Salary: £45,100 - £65,350
Location: Triangle, Cambridge, United Kingdom (Hybrid minimum of two days per week in the office)
Contract: Permanent
Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week
Shape the future of IELTS operations through exceptional leadership, innovation and impact.
We are Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a world-leading academic publisher and assessment organisation and a proud part of the University of Cambridge.
About the role
Are you a passionate operational leader who thrives in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment where quality, security and customer experience are paramount? As our IELTS Operations Group Manager, you will play a pivotal role in delivering one of the world's most trusted English language tests, ensuring millions of candidates receive secure, accurate and timely results. Leading a talented operations team, you'll drive excellence across service delivery, oversee the successful implementation of new products, make critical operational decisions, and champion continuous improvement across people, processes and technology. This is an exciting opportunity to influence global operations while protecting the integrity and reputation of a world-renowned assessment brand.
Working closely with senior stakeholders, technology teams and international partners, you'll be at the heart of operational strategy and delivery. From leading investigations into test security incidents and maintaining robust compliance standards, to developing high-performing teams and enhancing customer outcomes, your impact will be both visible and far-reaching. If you are an inspiring leader with strong operational expertise, a passion for quality improvement, and the ability to navigate complex challenges with confidence and integrity, we'd love to hear from you. Join us and help shape the future of IELTS delivery worldwide.
Additional responsibilities and accountabilities include:
- Lead the end-to-end delivery of IELTS operations, ensuring secure, accurate and timely test administration and results issuance in line with Cambridge and IELTS standards.
- Provide inspirational leadership to a high-performing operations team, driving performance, development, engagement and a culture of continuous improvement.
- Safeguard the integrity and reputation of IELTS by overseeing operational controls, security processes and investigations into malpractice or compliance issues.
- Drive operational excellence through the implementation of new products, process optimisation, quality management and effective resource planning.
- Build strong partnerships across internal teams, technology functions and external stakeholders to ensure resilient service delivery, effective governance and an outstanding customer experience.
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.
About You
We are looking for someone who has:
- Experience leading operational teams and delivering high-quality services in a complex or customer-focused environment.
- Strong people leadership skills, with the ability to motivate, develop and support individuals and teams to achieve their potential.
- Proven ability to manage priorities, make informed decisions and respond effectively to operational challenges.
- Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with confidence building relationships across teams, functions and external partners.
- Experience driving process improvements and implementing changes that enhance quality, efficiency and customer experience.
- A strong focus on quality, risk management and maintaining high standards in operational delivery.
- Ability to analyse information, identify trends and use data to support decision-making and continuous improvement.
- Comfortable working collaboratively across technology, operations and support functions to deliver successful outcomes.
- Experience operating in a regulated, secure or quality-driven environment would be beneficial.
- A commitment to inclusion, teamwork and creating a positive, supportive culture where people can thrive.
If you meet the above minimum requirements, we encourage you to apply. Your application will be even stronger if you can also demonstrate the following desirable criteria:
- Knowledge and experience of IELTS systems and processes
- Experience working on international English language testing
- Experience of working with Ofqual
- Experience working in system development and service delivery
- Experience working in product development
For a detailed job description, please refer to the link at the bottom of the advert on our careers site.
We are a Disability Confident (DC) employer that is committed to equality and inclusion ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. The DC scheme's Offer of an Interview commitment applies to applicants who opt in, and disclose a disability or a long-term health condition, and who best meet the minimum criteria for the role. In instances where interviewing all qualifying candidates is not practicable and/or appropriate, we prioritise those who best meet the minimum criteria, as we would for applicants who do not have a disability or long-term health condition.
Cambridge University Press & Assessment is an approved UK employer for the sponsorship of eligible roles and applicants under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please refer to the gov.uk website for guidance to understand your own eligibility based on the role you are applying for.
Rewards and 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 x annual salary
- Green travel schemes
Ready to pursue your potential? Apply now.
We aim to support candidates by making our interview process clear and transparent. The closing date for all applications will be 26 July. We will review applications on an ongoing basis, and shortlisted candidates can expect interviews to take place from the week commencing 3 August.
If you are shortlisted and progressed through the stages, you can expect:
- In-person interview at our offices in Cambridge.
If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process due to a disability or a long-term health condition, there will be an opportunity for you to inform us via the online application form. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.
Please note that successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory background checks including DBS due to working in a regulated industry.
We are committed to an equitable recruitment process. As such, applications must be submitted via our official online application procedure. Please refrain from sending your CV directly to our recruiters. If you experience technical difficulties or require additional support with submitting your online application, contact the Recruiter.
Why join us
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.
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.
