Job Description

Advanced Specialist, Researcher (English Language Assessment)

This role aligns to industry-level titles such as Senior Assessment Researcher / Senior Psychometrician.

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced language assessment researcher to join our English Language Learning division, supporting the delivery and ongoing development of high-stakes English language assessments used globally.

In this role, you’ll lead and contribute to research and validation activities that ensure our assessments are robust, reliable, and fit for purpose. You’ll work across established products like PTE Academic, as well as new assessment developments, helping to maintain regulatory recognition and support continuous innovation.

Our Team

You will be part of the Assessment Research and Validity team, responsible for ensuring Pearson’s assessments are psychometrically sound and supported by strong validation evidence.

The team works across a range of activities, including test performance monitoring, standards setting, score concordance, and large-scale validity studies—supporting both established assessments and new product development.

Location & Work Setup

UK-based role with remote and hybrid working supported

37.5 hours per week, with flexibility to support global collaboration

Occasional international travel may be required

Your Key Responsibilities

Assessment Research & Analysis

• Lead on validation research projects for high-stakes English language assessments. You will own research projects in your area of expertise, designing and delivering studies that interrogate validity evidence and assessment data to draw robust and insightful conclusions.

• Identify trends, risks, and insights from assessment data to inform decision-making.

Performance Monitoring & Standards

• Collaborate with other team members to support large-scale projects, such as assessment monitoring, standards maintenance, and score concordance research across the PTE portfolio.

Product & Innovation Support

• Contribute to the development of reliable and valid assessment products.

• Support field-testing research, ensuring rigorous evaluation of new assessment developments.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication

• Communicate findings through technical reports, presentations, and publications.

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders across product, research, and delivery teams.

• Contribute to academic publications and represent Pearson at academic and industry conferences.

What We’re Looking For

Essential Skills & Experience

• Strong expertise in validity theory, language assessment, and both qualitative and quantitative research methods.

• Proven experience working with large-scale, high-stakes assessment programmes. Proficiency in statistical tools and programming languages (e.g. R, Winsteps).

• Ability to analyse complex data and translate it into actionable insights.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including technical reporting.

• A proactive, curious, and flexible approach to problem-solving.

• Master’s degree or PhD in educational measurement, psychological measurement, psychometrics, statistics, or related fields preferred.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Specialism in a defined area of language testing (e.g. cognitive validity, linguistic analysis etc.)

• Experience with additional statistical tools such as Facets or Python.

• Knowledge of item banking systems (e.g. CAT, LOFT).

• Familiarity with automated scoring systems for English language assessment.