Education Specialist

Job Title: Advanced Associate, Education Specialist

Location: Manchester (Hybrid)
Grade: IC15
Reports To: Clerical Marking Centre Manager / Head of Marking 

This role aligns with positions commonly known in the external market as Set Up & Recruitment Coordinator, Recruitment & Workforce Coordinator, Workforce Mobilisation Coordinator or Resourcing & Onboarding Coordinator.

Role Purpose

The Clerical Marking – Set Up & Recruitment Coordinator is responsible for the planning, mobilisation and staffing of clerical marking operations in preparation for live marking delivery. The role will lead recruitment activity, workforce planning, onboarding and operational readiness to ensure appropriately trained resources are in place to deliver clerical marking services successfully.

Working closely with Assessment , Recruitment, Training and Operational teams, the postholder will ensure the clerical marking centre is fully prepared, resourced and ready to support live delivery against programme timelines.

Key Responsibilities

Recruitment & Resource Planning

• Lead recruitment activities for clerical marking roles, including Clerical Markers and Supervisors.

• Develop recruitment plans aligned to forecast volumes and delivery requirements.

• Monitor recruitment pipelines and provide regular updates on resource readiness.

• Work with internal recruitment teams and external suppliers to secure sufficient resource.

• Identify resource risks and implement mitigation plans to ensure operational readiness.

Workforce Onboarding

• Coordinate candidate onboarding, vetting and right-to-work checks.

• Ensure all recruited staff complete mandatory compliance and security requirements.

• Manage contract issuance and workforce administration activities.

• Maintain accurate records of recruitment progress and workforce availability.

Training & Readiness

• Coordinate training schedules and attendance for all recruited staff.

• Work with operational teams to ensure training materials and guidance are available and up to date.

• Monitor training completion and readiness metrics.

• Support operational rehearsals, mock exercises and readiness testing.

Operational Set Up

• Support the establishment of clerical marking centre processes and working practices.

• Ensure operational documentation, procedures and escalation routes are in place.

• Assist with centre readiness activities, including resource scheduling and workforce allocation.

• Coordinate with facilities and technology teams to ensure environments are prepared for delivery.

Stakeholder Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for recruitment and workforce readiness activities.

• Build strong working relationships with Assessment Delivery, HR, Recruitment, Training and Operational stakeholders.

• Provide regular reporting on recruitment progress, workforce readiness and operational risks.

• Escalate issues impacting recruitment or mobilisation activities in a timely manner.

Continuous Improvement

• Review recruitment outcomes and workforce performance after each delivery cycle.

• Identify opportunities to improve recruitment, onboarding and training processes.

• Contribute to lessons learned activities and future operational planning.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Experience coordinating recruitment or workforce mobilisation activities.

• Strong organisational and project coordination skills.

• Experience managing multiple priorities and deadlines.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records.

• Experience producing reports and analysing workforce data.

• Competent in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.

Desirable

• Experience within assessment, education or large-scale operational environments.

• Experience recruiting and managing temporary or contingent workforces.

• Knowledge of assessment delivery or marking operations.

• Understanding of compliance, safeguarding and data protection requirements.

Key Behaviours

• Delivers with pace and attention to detail.

• Takes ownership and accountability for outcomes.

• Builds effective relationships across teams.

• Anticipates risks and develops practical solutions.

• Maintains a strong customer and stakeholder focus.

• Demonstrates flexibility during periods of peak activity.

Working Arrangements

• Based in Manchester with some on-site presence required during mobilisation and delivery periods.

• Occasional travel may be required.

• Flexibility to support key recruitment and readiness milestones.

Success Measures

• Recruitment targets achieved within agreed timescales.

• Workforce readiness achieved ahead of live delivery.

• High completion rates for onboarding and training.

• Effective management of recruitment risks and issues.

• Positive stakeholder feedback on mobilisation and readiness activities.

This role is ideal if you want a position focused on building the clerical marking operation before live delivery, whereas the Clerical Marking Centre Manager role focuses on running the operation during live marking.