Specialist, Audit and Quality (12- Month Fixed Term, Compliance & Delivery)

Are you ready to make a real impact at Pearson? Join us as a Specialist with Audit and Quality and become a driving force behind our commitment to quality, information security, and continual improvement. In this pivotal role, you will lead high-quality audits that help maintain our critical ISO certifications, strengthen regulatory compliance, and deliver measurable improvements for our customers and processes. You will have the opportunity to influence senior stakeholders and work flexibly across our qualifications business, including collaborating with internal teams and external partners. You will have the chance to shape smarter processes, grow your leadership skills, and contribute to projects. If you are passionate about quality, thrive on variety, and want to help drive positive change, we encourage you to apply and help us continue making a difference at Pearson.

Pearson Education Limited is certified currently to ISO9001, ISO22301 and ISO27001. The responsibility for the maintenance of these certifications lies with the Business Improvement and Regulation division, part of the Quality, Regulations and Governance division led by Pearson's responsible officer, who reports directly to the Managing Director for Pearson School 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

• Lead and deliver audits (including planning, execution, reporting and action management) in accordance with our audit processes and to the highest quality and ensuring audits add value to processes.
• Analyse audit findings and identify good practice and areas for business process improvement.
• Drive continual improvement by recommending and promoting practical and cost-effective actions for improving business processes and monitoring and supporting to ensure the successful completion of action plans.
• Ensure that own team's processes are fit for purpose, customer-focused, aligned with business objectives, and compliant with Pearson policies, regulatory requirements, and ISO certifications.
• Participate in team audit standardisation activities and manage departmental documentation.
• Support in the development and implementation of processes, policies and procedures, as a result of reviews of current business practices.
• Communicate effectively - liaise with colleagues, customers, senior managers, and external stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.
• Support management reviews - gather and present information to support business certifications and management review.
• Liaise with external stakeholders in connection with the role.
• Promote audit awareness - help deliver programmes that raise understanding of the audit function across the business.
• Work flexibly - support other compliance related activities as well as broader business improvement activities, including assisting with Appeals cases during peak periods.

Key Challenges

• Balancing regulations with business needs and priorities.
• Using a flexible approach when working with colleagues and stakeholders from various parts of the qualifications business.
• Influencing management - employing negotiation, persuasion, and strong communication skills to influence senior managers and drive improvements.
• Ensuring issues of non-compliance are addressed.
• Reporting effectively - ensuring all audit findings and activities are reported accurately, consistently, and in a timely manner, tailored to the needs of the intended audience.
• Manage multiple activities flexibly, adapting to shifting business needs and tight schedules while maintaining high standards.

Measures of Success

• Meeting relevant requirements of ISO22301, ISO9001 and ISO27001 standards.
• Production of 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. Audit reports are produced within the agreed timescales.
• Audit actions raised which benefit business processes.
• Actions resulting from audits completed within the agreed completion date where possible.
• Measurable improvements to business processes.
• Reporting of activities and analyses are accurate, timely, consistent and effective and appropriate to intended audience.
• Positive customer feedback.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Knowledge and experience of auditing against ISO standards including ISO9001, ISO27001, ISO22301 or equivalent audit/quality assurance experience.
• Background in regulatory environments.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to deal effectively and professionally with colleagues at all levels and external agencies.
• Outstanding time management skills.
• Excellent organisational ability.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Regulatory monitoring experience.
• Confident in delivering presentations.
• ISO implementation experience.
• Understanding of vocational and/or general qualifications.

Work Environment

Hybrid working, with some travel to London office and other Pearson sites or suppliers. May require overnight stays for visits. Role requires a high level of concentration and attention to detail, often working under tight deadlines to ensure compliance. Normal working hours apply (37.5 hours per week); flexibility as required to meet business needs. Requirement to attend to London office at least 1-2 times a month at your own expense. This is a 12-month fixed term role. Secondment could be considered for internal applicants.

Reporting Structure

The role reports directly to Team Manager (Audit and Quality) within the Business Improvement and Regulation division.