Job Description
About Pearson:
Pearson is a prominent global education and publishing company with a rich history dating back to its founding in 1844. Specializing in educational products and services, Pearson operates in over 70 countries, serving students, educators, and professionals worldwide. The company offers a wide array of educational resources, including textbooks, digital learning tools, online courses, and assessment services. Learn more at pearsonplc.com
About the Position:
Pearson Education Limited is certified currently to ISO9001, ISO22301 and ISO27001 at various Pearson UK sites. The responsibility for the maintenance of these third party certifications lies with the Business Improvement and Regulation division, part of the Qualification and Assessment Services division led by Pearson’s responsible officer, who reports directly to the Managing Director for School Assessment and Qualifications.
The Audit and Quality department supports the awarding body function of the business, responsible for ensuring that processes are driven by continual improvement, meet the needs of our customers, achieve our business goals and comply with Pearson and regulatory requirements, in line with our business certifications. We help maintain this through delivery of an annual audit programme and the implementation of our Quality and Information Security management systems and various business improvement initiatives to support this.
The Audit team consists of a Lead Auditor, Auditors and Senior Auditors who are responsible for carrying out audits across the qualifications business.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support the Audit and Quality team in ensuring compliance with internal procedures, regulatory requirements and external business standards.
- Be responsible for ensuring that processes are, fit for purpose, driven by continual improvement, meet the needs of our customers, achieve our business goals, comply with Pearson policies, regulatory requirements, and our ISO certifications.
- Support the Business Certifications Manager to deliver improvement projects, including those identified by audits or key stakeholders to drive continual improvement
- complete all aspects (such as planning, execution, reporting and action management) of audits in accordance with our audit processes
- promote continual improvement throughout the business
- review and maintain department procedures
- also support the broader work of Business Improvement and Regulation by working flexibly when required to do so, including supporting completion of Appeals cases during a specific time of year
Key Role-Specific Deliverables:
- deliver, either solo or in a team, high quality, commercially focussed audits that fulfil business needs/requirements within agreed timescales
- support in delivering an integrated audit programme
- recommend and promote practical and cost-effective actions for improving the effectiveness of business processes and, providing support and monitoring progress, to ensure the successful completion of action plans
- monitor and update team logs to ensure that audits and actions are completed to agreed timescales
- communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing with internal and external colleagues, customers and senior managers
- provide high quality support on projects, including administrative support
- collate management information for Management Review and other meetings
- liaise with external agencies, including Ofqual, SQA, CCEA, Qualifications Wales and JCQ, as required.
Key Challenges:
- Implementation of the quality and information security management systems, balancing regulations, rules and standards with business needs and priorities
- Influencing management through negotiation, persuasion and exemplary written and verbal communication skills
- Professional, customer focused, service provision representation of the division
- To act as arbiter to resolve non-compliance issues
- Reporting in an accurate, timely, consistent and effective manner appropriate to the intended audience.
Key Measures of Success:
- Maintenance of ISO9001 and ISO27001 certifications, as well as auditing to support maintenance of ISO22301 certification
- High-quality audit plans that include appropriate audit scopes and objectives, and consider realistic timescales for audit completion
- Production of high-quality audit reports that are factually accurate and findings are a true representation of the process audited, ensuring that production of audit reports is within timescales set
- Raising audit actions that benefit the business
- Actions resulting from audits completed within the agreed completion date where possible.
About You:
Essential Requirements:
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy in analysis and reporting
- Previous experience in quality assurance roles
- Proficiency in writing briefings, proposals, reports, or business correspondence
- Excellent educational background demonstrating analytical and interpersonal skills
- Exceptional organizational and planning abilities
- Outstanding communication skills for effective interaction with colleagues and external agencies
- Proficiency in analyzing complex arguments
- Familiarity with MS Office applications and Lucid Chart
- Knowledge and experience in auditing against ISO standards such as ISO9001, ISO27001, ISO22301, or equivalent
Desired Attributes:
- Proactive problem-solving ability
- Capacity to work effectively under pressure
- Diplomatic and integrity-driven approach to handling sensitive issues
- Commitment to continuous improvement
- Willingness to support broader divisional objectives with personal skills and knowledge
- Team player with a strong work ethic
- Openness to additional training
- Adaptability to changing work environments
- Innovative and creative approach to tasks
- Focus on maximizing personal and team potential
- Customer-centric service provision
- Influential communication skills
- Collaboration for goal achievement
- Adaptability in a changing work environment
- Maximizing personal and team potential
This role is a hybrid role, with potentially some travel to our other sites when required.
Some travel may also be required for external visits to Pearson suppliers, and centres for audits. Occasionally, you may need to stay overnight in order to undertake these.
Normal working hours apply (37.5 hours per week); flexibility as required to meet business needs.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.