Company Description
Centre for Assessment (CfA) is a UKAS-accredited certification body providing certification audits and assessments for a range of recognised certification schemes and standards. CfA is a subsidiary of
The Growth Company: an award-winning, accredited, social enterprise with a mission to enable
growth, create jobs and improve lives.
CfA's Certifications Service provides UKAS-accredited certification audits for a range of schemes
including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 27001, ISO 45001 and EN 1090. We also support non-accredited schemes including BS EN 14065, PAS 2060, ISO 45003 and ISO Audits are delivered through a network of freelance Associate auditors.
CfA's offices are in Manchester, but we support hybrid working, enabling our people to operate
wherever they need to be effective
Role Description
To lead and oversee the delivery of Centre for Assessment's (CfA) UKAS-accredited certification services, acting as the authorised certification decision-maker, UKAS liaison, and head of the technical function, ensuring compliance, competence, and integrity across all certification activities.
Key Responsibilities
Lead liaison person with UK Accreditation Service (UKAS), leading on activities to ensure CfA's accreditations are achieved and maintained.
Oversee and authorise certification decisions for all accredited certifications, ensuring appropriate control of certification status and correct use of the CfA and UKAS marks in line with accreditation requirements.
Line manages a team of Certification Officers.
Develop, maintain, and continually improve CfA's management system for accredited certification activities, ensuring alignment with UKAS and applicable ISO accreditation standards.
Manage and develop the competence system for accredited certifications, ensuring all personnel and auditor files are up to date for all roles.
Implement systems, processes, procedures and recruit technically competent personnel when working with new international standards.
Develop and manage robust Internal Audit schedules assisting where required.
Provide technical support, advice, and guidance to CfA's Business Development and Customer Services teams and advise the Service Director on the effectiveness of the Quality System.
Performance manage CfA's team of sub-contract auditors, ensuring competent to carryout contracted work.
To be the main point of contact for all Auditor technical queries and questions on accredited certifications, including managing and leading Auditor and Technical Advisor meetings.
Ensure there are sufficient competent Technical Advisors and Auditors to meet business needs, providing oversight and strategic guidance while operational recruitment, development, and support is managed by the Assessor Performance and Development Officer.
Maintain governance of the system for allocating audit work to competent Auditors, ensuring assignments are appropriate and aligned with competence requirements, with day-to-day allocation and scheduling led by the Assessor Performance and Development Officer.
Maintain the impartiality of CfA services including co-ordination of Management Review and Impartiality Committee meetings, providing, populating, circulating, and storing information required by the Committees.
Develop new certification services from unaccredited through to accredited as required.
Maintain good, effective working relationships with key personnel.
Represent CfA at national meetings as appropriate.
All GC colleagues will work in line with the Health & Safety at work act and the GC Health & Safety Policy.
Qualifications
Essential Skills:
• Strong ICT skills, particularly MS Word, MS Excel, SharePoint and databases.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Customer-focused with professionalism in all interactions.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, auditors, and
stakeholders.
• Well organised with the ability to manage and prioritise own workload.
• Knowledge of certification, accreditation, and conformity assessment requirements, with the
ability to apply them in practice.
• Competence in making impartial, evidence-based certification decisions.
• Knowledge of quality systems, internal audit, and governance processes.
• Ability to interpret and implement standards and procedures to ensure consistency, compliance,
and integrity of certification activities.
Desirable Skills:
• Lead Auditor qualification (ISO 9001, 14001, 45001 etc.) or equivalent auditing experience.
• Previous experience in auditing or assessment roles.
• Familiarity with ISO, national, or sector-specific certification standards.
Experience:
• Experience working in a customer service or certification environment, ideally within a conformity
assessment or accreditation context.
• Experience supporting or managing certification activities, including oversight of auditors or
technical staff, within an accredited or regulated environment.
Knowledge:
• Understanding of accreditation, certification, and conformity assessment requirements, with the
ability to apply them in practice.
• Knowledge of quality and management systems, standards, and processes relevant to certification
activities.
• Familiarity with certification decision-making, governance, and risk management principles.
Personal Style:
• Team player with problem-solving skills.
• Self-starter.
• Ability to understand, demonstrate and apply GC values: Make a positive difference, Stronger
together, Empower, people, Do the right thing, and Build on success.
The application and selection process
To start your application, please visit The Growth Company's Current Vacancies webpage at where you'll need to register and login to our Candidate Portal. You'll then be asked to provide basic information and upload your CV. All applications and CVs will be reviewed, and a shortlist of candidates will be identified based on suitability for the role and relevant experience. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in a two-stage selection process designed to assess both technical competence and leadership capability within a UKAS-accredited certification environment.