planning, development, assurance, system configuration and delivery, working closely with assessment teams, operational teams, technology teams and the Standards and Testing Agency (STA). The postholder will ensure communications are correctly configured within the NCA Portal, thoroughly tested through User Acceptance Testing (UAT), delivered to the intended recipients and approved through agreed governance processes.

The Communications Lead acts as the primary liaison with the STA Communications Team, ensuring all communications meet contractual requirements, government communication standards and approved sign-off processes.

Key Responsibilities

Communications Strategy and Planning

• Lead the development and maintenance of communication plans for schools, Local Authorities and Assessment Associates.
• Own the annual communications schedule, ensuring communications are delivered at the right time to support operational readiness and delivery milestones.
• Coordinate communication activities across operational, technology, customer service and assessment workstreams as well as Legal and Corporate Communications where appropriate.
• Maintain a forward communications calendar, identifying dependencies, review periods and publication deadlines.
• Ensure communications align with STA requirements, government communication standards and accessibility requirements.

Communication Development and Assurance

• Lead the drafting, review and quality assurance of communications sent to schools, Local Authorities and Associates.
• Work with subject matter experts to translate complex operational information into clear, actionable communications.
• Ensure consistency of messaging, tone of voice and stakeholder experience across all communication channels.
• Maintain communication templates, standard operating procedures and governance documentation.
• Review communications for accuracy, completeness, accessibility and compliance prior to submission for approval.

NCA Portal Communications Management

• Own the configuration of communications within the NCA Portal.
• Manage communication workflows, triggers, templates and distribution lists within system tools.
• Ensure communications are scheduled correctly and released in accordance with agreed timelines.
• Work closely with Technology and Workstream teams to ensure portal functionality supports communication requirements.
• Investigate and resolve communication-related defects and issues prior to go-live.

Stakeholder Engagement and Governance

• Act as the primary operational contact for STA Communications.
• Manage communication review and approval cycles with STA communications and operational teams.
• Ensure all communications receive appropriate stakeholder review and formal sign-off before publication.
• Escalate communication risks, issues and delivery concerns through agreed governance routes.

Communication Delivery and Monitoring

• Oversee the successful delivery of all scheduled communications.
• Monitor communication performance, delivery success rates and stakeholder feedback.
• Analyse engagement data and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Maintain communication logs and audit trails for assurance purposes.
• Produce regular reporting on communications readiness, delivery status and key risks.

Continuous Improvement

• Capture lessons learned from each assessment cycle.
• Recommend improvements to communication processes, tools and stakeholder engagement approaches.
• Support the development of future communication strategies and service enhancements.
• Drive improvements in automation, targeting accuracy and user experience across communication channels.

Key Stakeholder Relationships

Internal

• Assessment Team
• Operations Teams
• Technology and Systems Teams
• Customer Service Teams
• Programme Management Office (PMO)
• Data and MI Teams

External

• Standards and Testing Agency (STA)
• STA Communications Team
• Schools
• Local Authorities
• Assessment Associates
• Third-party suppliers and service providers

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Experience managing large-scale stakeholder communications programmes.
• Experience developing and delivering communications to diverse audiences including schools, educational stakeholders or operational workforces.
• Experience planning and managing communication schedules and publication calendars.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience managing communication review and approval processes.
• Excellent written communication and editing skills.
• Strong attention to detail and quality assurance capability.
• Experience coordinating User Acceptance Testing activities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines within complex operational environments.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Desirable

• Experience working with government clients or public sector stakeholders.
• Knowledge of the National Curriculum Assessments programme.
• Experience with CRM, portal-based communications or mass communication platforms.
• Understanding of accessibility requirements and Government Communication Service principles.
• Experience supporting technology implementations and business readiness activities.

Success Measures

• Communications delivered accurately and on schedule.
• Successful completion of UAT and communication readiness activities.
• Zero or minimal communication errors impacting stakeholders.
• High levels of stakeholder satisfaction from schools, Local Authorities and Associates.
• Effective management of STA review and sign-off processes.
• Continuous improvement actions implemented following each assessment cycle.
• Strong governance, auditability and compliance across all communication activities.

This role provides dedicated ownership of all school, LA and Associate communications, ensuring that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time while maintaining full compliance with STA approval and governance requirements.