August 2013
JOB PROFILE
Job title:
Quality Assurance Officer
Responsible to:
Quality Assurance Manager
Responsible for:
Quality Assurance coordination team
Job Purpose:
To ensure that CIPD qualification quality assurance processes
operate in accordance with the requirements of regulatory
bodies maintaining compliance and minimising risk to the
integrity of the institute’s qualifications and its professional
reputation.
To lead on quality assurance sampling processes including
quality assurance panel visits, external verification, external
moderation and standards moderation interventions.
Key accountabilities
1
Develop, implement and report on quality assurance systems and processes to
ensure the seamless integration of cost effective and efficient quality
assurance interventions across CIPD Awarded and Approved qualifications at
all levels.
2
Oversee the appointment and work allocation of CIPD’s external quality
assurance community. This includes managing the relationships with, and the
outputs of, this external community to ensure CIPD Quality Standards are met
by centres offering CIPD Awarded and Approved qualifications.
3
Lead the quality assurance coordination team to ensure departmental
objectives are achieved and high level of customer service are maintained.
4
Manage the Qualification Department Risk Register and systems for tracking,
managing and reporting centre performance, complaints and incidents of
malpractice and maladministration. Ensure appropriate sanctions are taken
where required and regulatory notifications are submitted.
5
Own escalated queries and issues relating to External Verification, External
Moderation, Standards Moderation, Quality Assurance Panel interventions and
outcomes.
Take timely evidence based decisions to minimise risk to the integrity and
professional reputation of CIPD qualifications and its regulatory compliance
status.
6
Manage the submission process for gaining and maintaining accreditation of
CIPD qualifications by Ofqual or other regulatory bodies. Provide accurate
quarterly data returns.
7
Ensure the relevance, currency, integrity, regulatory compliance and version
control of CIPD qualification units, rules of combination and learning resources,
policies, forms, centre and external quality assurance handbooks and other
support materials.
August 2013
8
Organise, coordinate and contribute to relevant CIPD governance committees,
advisory groups and sub-groups and interpret and implement committee
recommendations as appropriate.
9
Contribute to the preparation of CIPD’s annual regulatory self-evaluation report
and Statement of Compliance. Ensure any actions arising are tracked and
actioned within agreed timelines.
10
Contribute to the design and delivery of events and workshops for CIPD
centres and external quality assurance community, providing advice and
guidance on qualifications and quality assurance.
11
Ownership of
exemptions.
12
Keep abreast on all issues relating to qualification regulation, quality assurance
and credit rating, specifically Ofqual, Welsh Government, Quality Assurance
Agency (QAA), the Open University (OU) and other credit rating bodies as
appropriate. Use knowledge to contribute to the continuous improvement of
CIPD’s quality assurance model.
CIPD
planned
and
individually
requested
qualification
Nature and scope
CIPD is a recognised qualification awarding organisation and therefore it is
imperative that CIPD qualifications and associated quality assurance policies and
processes reflect the external regulatory requirements of Ofqual, The Welsh
Government, SQA and QAA.
This Quality Assurance Officer role is a key one in respect of our quality assurance
monitoring activities and regulatory compliance and for developing and maintaining
relationships with our external quality assurance community.
You will be working in partnership with another Quality Assurance Officer, and
collaboratively with colleagues within the Membership and Professional Development
Directorate. You will lead on quality assurance sampling processes, including quality
assurance panel visits and external verification and moderation interventions, to
ensure that CIPD qualification quality assurance processes comply with the
requirements of regulatory bodies and to minimise the risk to the integrity of CIPD
qualifications and the Institute’s professional reputation.
Qualification quality assurance can be challenging and requires an attention to detail
and excellent organisation and customer service skills. To be successful in this role
you will be interested in working in a compliance environment and want to develop
your understanding and experience of qualification frameworks, related regulatory
frameworks and qualification and centre quality assurance and risk monitoring
systems and processes.
Excellent communication and presentation skills are essential as you will be required
to provide specialist advice and guidance on CIPD qualifications and quality
assurance policies to colleagues, CIPD centres and external quality assurance
community and when representing the CIPD at external events.
August 2013
You will be able to engage good problem solving and IT skills and an objective and
systematic approach in order to interpret complex regulations, analyse complex
issues and detailed data relating to centre performance and risk and will have the
‘know how’ to determine and communicate realistic and consistent solutions with
confidence and credibility.
You will be driven to deliver good customer service and be able to lead and motivate
others to achieve challenging objectives.
The role is a short-term contract to cover the maternity leave of the post-holder.
Contacts
Internal
Qualifications Team
Membership and Professional Development
Directorate
IT
Finance
Secretariat
Publishing
External
CIPD external quality assurance community
Qualifications Advisory Group (QAG)
Ofqual
Welsh Government
SQA
Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB)
Open University
Quality Assurance Agency (QAA)
Qualifications regulatory bodies outside the UK, as
required
Centres
Students
Members
Dimensions, ie job facts and figures
Financial
Delegated signatory authority £500
Staff
Quality assurance coordination team
Other
N/A
August 2013
Knowledge, qualifications and experience
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Graduate calibre
Ideally with, or prepared to work towards, a relevant quality assurance
qualification
Understanding of educational frameworks and the requirements of educational
regulatory bodies such as Ofqual, Welsh Government, QAA, OU, etc
Understanding risk-based quality assurance processes for qualifications
Experience of developing and delivering good customer relations
Ability to work under pressure and to deadlines
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
Ability to analyse and interpret complex information and data, and be able to
develop workable solutions to challenging issues
Autonomously managing complex projects
Planning and prioritising a range of associated activities
Working to deadlines, accuracy and attention to detail
Establishing, building and maintaining effective business relationships and
providing high levels of customer service
Supervisory skills
Office administration and organisational skills
IT and database and spreadsheet applications.
Knowledge and understanding of CIPD Qualifications would be desirable and the
jobholder must be willing to travel occasionally to participate in quality assurance
events and visits.
The job holder is required to demonstrate appropriate levels of competence and
behaviours against CIPD’s core competencies. These are business awareness and
professional excellence, leading myself and others, customer centric, problem
solving and decision taking, building and maintaining strong relationships, continuous
improvement and innovation, and driven to deliver. Full details of these
competencies will be provided at induction.
Signatures
Job holder
Date
Manager
Date
Last updated
Date