Regulation Manager

This job is with Pearson, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community.

The Regulation Team is part of the Business Improvement and Regulation Directorate, within the Quality, Regulation and Governance business unit. We are responsible for ensuring that Pearson is aware of and is supported to meet its regulatory obligations. We act as a primary point of contact on regulatory matters for the business, qualifications regulators and other key stakeholders in education and qualifications, both in the UK and internationally.

The Regulation Manager is responsible for working with the business to ensure the regulatory correspondence between Pearson business units and the regulators, including event notifications, is managed in an effective and timely manner. A key part of the role is supporting the business in its understanding of regulatory requirements and ensuring Pearson responds promptly and appropriately to regulators. The role will particularly focus on supporting specific parts of the qualifications portfolio which includes BTECs, T Levels, EPA for Apprenticeships, Functional Skills, English language testing. The post holder will be required to work flexibly across the whole qualification offer at times, including GCSEs and AS/A levels.

Key Responsibilities

• Stakeholder management, liaison and influence
• Develop and maintain relationships and communications with regulators, government agencies, and other stakeholder bodies in relation to the delivery of our qualifications and assessments.
• Represent Pearson at meetings and share outcomes and discussions promptly across the team and the business, as appropriate.
• Influence regulators and external stakeholders, including other JCQ and FAB member Awarding Organisations, to ensure Pearson's position is effectively articulated and reflected in policy and guidance.
• Coordinate the formulation of Pearson's responses to external consultations in relation to regulation, ensuring relevant colleagues are advised and are able to contribute.
• Supporting the business in understanding regulatory requirements and risks
• Ensure that communications from regulators and other key agencies are shared with the correct teams in the business in a timely way.
• Providing analysis and seek feedback to ensure that all relevant business stakeholders are aware of requirements.
• Respond to queries from colleagues and customers in relation to the interpretation of regulatory requirements.
• Identify regulatory risks and ensure that they are logged, communicated appropriately, and managed.
• Contribute to bids and business development initiatives to ensure that new opportunities do not expose Pearson to regulatory risk.
• Regularly update Pearson's Responsible Officer, Head of Regulation and Senior Management, providing relevant reports, data, advice and guidance.
• Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements
• Work with the business to support understanding of the escalation/event notification process and ensure effective event notifications are submitted in a timely manner.
• Work with the business to support understanding of the root cause analysis methodology required to underpin effective improvement plans.
• Providing advice and guidance to the business to ensure that we remain compliant with regulatory requirements at all times.
• Keep up to date with developments in the qualifications landscape and ensure that these are communicated in a timely way to the relevant business areas.
• Contribute as required to the annual Statement of Compliance and self-assessment reports to regulators.
• Accurately log and track regulatory requirements to ensure business owners are aware and deadlines for responding are met.
• Maintain accurate and complete records of regulatory correspondence.
• Co-ordinate regulatory audit activities and responses to any actions/improvements identified.
• Review and update policy and process documents to ensure efficiency, clarity and eliminate unnecessary burden.
• Deliver training to other parts of the business on regulatory matters, new regulations and guidance.
• Managing key processes to support compliance, including (but not limited to) one or more of: Notifications of events to the regulators, Appeals, Access to Assessment for exceptional cases, VTQ regulation, GQ regulation, Conflict of interest, End Point Assessment, T level regulation, Regulation in England, Wales Northern Ireland and International regulation.

Person Specification

• You are an excellent communicator, both verbally and in writing.
• Able to work with individuals at all levels of authority, including senior staff representing regulatory, government or other major external stakeholders.
• Able to work with complex documents and concepts to summarise and provide analysis for colleagues.
• Able to work autonomously and make decisions relating to our compliance.
• A supportive, approachable and pro-active team member.
• Prepared to be flexible in your work and able to balance a wide range of demands to meet deadlines.
• A problem solver.
• Resilient.
• Well-organised.
• Open to new ideas and able to challenge received opinion.
• Able to review and use evidence in order to present a case and influence decisions at senior level.

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

• Essential: Education to degree level, or above, or equivalent.
• Knowledge of the education and qualifications regulatory and policy landscape for both vocational and general qualifications.
• IT literate; competent in Word, Excel, Powerpoint.
• Experience in a role requiring influencing at a senior level.
• Desirable: Experience of working with a regulated awarding organisation or qualifications regulator.
• Experience of working within a regulated organisation.

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.