Principal, Quality Assurance

Role:Principal Quality Assurance

Description

In this role you will lead end-to-end quality management across Pearson Qualifications(PQ) ensuring the securereliableand compliantdevelopment anddelivery of qualifications that learners and institutions trust. This role aligns with industry-level titles such asSenior Quality LeadHead of QualityManagementorQuality Assurance Director.

The Role

Why This Role Exists

This role exists to safeguard and continuously strengthen the quality ofqualification development and deliveryacross Pearson Qualifications. You will designembedand improve a robustQualificationsQuality Management Framework aligned to Pearsons Global Quality StandardsFrameworkand regulatory expectationsenablingquality-by-designacross teams andmaintainingoversight andaccountabilitythrough governanceforums.

Youwontsimply oversee quality you will shape how it is definedmeasuredand improved. Your work will protect learner outcomes strengthencomplianceand enable resilience across a complex global portfolio.

WhatYoullBe Excited to Work On

• Designing and embedding a single centralised view of quality performance across PQ
• Defining quality gates and acceptance criteria and ensuring audit-ready documentation
• Leading readiness assessmentsand dry runsahead of peak seriesand key development milestonesto ensure secure reliable delivery
• Turning audit findings incidents andnear-missesinto systemic improvements
• Buildingintegrateddashboardsand early warning indicators that surface trends outliers and control effectivenesslinked to risk and incident tooling.
• Partnering with the Pearson Qualifications Transformationprogrammeto embed learnings and end-to-end quality and process improvements in transformed products and services
• Equipping teams through concise training playbooks and coaching to embed quality-by-designanddrivingsenior stakeholderdecisionsvia governance forums.

Your First 6 Months

In your first six months you will:

• Establish a clearaudit-readyQuality ManagementFramework
• Embedqualitygovernance rhythms and reporting intoQualifications ReformTransformationandOperational Delivery Governanceforums
• Prioritise and review high-risk processes in partnership with Risk and Internal Audit
• Stand upa single sourceof truthto visibly trackquality performancewithdashboardscontrolmetricsand early warningindicators
• Lead at least one readiness exercise or dry run and initiate plans foridentifiedgaps
• Kick off a targeted capability uplift plan andestablisha senior-stakeholder governance engagement cadence

Why This Role Is Different

Unlike many quality roles that focus on assurance alone this position combinesstrategy governance operationalexecutionand continuous improvement.

You willoperateat the intersection ofquality risk regulatory compliance andqualification development anddelivery.Youwillprovideanindependent assurancevoice into go/no-go and trade-off decisionswhileempowering teams to ownquality and driving accountabilityat senior levels.

This is a visible high-impact role with senior stakeholder engagement andbusiness unitwide influence.

WhatYoullOwn

We focus on outcomes not task lists.

Success in This Role Looks Like:

• A fully embedded audit-ready Quality Management Framework aligned to ISO and regulatory standards
• A single sourceof truth for quality performance with clear early warning indicatorsand integrated risklinkages
• Timely verified closure ofquality relatedaudit findings
• Improved operational resilience and measurable learner and customer outcomes
• Teamsdemonstratingimproved quality capability and ownership with a visible shift toward quality-by-design

Top Priorities:

1. Design and embed the Quality ManagementFramework and governance model
2. Leadtheend-to-end quality lifecyclefor qualificationsfrom design and development throughresults release and certification.
3. Strengthen integration between quality risk incidentmanagementand audit functions
4. Uplift capability and culture across teamsand drive decisions via governance with accountable senior stakeholders

YoullLead Create or Influence:

• Quality governancestandardsoperatingrhythmsand escalation paths aligned with PMO governance
• Readiness simulations contingencyplanningandresilienceexercises for quality-critical scenarios.
• RCA(Root Cause Analysis) Corrective and Preventative Action (CAPA)and systemiccontinuousimprovement initiatives translating insights intoprioritised sustained changes
• Cross-functional collaboration across ProductAssessmentTechnology Operations Regulation RiskInternalAuditand supplier partners
• Data standards and tooling for qualitymetrics;integration with incident and risk data and tooling
• Concise trainingclinicsand toolkits to embed quality-by-design across functions; senior stakeholder engagement in governance forums
• Direct line management and capability uplift of the Process Analyst

About You

You bring deepexpertiseinquality management within complex regulated environments and you are someone whooperateswith integrityindependenceand structured thinking.

Youlikely have:

• Extensive experience leading Quality Management Systems aligned to ISO standards
• A strongtrack recordpartnering with Risk and Internal Audit functionsand meeting audit evidence requirements
• Experience delivering RCA CAPAand continuous improvement using Lean/Six Sigma
• Proficiencywith quality reporting and tooling (e.g. Excel Smartsheet SharePoint Power BI; integration with ServiceNow/Jira)
• People leadership experience including managing analytical or process-focusedroles
• Certificationsuch asCQI (Practitioner/Professional) ISO 9001 Lead Auditor Lean/Six Sigma Green/Black BeltandPRINCE2/APMare highly valued.

Beyond technicalexpertise you are someone who:

• Brings calmclarityand sound judgement in high-stakes environments
• Challenges constructively while building trusted partnerships
• Raises the bar for quality and governance
• Thrives in structured data-drivenand collaborative settings
• Influences without direct authority engages confidently with senior accountable stakeholders andcoachesteams to build quality into processes

WhatYoullGet

Why say yes to this role

• The opportunity to shape quality at scale across globally recognised qualifications
• Visibility and influence with senior stakeholders and governance boards
• The chance to build resilient systems that directly protect learner outcomes
• Professional growth at the intersection of quality riskauditand operational governance
• A collaborative environment that values transparencyrigourand continuous improvement

Additional Information

• Participation in out-of-hours work during peak series or major incidents may berequired
• Occasional travel to operational sitessuppliersand regulator/partner locations

Ready to Make an Impact

Apply now and help safeguard the qualityintegrityand reliability of qualifications that learners around the world depend on.

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