External Assessor

We pride ourselves in being a great place to work, providing a supportive culture with opportunities to grow and develop your career, achieve a healthy work life balance and to be recognised for the great work you do.

You will receive:

• Competitive salary and pension scheme
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays) - increasing to 38 days over 5 years
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric Vehicle Scheme
• Health and Wellbeing portal – access to financial, health and wellbeing support and an Employee Assistance Programme
• Discounts – you will have access to Blue Light and NHS Discounts as well as discounts on mobile phones, gym membership, cinema tickets, restaurants, holidays and shopping

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a team of over 1,416 employees and over 31,000 volunteers, united by our goal of saving lives through essential first aid services, training and campaigning. As a charity with rich heritage and a long history of serving humanity, we are proud of our past and excited about creating a healthier, safer, more resilient future.

St John Ambulance works at the heart of communities, supporting and enabling them to access and receive physical and mental health first aid. We do this through developing and providing effective community response and outreach services (e.g. Ambulance response & Nighttime Economy) and using our longstanding expertise to empower people with vital clinical skills and the confidence to use them (e.g. our Volunteers and Community Advocates, NHS Cadets and Young Responders programmes). There is also a buoyant social enterprise network which delivers first aid training and supplies medical consumables to businesses and consumers.

The External Assessor will support the internal quality assurance process by assessing learner portfolios and assignments related to the qualifications offered by St John Ambulance, including (but not limited to) Level 3 Award in Education and Training, Level 3 Award/Certificate in Assessing Vocational Related Achievement and any other regulated qualifications. The role involves evaluating learners' competence and adherence to assessment standards, providing constructive feedback including action plans for improvement, and ensuring the quality and consistency of assessment practices.

You will be educated to GCSE level or equivalent (Grade C / 4) including Maths & English, minimum 5, have relevant assessing qualification (such as Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement or equivalent), competence in the subject matter being assessed (e.g. AET, AAVRA or equivalent), Level 5 or above in Education or Training (DET, CertEd, PGCE, B.Ed), you must have demonstrable experience of working within a structured assessment framework, have prior experience in providing detailed feedback reports, have strong interpersonal skills with the ability to deliver constructive feedback in a supportive and encouraging manner, be open to receiving feedback and the learning that comes from it, be prepared to take action when poor behaviour is observed and have a high attention to detail and excellent record-keeping abilities to maintain accurate assessment records.

Ensure that assessments are fair, valid, reliable, and consistent with awarding body standards including adapting approaches to meet group needs where appropriate. Conduct detailed assessments of learner portfolios and assignments to evaluate competency and understanding. Present assessment outcomes clearly and confidently to individual learners and groups where needed, using appropriate communication styles. Work in partnership with the Education Lead, Lead IQA, tutors, and other assessors to maintain and improve the quality and integrity of assessments. Participate in standardisation meetings as required to ensure consistency and adherence to assessment protocols. Complete all relevant paperwork and assessment documentation accurately and in a timely manner, in line with internal policies. Actively contribute to service improvement discussions, providing ideas based on assessor observations, learner feedback, and assessment results. Identify opportunities for innovation in assessment practices, trialling new approaches where beneficial and sharing learnings with the team. Support peers and colleagues by providing technical advice and problem-solving assistance in relation to assessment queries. Engage professionally with learners, tutors, and internal teams, tailoring communication styles to the audience and situation including responding to their assessment-related questions and providing support where necessary. Collaborate across departments to share best practices and support continuous improvement initiatives. Provide timely updates to the Education Lead and IQA teams on learner progress, emerging challenges, and potential service enhancements. Share knowledge, promote the use of new assessment tools or technologies, and model high-quality assessment practices to support colleagues' professional development. Plan and prioritise workload effectively in line with team objectives, adapting quickly when circumstances change.