Stakeholder Engagement Manager

**About the job**:
Pearson has a long and successful history and leads the way in the development of its vocational and work-based learning qualification offer across the majority of sectors and at all levels.

At present the post 16 education system is going through significant change and moving towards highly skilled and technical qualifications that meet the demands of industry. Apprenticeships, T Levels and Technical Qualifications require a substantial amountof employer engagement during the qualification design and development phase. Plus, employer validation is required during the qualification life span as part of our annual review process, the validation of live assessment contexts, and the validation of exemplarmaterial.

To ensure we continue to be the leading brand and are at the forefront of providing innovative solutions Pearson are introducing a Stakeholder Engagement Manager into our qualification development function of Product.

This role is fundamental in ensuring our T Level Technical Qualifications meet the needs of employers and reflect current and emerging industry practice, whilst also reflecting the needs of the Institute and Ofqual.

**Key Accountabilities**:

- Work with the Head of Product to deliver the Stakeholder Engagement and Validation Strategy.
- To maintain stakeholder validation panels throughout the qualification development and the lifespan/contract of the qualification through close liaison with the Sector Manager/s, development, and assessment teams.
- To maintain a coherent understanding of teaching, learning and assessment for a sector/s through close liaison with stakeholders.
- To maintain a deep understanding of customer needs and progression opportunities for the sector/s through close liaison with customers (students, schools/colleges, HEIs, training providers, and employers).
- To build good understanding and relationships throughout Pearson

**Main responsibilities**:
**Deliver the Stakeholder Engagement and Validation Strategy**
- Work with the Sector Manager and Partnerships Team to build and grow Provider and employer Validation Panels that are occupationally competent for the purpose of Technical Qualification development. Maintain Panels for the qualification life span.
- Develop and maintain relationships with stakeholders throughout the development, to build a validation evidence base for Technical Qualification content and assessment.

**Working with stakeholders to gain validation for T Level Technical Qualifications**
- Work with the Senior Development Manager to deliver the Stakeholder Engagement and Validation Strategy for T Levels.
- Develop and share knowledge of pedagogy and assessment best practice to support stakeholder when making decisions on qualification content and assessment.
- Manage the validation of content and assessments during the development and annual review, supporting the Development Manager, gaining validation, and maintaining all validation evidence.
- Work with various teams to support with the validation of content, assessment and materials best practice
- Secure employer validation, endorsement and exclusive partnerships for our qualifications.

**Monitoring and reporting**
- Report to external stakeholders (e.g. IfATE, Ofqual, T Level Route Panels, T Level Panels, and Apprenticeship groups) during the development on the validation process and evidence gathered.
- Monitor and retain evidence on the occupational competence of the EVP (Employer Validation Panel).

**Collaboration and people management**
- Work effectively in virtual teams with colleagues across Pearson to ensure a positive working culture, in support of Workforce Skills and BTEC and Apprenticeships divisional strategies
- Champion a ‘customer first’ culture across Pearson, ensuring all decisions are made with reference to the needs of our customers and learners

**About you**

**Essential knowledge, skills and experience**:

- Knowledge and understanding of qualifications and the UK education market and environment (e.g. colleges, private training providers, employers, professional bodies).
- Knowledge and understanding of assessment methodologies, principles and practice.
- Experience of working with external stakeholders and building and managing stakeholder relationships: (e.g. customers, employers, professional bodies, government agencies).
- Experience of presenting and communicating to stakeholders: (e.g. the ability to articulate our assessment design to employers and report to key stakeholders).
- Organisational and project management skills: (e.g. the ability to implement processes, accurately record evidence, produce regular reports for key stakeholders).

**Desirable knowledge, skills and experience**:

- Experience of virtual team and people management skills.
- Experience of negotiating and influencing stakeholders to gain a clear evidenced based consensus.
- Creative thinking and customer empathy: the ability to articulate propositions based on customer needs.
- Qualified to degree level or equivalent.

**Pearson behavioural competencies**:

- Agile
- Influences without authority
- Prioritises and makes effective decisions
- Builds strong relationships

**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 that one size doesn’t fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams, and their families too. There is a range ofoptions, but when you join our Pearson family these are some of the benefits that we offer that you can look forward to: --A competitive salary
- 25 Days annual leave, this increases by 1 day each year up to 30 days with the option to buy and sell up to 5 days per year on top of this.
- A fantastic pension plan, where Pearson double what you contribute.
- Pearson’s other benefits also include private dental care, private medical insurance, digital GP service, season ticket loan, eye tests, cycle to work scheme, volunteering days, employee wellbeing assistance discounted retail and leisure products and servicesfrom leading companies and much more.

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