Quality Assurance Manager (Assessments)

About Us

The King’s community is dedicated to the service of society. King’s Strategic Vision 2029 sets out our vision for the future, shaped around five priority areas: educate to inspire and improve; research to inform and innovate; serve to shape and transform; a civic university at the heart of London; and an international community that services the world. Our ambitious Education Strategy sets out the actions that we must take to transform how we teach, how and where our students learn and how we support them during their time with us.

As part of the next steps in the Student Success Transformation Programme, University Executive have agreed to establish a project team to focus on early deliverables, which will make an immediate difference on the ground.  Having achieved a level of stability and progress on these fundamentals and having used that time for further engagement with the faculties, we will then embark on the full Transformation program.  One priority area will be rapid improvements for Assessment and Feedback, including bringing forward processing and publication of marks this year.  The role holder will be expected to contribute to this as a first priority but will also be involved in longer terms improvements over the course of the role. 

The ARQS team has a broad remit covering development and oversight of King’s effective and impactful quality assurance framework, compliance, and governance support, through to regulatory and policy review and ensuring processes and systems are fit for purpose. Referencing the frameworks of external bodies such as the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and the Office for Students (OfS), we undertake a broad range of activities to meet both external requirements, such as supporting quality assurance reviews, and activities designed to meet King’s needs, for example, programme reviews and programme approval processes.  The postholder will be required to work closely with the ARQS Team.

About the Role

We are looking for a proactive individuals to join the project team who can support the Head of Quality Assurance (Assessment) and faculties with their assessment board practices.  The role will assist the Head of Quality Assurance (Assessment) in advising the faculties they will be linked to with regulatory queries, observing how Assessment Sub-Boards and Assessment Boards operate, and advising the Head of Quality Assurance (Assessment) of any concerns found with board management, and assisting with the training to be provided to Board chairs.

The post will work with faculties and central teams to review assessment practices within faculties, working with them to agree an end-to-end assessment process once work has been marked through to the publication of ratified results.

We encourage applications from candidates who have experience from both within and outside of the Higher Education sector where they can demonstrate the skills needed to succeed in this role.

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract for 12 months

This is a full-time  post

Key responsibilities

• Review end-to-end assessment practices (once marking has been completed through to publication of results), formalizing a standardized approach for the University.


• Assisting the Head of Quality Assurance (Assessment) in the oversight of assessment practices and board management within Faculties.


• Assisting faculties in ensuring assessment operations are run smoothly, from ensuring correct marks are sent through for assessment board papers to be produced for accurate ratification of results through to Assessment Sub Board meetings ratifying marks.


• Attending Assessment Sub Board meetings to observe proceedings, reporting findings to the Head of Quality Assurance (Assessment) of any areas of good practice or areas of concern, making recommendations for improvement and for the introduction of Assessment Board activity at the end of AP1.


• To be the first point of contact for Faculties and other professional services directorates for queries concerning any aspect of the university’s policy, procedures and regulations relating to assessment.


• Assisting the Head of Quality Assurance (Assessment) in developing training and guidance for Faculties in relation to Assessment Sub-Board and Assessment Board best practice, including providing guidance and templates for minute taking.

Qualifications & Training

• Relevant work experience and/or education: We think a wide range of different work and educational experiences could support you to be successful in this role. Relevant educational experiences might include higher education in a related discipline, professional qualifications or other training

Skills & Experience

• Working in an Assessment Team either centrally or departmentally based. 


• Providing administrative support to an assessment committee and/or subject committee meeting.


• Working with regulations, and procedures, and reports for committees. Ability to translate information into easily understood language for the given audience.


• Developing processes that are efficient and effective and writing reports which secure buy-in and adoption.


• Good interpersonal skills. Communicate a clear vision of what is to be achieved overall. Promote environment for meaningful two-way feedback.


• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills and demonstrating examples of times when you have managed complex stakeholder groups.


• High level of accuracy and attention to detail


• Ability to use judgement to resolve complex problems

Knowledge

• Expert knowledge of the sensitive nature of personal data, and the importance of compliance with Data Protection Legislation (by both yourself and others.


• Knowledge of assessment processes in Higher Education.

Desirable criteria

Knowledge

• Interest in the higher education and knowledge of new developments in the sector