Lead Specialist, Education Specialist

Job Title: Lead Specialist, Education Specialist

Division: Assessment & Qualifications Delivery
Location: Manchester or Rotherham - Hybrid

This role aligns with positions commonly known in the external market as Service Delivery Manager, Service Readiness Manager or Technical Service Delivery Manager.

Role Summary

The Service Delivery Manager (IC25) will drive system readiness and delivery for a high-impact government contract. You'll ensure all technical and operational elements are in place for seamless service launch and ongoing delivery, acting as the go-to expert for troubleshooting, process improvement, and cross-team collaboration.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Exemplary performance is demonstrated through the successful delivery of agreed product enhancements and contract commitments within required timescales. The role maintains strong governance and oversight of system changes, ensuring risks, issues and dependencies are managed effectively and escalated appropriately.

Success is reflected through high levels of system availability, compliance with contractual and regulatory requirements, effective stakeholder engagement, and positive feedback from operational teams. Clear documentation, accurate reporting, timely incident management and continuous improvement in product performance are key measures of success.

Particular emphasis is placed on ensuring systems can reliably support the significant volume fluctuations inherent in large-scale assessment delivery. This includes demonstrating, through capacity planning, operational readiness activities and performance testing, that systems can process very high volumes of transactions over short periods while maintaining service levels, data integrity and a positive user experience.

BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS

Managers at this level are expected to:

• Put Customers and Learners First by ensuring product decisions support contract outcomes and improve the experience of users and stakeholders.
• Deliver with Accountability by taking ownership of agreed deliverables, managing risks effectively and following established governance processes.
• Collaborate for Success by building productive relationships across operations, technology teams, suppliers and government stakeholders.
• Support Continuous Improvement by identifying opportunities to improve quality, efficiency and service performance.
• Lead Through Influence by providing clear direction, constructive challenge and support to colleagues and delivery partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead system readiness activities, coordinating with technical and operational teams to ensure all requirements are met before launch.
• Manage day-to-day service delivery, proactively identifying and resolving issues to maintain high-quality, reliable outcomes.
• Lead innovation initiatives that prepare system changes for seamless integration, ensuring new solutions are adopted smoothly and efficiently.
• Collaborate with government stakeholders and internal teams to align expectations, document processes, and drive continuous improvement.
• Mentor colleagues by sharing best practices and supporting onboarding for new staff involved in the contract.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Critical Thinking (Effective)
• Attention to Detail (Effective)
• Collaboration (Intermediate)
• Problem Solving (Intermediate)
• Organisational Skills (Intermediate)
• Communication Skills (Intermediate)
• Customer Support (Intermediate)
• Influencing Skills (Intermediate)
• Performance Management (Intermediate)
• Adaptability (Intermediate)
• Artificial Intelligence (Capable)
• Leadership (Intermediate)
• Prioritisation (Intermediate)

Qualifications (Education & Experience)

• Relevant experience in service delivery, system readiness, or project management for complex contracts (government sector experience preferred).
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate cross-functional teams and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong documentation and process improvement skills.