Manager, Education Specialist

Job Title: Manager, Education Specialist

Location: Manchester (Office Based During Live Delivery Periods)
Reports To: Head of Marking

This role aligns with positions commonly known in the external market as Clerical Marking Centre Manager, Marking Operations Manager, Assessment Operations Manager or Processing Centre Manager.

Role Purpose

The Clerical Marking Centre Manager is responsible for the operational management and delivery of clerical marking activities during live test windows. The role leads the day-to-day operation of the Clerical Marking Centre, ensuring that all clerical items are marked accurately, securely, and within marking milestones.

The postholder will manage a team of supervisors and clerical markers to ensure the timely completion of marking activities while maintaining the highest standards of quality, compliance, and data security. The role is critical to the successful delivery of marking and requires strong operational leadership during peak delivery periods.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Delivery

• Lead all clerical marking centre activities throughout live delivery periods.
• Oversee the receipt, allocation, processing, and completion of clerical marking items.
• Monitor daily throughput, productivity, and completion forecasts to ensure delivery milestones are achieved.
• Implement contingency plans to mitigate delivery risks and maintain operational continuity.
• Provide regular operational updates and reporting to senior stakeholders.

Team Leadership

• Recruit, train, induct, and manage supervisors and clerical marking staff.
• Set clear expectations and performance standards for all centre personnel.
• Foster a positive, collaborative, and high-performing working environment.
• Support the development and wellbeing of team members during intensive delivery periods.
• Coordinate staffing plans to ensure adequate resource coverage across all shifts.

Quality Assurance

• Ensure clerical marking activities are completed accurately and consistently.
• Monitor quality assurance outcomes and implement corrective actions where required.
• Work closely with assessment and quality teams to resolve marking issues and queries.
• Maintain documented evidence of quality checks and operational controls.
• Use Management Information to inform marking activity, maintaining an even distribution of marking while enabling targeted shifts in allocation where required.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary operational contact for clerical marking centre activity.
• Build effective working relationships with operations, technology teams, quality teams, and programme stakeholders.
• Escalate risks, issues, and delivery concerns in a timely manner.
• Contribute to operational reviews and lessons-learned activities following assessment delivery.

Compliance and Security

• Ensure all activities comply with contractual requirements, and data protection policies.
• Maintain strict security protocols relating to assessment materials and pupil data.
• Ensure all staff complete mandatory training and adhere to operational procedures.
• Support audits and compliance reviews as required.

Planning and Continuous Improvement

• Contribute to the planning and readiness activities for future assessment cycles.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, efficiency, and quality.
• Participate in programme retrospectives and operational improvement initiatives.
• Support user acceptance testing and operational readiness exercises where required.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Experience managing large-scale operational or assessment delivery teams.
• Proven ability to lead teams in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Strong planning, organisational, and resource management skills.
• Experience managing operational risk and delivering against challenging deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret management information and performance metrics.
• Experience producing operational reports and executive summaries.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and Power BI.

Desirable

• Experience working within assessment, education, examination, or marking operations.
• Understanding of national curriculum assessments and marking processes.
• Experience managing temporary or seasonal workforces.
• Knowledge of quality assurance frameworks and assessment compliance requirements.

Key Behaviours

• Delivers results through effective operational leadership.
• Makes informed decisions under pressure.
• Builds strong relationships and collaborates effectively across teams.
• Demonstrates resilience during peak delivery periods.
• Maintains a strong focus on quality, accuracy, and customer outcomes.
• Continuously seeks opportunities for improvement and innovation.

Working Arrangements

• Based in Manchester with a significant on-site presence required during live marking delivery periods.
• Flexibility to work extended hours and weekends during peak operational windows.
• Occasional travel to other Pearson offices or operational locations may be required.

Success Measures

• Delivery of clerical marking activities within agreed timelines.
• Achievement of quality and accuracy targets.
• Compliance with all security and regulatory requirements.
• Effective management of staffing and operational resources.
• Positive stakeholder feedback and successful programme delivery outcomes.