Qualification Delivery Manager

Qualifications Delivery Manager

This role sits in the General Qualifications Programme Management Office team in Pearson UK. The GQ PMO team is a vital cog in ensuring the success of the qualifications business, and Pearson UK as a whole.

This role will be varied and demanding, going beyond standard Delivery or Project Management, to cover a multitude of issues and projects with a variety of skills needed. It will require a post holder who is versatile and able to balance conflicting demands, priorities and topics with a view to achieving overall objectives.

PURPOSE:

1. Delivery Management:

• To oversee the end to end planning and delivery of both existing and new General Qualification delivery models

• To manage risks and issues within the relevant qualification, coordinating teams and enabling collaborative problem-solving

• To create and manage delivery schedules for the operational business calendar

• To support fellow delivery managers in delivery of other qualification suites as needed

• Management of issues and incidents as required to ensure successful delivery

• To produce and improve reporting and visibility for key stakeholders

• To develop, maintain and improve key operational metrics and performance indicators

• Management of lessons learned gathering, assessment and action plan implementation

• Management of competing priorities

• Change/Project Management

• Support delivery related projects with a view to achieving the benefits expected in the business case (to the business and/or customers)

• Developing and maintaining plans and schedules for the assigned project(s).

• Collaborate and coordinate with other internal teams and suppliers to ensure changes are viable and effective.

• Ensure changes to scope, risks and issues are managed.

2. Incident Management

• To quickly establish and lead incident response teams, driving decision making as needed, managing more senior stakeholders to deliver on required actions

• To create and maintain an incident action log covering the relevant areas (comms, tech, operations etc.)

• To ensure incidents are managed effectively, minimizing negative impact and closing the issue as quickly and effectively as possible

• To provide timely and accurate progress reporting to senior leadership including the identification and mitigation of any associated risks

• To manage any residual actions through the lessons learned process

• Ongoing monitoring of progress against business calendars and plans, ensuring timely identification of deviations

• Clear and succinct communication of issues/incidents to stakeholders at all levels

3. Risk Management

• Identify, measure and record risks, ensuring that adequate mitigation and contingency is in place

• Responsible for the management of risk in qualification delivery and assigned projects

• Acting as a risk champion, encouraging identification and cross team collaboration when it comes to risk management

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. To ensure successful delivery of qualifications end to end, from inception to results

2. Build relationships with key UK and international colleagues, operations, technology, delivery teams and external suppliers

3. Identify, measure and record risks, ensuring that adequate mitigation and contingency is in place for all projects

4. Ensure visibility on progress for senior management and the qualifications senior management teams.

Experience, Skills and Qualifications

The successful candidate will be driven and diligent, with excellent interpersonal skills, and the ability to deliver change and problem solve in a fast-paced and challenging environment. Ability to manage multiple, and sometimes conflicting stakeholder demands, will be paramount.

Essential Skills:

• Highly skilled in Stakeholder management, at all levels of the organisation

• Effective influencing and negotiating skills, ability to constructively challenge status quo

• Experience leading teams and driving decision making, in a matrix environment (without direct line management responsibly)

• Ability to digest new subject matter quickly, distilling key factors relevant to success

• Highly organised, with the ability to manage multiple, and often conflicting, priorities and requirements and interdependencies

• Attention to detail

• Excellent written and verbal communication, with ability to convey complex topics succinctly, tailoring to audience needs as appropriate

• Experience of managing major/complex issues, working with stakeholders from various business functions to agree and delivery workable solutions

• Confident interpreting complex data, and using data to drive decision making

Desirable :

• Experience of working within a highly regulated environment, particularly in the Education sector and the end to end qualification delivery cycle

• Project Management experience and/or certification (e.g. PRINCE 2, Agile, APM, MSP)

• Risk Management experience (including knowledge of MoR theory)

• Experience in driving continuous improvement

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

What to expect from Pearson

Did you know Pearson is one of the 10 most innovative education companies of 2022?

At Pearson, we add life to a lifetime of learning so everyone can realize the life they imagine. We do this by creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. We are on a journey to be 100 percent digital to meet the changing needs of the global population by developing a new strategy with ambitious targets. To deliver on our strategic vision, we have five business divisions that are the foundation for the long-term growth of the company: Assessment & Qualifications, Virtual Learning, English Language Learning, Workforce Skills and Higher Education. Alongside these, we have our corporate divisions: Digital & Technology, Finance, Global Corporate Marketing & Communications, Human Resources, Legal, Strategy and Direct to Consumer. Learn more at We are Pearson.

We value the power of an inclusive culture and also a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture where differences are embraced, opportunities are accessible, consideration and respect are the norm and all individuals are supported in reaching their full potential. Through our talent, we believe that diversity, equity and inclusion make us a more innovative and vibrant place to work. People are at the center, and we are committed to building a workplace where talent can learn, grow and thrive.

Pearson is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. We want a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We strive for a workforce that reflects the diversity of our communities.

To learn more about Pearson’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workforce, navigate to: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Pearson.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.

Note that the information you provide will stay confidential and will be stored securely. It will not be seen by those involved in making decisions as part of the recruitment process.

Job: GENERAL BUSINESS OPERATIONS

Organization: Assessment & Qualifications

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Workplace Type: Hybrid

Req ID: 17157