Overview
Lead the engine room of our high‑stakes international assessment material production, keeping security airtight, quality uncompromising, and delivery on schedule. If you’re energised by developing people, improving operational processes, and delivering complex workflows to immovable deadlines, this is an opportunity to make a tangible difference for learners worldwide. We are Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a world‑leading academic publisher and assessment organisation and a proud part of the University of Cambridge. As our next Manager, you’ll take ownership of the management and administration required to produce live assessment materials for high‑stakes examinations, ensuring everything is completed to schedule and that confidentiality is safeguarded at every step.
Responsibilities
* Lead, develop and support colleagues (directly and indirectly), safeguarding productivity, compliance and wellbeing across your area.
* Plan and oversee delivery, ensuring materials are available on published exam timetable dates.
* Maintain exceptional standards of security and confidentiality for highly sensitive live materials, including oversight of hard‑copy handling (receipt, distribution, secure storage and confidential destruction).
* Oversee workflow data set‑up that enables electronic production, and quality control of question paper reference data (QPRD) supporting on‑screen marking.
* Own and maintain procedure documentation, ensuring processes are clear, current and fit for purpose, and that actions are completed to a high standard and on time.
* Act as a process lead and subject‑matter expert in BAU and project activity, representing Test Production at working and steering groups, and supporting change delivery.
* Lead our digital authoring team and our continued ramp up in this area.
* Provide and interpret departmental reporting, including progress towards deadlines, using data to surface risks early and keep plans on track.
* Be part of the Test Production management team, contributing ideas, sharing best practice, and helping steer the department through each cycle.
* Champion and embed continuous improvement across people, process and reporting – spotting opportunities, testing improvements and scaling what works across the end‑to‑end production cycle.
* Leverage AI and digital tools responsibly to improve operational efficiency and personal productivity, while maintaining strong governance, accuracy and security.
* Oversee copyright applications and clearance that enable post‑exam publication.
This position has been classified as a hybrid role, requiring the selected candidate to typically spend 40‑60% of their time collaborating and connecting face‑to‑face at their dedicated location. Aside from our hybrid principles, other flexible working requests will be considered from the first day of employment, including other work arrangements should you require adjustments due to a disability or long‑term health condition.
You are personable, conscientious and organised. A role model and an inspiration to your peers and colleagues. You collaborate, take ownership and deliver with tenacity and pride. You balance determination with kindness, recognising that how we achieve is as important as what we achieve. You bring a clear desire, and a demonstrated track record, of role‑modelling innovation and process improvement, including the safe, smart, responsible use of AI and data to improve operational and personal efficiency while keeping quality and security front and centre.
Qualifications and Experience
* Accomplished in people management, with experience supporting others to deliver high standards.
* Demonstrable success in process management, including planning, scheduling and delivery against agreed standards.
* Ability to understand and integrate business objectives and policies with operational processes, applying sound judgement and knowing when to escalate.
* Exceptional accuracy and attention to detail, with strong organisational skills that enable effective prioritisation.
* Professional, pragmatic and personable, with effective communication skills and a commitment to excellent customer service and stakeholder management.
* Proficiency using Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and Outlook) and experience using bespoke software.
* A track record of role‑modelling innovation and process improvement, including practical experience using AI tools to simplify work, improve throughput, strengthen reporting, or raise quality.
* Experience working in an operational environment where security, compliance and risk management are critical.
* Confidence using management information and data to surface risk early and support delivery.
Joining us is your opportunity to pursue potential. You will belong to a collaborative team that is exploring new and better ways to serve students, teachers and researchers across the globe – for the benefit of individuals, society and the world. Sharing our mission will inspire your own growth, development and progress, in an environment which embraces difference, change and aspiration.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is committed to being a place where anyone can enjoy a successful career, where it is safe to speak up, and where we learn continuously to improve together. We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of demographic characteristics (age, disability, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual identity), cultural, or social class/background. We believe better outcomes come through diversity of thought, background and approach. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and communities, actively seeking to employ people from a wide range of different communities.
Benefits
We will support you to be at your best in work and to live well outside of it. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a world‑class, flexible rewards package, featuring family‑friendly and planet‑friendly benefits including:
* 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
* Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance
* Discretionary annual bonus
* Group personal pension scheme
* Life assurance up to 4 × annual salary
* Green travel schemes
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