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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the delivery of impactful educational reforms and coordinate complex change initiatives.
- Company: Join Pearson, a global leader in lifelong learning and education.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, exposure to high-profile projects, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of UK qualifications and make a real difference in education.
- Qualifications: Experience in project management and understanding of the UK qualifications landscape.
- Other info: Collaborative environment with strong connections across divisions.
The predicted salary is between 36000 - 60000 £ per year.
In this role, you will drive the successful delivery of the GQ Reform Programme, coordinating complex change to deliver high‐quality, customer‐focused qualifications that inspire teachers, engage learners, and support progression.
The Role
Help shape the future of UK qualifications. As a Lead Specialist, Implementation, you will play a pivotal role in delivering the GQ Reform Programme, coordinating complex, high‐profile change across Pearson to ensure outstanding, customer‐focused qualifications reach teachers and learners.
You will bring structure, clarity, and momentum to reform delivery — working across teams to manage risk, maintain quality, and ensure readiness to succeed in a highly regulated, fast‐evolving qualifications landscape. This is a role for someone who thrives on collaboration, influence, and making meaningful educational impact.
What You Will Own
- End‐to‐end coordination of reform delivery, leading the structured execution of large‐scale reform programmes across multiple workstreams, with quality at the core.
- Clear visibility of reform readiness, maintaining accurate plans, milestones, dependencies, and progress tracking so teams stay aligned and delivery remains on track.
- Governance and assurance, supporting PMO and senior stakeholders through high‐quality reporting, action tracking, and audit‐ready project management processes.
- Risk and issue management, proactively identifying, escalating, and mitigating risks to ensure reform activity remains compliant with internal and regulatory expectations.
- Cross‐functional collaboration, working closely with Product, Assessment Delivery, Assessment Design, Standards, and Technical teams to enable joined‐up delivery.
- Stakeholder engagement, representing reform activity in forums and meetings while ensuring consistent messaging, shared accountability, and clarity of roles.
- Continuous improvement, strengthening programme management practices, introducing smarter tools and routines, and building capability through training and best‐practice sharing.
About You
- You bring strong project or programme management experience, with a proven track record of delivering large‐scale, complex initiatives to a high standard.
- You are experienced in requirements gathering, change delivery, and continuous improvement, and comfortable working in matrixed environments.
- You understand the UK qualifications landscape, including GCSEs and A Levels, and appreciate the needs of teachers, learners, and regulators.
- You are confident influencing across diverse stakeholders — including internal teams and external bodies such as DfE and Ofqual — even without direct authority.
- You communicate with clarity and confidence, translating complex ideas into clear plans, updates, and recommendations.
- You are curious, adaptable, and detail‐focused — able to zoom out to the big picture while ensuring nothing slips through the cracks.
- You are motivated by working in regulated environments, where quality, rigour, and compliance truly matter.
What You Will Get
- The chance to play a central role in national reform, shaping qualifications that impact thousands of teachers and learners.
- Exposure to complex, high‐profile programmes with senior stakeholder visibility and real strategic importance.
- Opportunities to grow your expertise across education policy, assessment design, and programme leadership.
- A collaborative, hybrid working environment based in London or Oxford, with strong cross‐divisional connections.
- A role that directly supports Pearson's mission to help people realise the life they imagine through learning.
Ready to Make an Impact? Apply now and be part of the team delivering the next generation of trusted, high‐quality UK qualifications.
Who We Are
At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn’t just what we do. It’s who we are.
Lead Specialist, Implementation in London employer: Pearson
Contact Detail:
Pearson Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Specialist, Implementation in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to people in your industry, attend events, and connect with professionals on LinkedIn. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings or can put in a good word for you.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and understanding their values. Tailor your responses to show how your experience aligns with their mission, especially in delivering high-quality qualifications.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice makes perfect! Conduct mock interviews with friends or use online platforms to refine your answers. Focus on articulating your project management experience and how it relates to the role of Lead Specialist, Implementation.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our team at Pearson.
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Specialist, Implementation in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Project Management Skills: Make sure to highlight your experience in managing large-scale projects. We want to see how you've successfully delivered complex initiatives, so share specific examples that demonstrate your ability to coordinate and lead teams.
Tailor Your Application: Don’t just send a generic application! Take the time to tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect the key responsibilities and skills mentioned in the job description. This shows us you’re genuinely interested in the role and understand what we’re looking for.
Communicate Clearly: We value clear communication, so make sure your application is well-structured and easy to read. Use concise language and avoid jargon unless it’s relevant to the role. Remember, we want to see how you can translate complex ideas into straightforward plans!
Apply Through Our Website: To ensure your application gets the attention it deserves, apply directly through our website. This way, we can easily track your application and get back to you faster. Plus, it shows us you’re proactive and tech-savvy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Pearson
✨Know the GQ Reform Programme Inside Out
Before your interview, make sure you understand the GQ Reform Programme thoroughly. Familiarise yourself with its goals, challenges, and how it impacts teachers and learners. This will help you demonstrate your genuine interest and ability to contribute meaningfully.
✨Showcase Your Project Management Skills
Prepare specific examples from your past experiences that highlight your project or programme management skills. Focus on large-scale initiatives you've led, how you managed risks, and ensured quality. Be ready to discuss how you can bring structure and clarity to reform delivery.
✨Engage with Stakeholders
Think about how you’ve successfully engaged with diverse stakeholders in previous roles. Be prepared to share examples of how you’ve influenced others without direct authority, and how you maintained clear communication across teams. This is crucial for the collaborative nature of the role.
✨Emphasise Continuous Improvement
Highlight your experience with continuous improvement practices. Discuss any tools or routines you've introduced that enhanced project management processes. Showing that you're proactive about improving practices will resonate well with the interviewers.
