Senior Portfolio Engagement Officer

THIS JOB HAS NOW CLOSED

The opportunity

What is the purpose of the role?

UAL Awarding Body has a pipeline of new qualifications in development for 14 -19-year-olds and 19+ year-olds, and a qualifications revision cycle that needs to be undertaken to meet regulatory requirements and exploit commercial opportunities.

As Senior Portfolio Engagement Officer, you will specifically support the research & stakeholder engagement capacity of the team.

You will commission focused pieces of research and gathering intel from internal and external stakeholders on new qualification ideas, quality improvements, refinements and enhancements to our existing product and resource offer.

You will project manage the process of gathering stakeholder letters of support for external qualification submissions, and evidence to support business cases, options papers and reports. you will also manage and report on the performance of each portfolio area.

You must have strong research and communication skills, and the ability to work across multiple projects while prioritising your workload. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Sector awareness

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of UCAS, funding, educational policies, regulatory guidance (including Ofqual, CCEA Regulation and Qualifications Wales) and use these to define new qualification products.
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of our portfolio areas and key concerns/requirements in the schools, the Further Education and the Higher Education sector that may shape qualification proposals.

Portfolio Management

• Manage the end-to-end production of business cases to secure senior management approval for the qualification proposals being developed.
• Organise and leads internal working groups to gain input from colleagues around new qualification proposals.
• Use primary and secondary research to support new qualification proposals, business cases, or qualification improvements as directed by the Portfolio Engagement Manager and/or the Head of Qualifications and Assessment.
• Provide regular progress reports to the Portfolio Engagement Manager and/or the Head of Qualifications and Assessment on areas of discovery.
• Produce portfolio status reports and maintain performance dashboard for each of our portfolio areas which may include recommended actions to improve, enhance or refine our existing qualifications/assessments.

Stakeholder engagement

• Develop and maintain a range of stakeholder relationships pertinent to the identification and shaping of new qualification proposals.
• Manage the commissioning and on-going relationship within external suppliers

Customer service

• Facilitate and leads external and internal meetings related to new qualification and assessment ideas, content etc.
• Represent the Awarding Body during internal and external conferences and events, including with Regulators, funding institutions and the Federation of Awarding Bodies.
• Keep colleagues and customers up to date regarding recommended qualification proposals.

Administration

• Responsible for proofreading business cases, external reports by self and colleagues with attention to detail including SPaG and formatting.
• Maintain accurate, auditable records of scoping, expenditure and other activities using the Awarding Bodies IT systems along with paper and other electronic software.

General duties

• Perform duties and tasks consistent within the scope and grade of your role as reasonably may be expected and assigned to you from anywhere within the university. 
• Undertake health and safety duties and responsibilities appropriate to the role. 
• Work in accordance with the University’s Staff Charter and Dignity at Work Policy and anti-racism plans, promoting equality diversity and inclusion in your work. 
• Undertake continuous personal and professional development, and to support it for any staff you manage through effective use of the University’s Planning, Review and Appraisal (PRA) scheme and staff development opportunities. 
• Make full use of all information and communication technologies to meet the requirements of the role and to promote organisational effectiveness. 
• Conduct all financial matters associated with the role in accordance with the University’s policies and procedures, as laid down in the Financial Regulations.
• Contribute to the University’s Climate Action Plan and Social Purpose Strategy which sets out our principles, commitments and goals towards climate justice and our socio-environmental purpose. 

About you

Person Specification

Specialist Knowledge/Qualifications

• Knowledge of data collection and analysis tools (Microsoft forms, power BI, etc.),
• Knowledge of the qualification development and design cycle. (desirable)
• Understanding of the school, FE and/or HE sectors. (desirable)

Relevant Experience

• Experience of developing proposals and initiating projects both collaboratively and independently.
• Experience of conducting research and interpreting and synthesizing the information gathered.
• Experience of co-ordinating and organising events
• Experience of engaging and consulting with stakeholders

Communication Skills

• Communicates effectively orally and in writing adapting the message for a diverse audience in an inclusive and accessible way.
• Numerate and able to work with both quantitative and qualitative information. 

Planning and Managing Resources

• Plans, prioritises and manages resources effectively to achieve long term objectives.

Teamwork

• Works collaboratively in a team and where appropriate across or with different professional groups.

We are UAL

University of the Arts London (UAL) generates and inspires the creativity the world needs for a better future. Since 1842, our colleges have been defining creative education. With curiosity, imagination and intent we make work which creates lasting change for people and our planet. London is core to who we are, a place where we meet and share ideas with people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Our creative network influences learning, culture, industry and society on a global scale. Our academics and practitioners deliver creative education and inspire new ways of thinking through research and innovation. We work with students at every level from pre-degree and short courses to postgraduate and online learning, enabling them to build the careers they want. Together, we are a community of makers, thinkers, pioneers and storytellers redesigning the future.

Our culture

We are a global University, welcoming over 22,000 students and 6,000 staff from 130 countries. We aim to be a university where people can be themselves and feel supported to reach their full potential. That’s why we are proud to be members of the Race Equality Charter (REC) and Business Disability Forum, are a Disability Confident Scheme Committed and Living Wage employer and maintain our status as a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

Application process

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Thus, you will need to create an account and submit an application through our job board. As part of this, you will need to provide a supporting statement/answer some competency questions to demonstrate your suitability. Our recruitment process involves: Application, Shortlisting, Interview and Assessment, Offer, Onboarding.

We understand the benefits of using AI in work. But, if you are thinking of using it to submit an application, we ask you to think about what value it adds. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

If we receive a high volume of applications, the closing day date might close early. We aim to communicate any changes to the closing date with at least 24 hours’ notice. If you have any general questions or have accessibility needs, please refer to our Contact us page.

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