Education Manager

Education Manager – Permanent 
General Optical Council

About the GOC
We are the regulator for the optical professions in the UK. We currently register approximately 30,000 optometrists, dispensing opticians, student opticians and optical businesses. Our purpose is to protect the public by promoting high standards of education, conduct and performance amongst opticians. 

About the role 
Transforming optical education is a key strategic priority for the GOC.  We are consulting on broadscale changes to both pre- and post- registration qualifications for the two professions we regulate (our Education Strategic Review/ESR) as well as supporting the sector to make changes to provision in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The post-holder will bring their experience of higher/further education quality assurance within a professional or regulatory setting and their project, policy and research management skills to manage our programme of change at pace. 

You’ll be responsible for delivering our Education Strategic Review, including commissioning and managing the delivery of packages of research and analysis, policy development and consultation; writing briefs, managing tender processes and contract with external bodies, keeping work on track and in budget, making sure we are communicating effectively to our Committees, Council and external stakeholders.  Some of those packages we are commissioning from external consultants/ research bodies, like our financial and EDI impact analysis, longitudinal/ cohort-based study and RQF-levels research, alongside internal projects, analysis and policy development which you’ll be responsible for delivering.   

This role may require some travel around the UK.

Key accountabilities

• Responsible for designing, managing and delivering our programme to update our pre- and post- registration requirements for the education and training of optometrists and dispensing (our Education Strategic Review/ ESR).
• Responsible for managing and delivering other projects, policy development and analysis to support the continuous improvement of our approval and quality assurance process, working with and supporting our Head of Education and Education Manager/team. 
• Manage all aspects of the ESR, including developing detailed project plans, timelines, KPIs and processes, developing, managing and delivering all associated research, policy and analysis initiatives, reporting and projects.
• As we work towards preparing to receive applications from our providers for approval of new or adapted qualifications, and in conjunction with relevant stakeholders, groups and committees/ panels, shape and refine key outputs, policies and procedures, with a particular focus on developing and preparing our proposed new Quality Assurance and Enhancement Method.
• Responsible for all aspects of ESR performance reporting and data analysis, including detailed drafting of papers, reports and analysis for Council, committees, panels, groups and external stakeholders to facilitate discussion and decision-making.
• Manage the contacting process for externally commissioned packages of work, identifying need, writing briefs, managing approval and tender processes and overseeing contracts with external bodies, keeping work on track and in budget, managing project boards, making sure we are communicating effectively to our Committees, Council and external stakeholders and ensuring the integration of outputs (reports, research, analysis, etc.) within relevant workstreams.  
• Develop, manage, collaborate and deliver an appropriate communication and stakeholder engagement strategy and ensure consistency in communication to external parties, drafting and producing frameworks, guides, manuals, FAQs, presentation documents and packs. 
• Manage our preparedness to receive applications for new qualification approval, developing and implementing policies and procedures to support the implementation proposed new Quality Assurance and Enhancement Method, supporting providers, assessing impact, managing risk and leading on the training for EVP and Education team. 
• Support the Head of Education and Director of Education to manage budgets, teams and cross-departmental working to maximise project efficiency 
• Any other related duties, as required 

Essential skills/experience/qualifications

• Experience of developing quality assurance and qualification approval processes, projects, policies and procedures in the higher education sector and/or professional or statutory body sector.
• Knowledge of the higher education sector, its regulation, frameworks, structure, standards and approval processes (essential) and of further education, assessment/awarding bodies, (degree) apprenticeships and career frameworks (desirable).
• Experience managing of complex, high-profile projects, research, policy development and analysis, including impact analysis, risk & proportionality assessment.  
• Strategic communication planning and stakeholder engagement experience 
• Results orientated with exceptional organisation, prioritisation and planning skills. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation skills, stakeholder management skills and the ability to draft high quality, well-structured written reports appropriate to the audience.
• People, budget and performance reporting management experience 
• Experience of managing a positive culture of openness, collaboration, innovation and efficiency, build relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels 
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentations skills, including report writing in a regulatory context, assessment of impact and risk. 
• Experience within comparable governance structures within the professional or statutory body sector and/or public facing or multi stakeholder environments within further education, higher education sector. 

DESIRABLE

• Experience of healthcare education and/ or optical sector education, governance or regulation 
• Project management or higher-level research (RQF Level 7+) qualification
• Experience of working with internal governance structures and external working groups 

Salary range: £ 37,362- £44,343 – Dependent on experience 
Closing date: 4pm on Friday 20 November 2020.  
Interview date(s): TBC 

We are committed to ensuring that in exercising all of our functions we operate in a fair and transparent manner and in a way that is free from discrimination, harassment and victimisation. Within all of our functions, we are committed to promoting equality; valuing diversity; being inclusive; and meeting our equality duties. We will not discriminate on age; disability; gender reassignment; race/ethnicity; religion or belief; gender; sexual orientation; marriage and civil partnership; and pregnancy and maternity.

How to apply
Please send the following to Recruitment@optical.org

• Your CV (up to three A4 pages)
• Your covering letter (up to two A4 Pages) 

We would also appreciate it if you would submit your monitoring form (which will be held confidentially by HR, used only for the purposes of monitoring our recruitment processes, and will not be shared with anyone involved in the selection process). Please be advised it is not compulsory to complete this form. For more information about our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion please see our EDI Strategy on our website.

For further information on any of the information above, please visit our website. 

Should you have any queries, please call HR on 020 7307 9470 or email HR@optical.org.  Alternative formats are available on request.