Assessment & Learning Design Manager

Location: UK or Poland (residents only – relocation & sponsorship not provided) Role purpose --- Assessment & Learning Design Manager will lead the design, quality assurance and effectiveness of integrated learning and assessment products for Schools/Higher Education/Work audiences. The role holder designs, develops, maintains and iterates assessment and learning content to meet the desired pedagogical outcomes, required standards of compliance and deliver value to customers. Additionally, the role will develop, maintain and disseminate knowledge on the pedagogical design and effectiveness of British Council products to internal and external stakeholders. Role context The role is part of a team accountable for the design, development, and performance management of the digital and analogue products that enable the [For Schools / Higher Education / Work] propositions. They ensure the right product mix, quality, and innovation to support the strategic direction set by the Proposition Directors. This team ensures products are commercially viable, scalable, and aligned with technology, delivery, and customer needs.​ Main accountabilities Learning and Assessment Content Design · Collaborates with Research and Impact, Proposition, Portfolio and Product and Content Creation leads to design and develop curricula and assessments that align with global (and national) standards and best practices. Ensures that products are valid, reliable, and capable of producing accurate and actionable results for learners. · Deploys agreed quality assurance frameworks and templates for content creation and assessment item development, ensuring adherence to established standards for accuracy, relevance, and efficacy. · Designs and/or deploys accommodations policies and processes for assessment and learning products, as appropriate. Communicates policies with internal and external stakeholders as needed. · Deploys agreed systems and frameworks to assure product quality and regulatory compliance in alignment with British Council brand standards, EDI and accessibility guidelines, AI policies, safeguarding. · Supports and provides expert advice into British Council initiatives in the use of automation tools to generate, calibrate, archive and reuse content and items for use across the portfolio · Contributes to preparation of project and product guidelines, style guides, specifications and scoring frameworks to brief internal and external suppliers and stakeholders · Prepares clear and detailed documentation on learning and assessment content designs to ensure effective handover to Content Creation teams. Relationship and Stakeholder management · Ensures a unified approach to close collaboration across the organisation and specifically with Marketing, Proposition, Product, Research & Impact, Content Creation and Content Management teams to design assessment and learning content which aligns to customer, market and business needs. · Utilises feedback loops with end-users, educators, ROs, consultants and other stakeholders to continuously improve content and assessments based on real-world insights. · Commissions and/or implements ongoing research into best practices in assessment design, psychometrics, and learning design, ensuring that content and assessments remain innovative and effective. Project Management · Plans and prioritises own work activities to ensure the effective design and delivery of projects and programmes. · Balances quality assurance and compliance requirements with cost and time factors in effective project delivery. · Works within the agreed budget for learning and assessment design stages, ensuring resources are allocated efficiently and within the allocated financial framework. · Supports internal monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to maintain compliance across content design and use. · Resolves challenges in content and assessment design, such as ensuring consistency in quality, meeting compliance requirements, and resolving issues with third-party vendors or content teams. Data analysis and problem solving · Confirms that learning and assessment designs are valid and pedagogically effective through the appropriate use of pre-test/pilot/user testing/sampling initiatives with users and reviews with appropriate consultants. · With support from Research and Impact colleagues, designs assessment and learning solutions which minimise and/or eliminate bias through scrutiny and careful selection of data collection approaches and data set application. · Utilises data and analytics to assess the effectiveness of content and assessments across the product lifecycle, making recommendations for improvements based on performance data and learner outcomes. Role specific skills · Extensive experience in English language learning design and/or English language assessment development. · Familiarity with compliance and regulatory standards related to educational content, such as Ofqual and safeguarding policies. Minimum / essential requirements · Knowledge and Experience of product development and/or management including digital and online · Experience of working with data analytics tools and test data statistical analysis to assess and improve the impact and effectiveness of learning and assessment products · Experience of managing test seeding/pre-testing/piloting processes · Relevant experience of working in a global business · Full time resident in the UK or Poland with unlimited right to work. Desirable · Understanding of Accessibility and EDI as applied to learning and assessment · Experience of using Agile product development and management approaches · Deeper knowledge in one or more specialised areas of learning/assessment e.g. AI, young learners, employment, etc. Language · Written and verbal fluency in English Education · Higher English Language Teaching or Assessment or Applied Linguistics qualification or in a related field (PhD, Masters, DELTA, Dip TESOL or equivalent) British Council values and behaviours British council values and behaviours are applicable across our organisation, in all roles and at all levels. They are important because they say what we stand for at the British Council and help us to deliver our strategy. We use them to guide our decision making, as well as guiding how we treat one another and the people we work with. These will be assessed in the selection process. Our values are: Open and Committed; Expert and Inclusive; Optimistic and Bold. Unit: English & Exams / Product / Content Strategy Pay band: 8 Work style: Hybrid Annual salary range: PLN 192,000 - 252,000 (Poland) £38,000 - £46,000 (UK)