Quality Assurance Specialist

Role Name: Quality Assurance Specialist
Department: Risk and Assurance
Contract: Permanent – Full time
Location: Office (with hybrid working)
Security Clearance: SC
Region: London, Canary Wharf E14
Grade: Lower G
Salary: £29200-£33100 (The SIA's policy is that for all new starters are expected to start at the bottom of the grade.)

If you would like to apply for this role, please fill out the details on our ATS Profile builder and provide a personal statement outlining why you would be an ideal candidate for this role.

About Us
The SIA is the organisation responsible for the regulation of private security. It is an independent, arm’s length body (ALB) of the Home Office, reporting to the Home Secretary, under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s purpose Is protecting the public through effective regulation of the private security industry and working with partners to raise standards across the sector. Its regulatory remit covers the whole of the United Kingdom.

The SIA has two main duties: the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities within the private security industry and the management of a voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme, which measures private security suppliers against independently assessed criteria.

SIA licensing covers security operatives who are in guarding, door supervision, close protection, cash and valuables in transit, and public space surveillance using CCTV, vehicle immobilisation (in Northern Ireland) and key holding. Licensing ensures that private security operatives are fit and proper persons who are properly trained and qualified to do their job.

About the Role
Under the direction of the Quality Assurance Manager, the role holder will be responsible for the quality monitoring of all key activities throughout the organisation. Supporting all managers and specialists, the role holder will help to drive and develop the quality frameworks that provides assurance and improvement for several critical processes relating to our regulatory products and customer facing activities.

You will provide subject matter expertise, input, and guidance to support effective delivery of regulatory products and identify further opportunities for continuous improvement.

You will demonstrate a commitment to delivering an exceptional level of support and customer service improvement, as well as deliver the highest level of assurance to assist the organisation in meeting its objectives.

What are we looking for?
We are looking for someone who already has a solid grasp of the organisation processes and has an interest in quality. The ideal candidate will enjoy problem solving and providing excellent customer service. They will be confident in engaging with and providing feedback at all levels. They will also be objective when providing assurance and challenging when necessary. Any experience in quality assurance, customer service and risk would be a bonus.

What you will be doing:

• Support the implementation and development of a quality framework across the organisation.
• Provide subject matter expertise input and guidance to support effective delivery of activities by taking ownership
• Contribute to the development of newly recruited staff and established members of staff by providing timely feedback to individuals and the relevant manager.
• To recommend changes to improve the customer experience and to optimise ways of working.
• To ensure that the SIA holds appropriate external accreditation that attests to quality processes relating to customer facing activities.
• Responsible for contributing to a formal improvement plan which will reflect suggestions for improvements arising from complaints and staff suggestions
• Provide specific work stream, team management information reports when required by managers, making use of performance system interrogation when possible
• Work collaboratively with other SMEs, in particular identifying opportunities across function work streams to improve the effectiveness of the SIA’s operating model
• Identify further opportunities for continuous improvement across the SIA
• Ensure a high standard of written and verbal communication is maintained at all times
• Maintain an audit trail of all improvement suggestions including key documentation and outcomes
• Provide support to colleagues within Risk and Assurance.
• Demonstrate an understanding and commitment to SIA values and all policies and procedures, particularly those relating to equal opportunities and diversity and health and safety practices.

What skills are we looking for?
Please find the job description attached, and a list of the essential criteria listed below.

• A high standard of written and verbal communication
• An understanding issues relating to sensitive personal data and of the need to hold information in confidence when appropriate
• Demonstrable strong report writing skills
• Experience of gathering evidence, analysing information objectively and making decisions and recommendations to managers
• Demonstrable ability to quickly develop close working relationships with colleagues and use these relationships to obtain relevant information
• Experience of casework or similar type of function involving the need for impartial decision making
• Experience of coaching, developing and mentoring staff
• Ability to use a MS Office packages to a high standard
• Ability to act under own initiative and constantly strive to deliver excellence in work
• Evidence of an uncompromising approach to outstanding customer service
• High levels of drive, determination, and commitment with ability to act under own initiative and constantly strive to deliver excellence in work
• Ability to prioritise urgent issues whilst achieving outcomes to agreed deadlines

What can you expect from us?

• A welcoming and innovative work environment.
• Continued support and development opportunities.
• Access to training for attainment of recognised qualifications.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Annual leave entitlement will be 27.5 days, rising by one additional day for every two years of service up to a maximum of 32.5 days.
• A variety of discounts including Gymflex
• Civil Service Pension Scheme – Employee contribution between 4.60% and 7.35% and Employer contribution between 26.60% and 30.30%

Selection process for this role:
If you would like to apply for this role, please fill out the details on our ATS Profile builder. To help us assess your suitability for the role, we ask that you provide comprehensive details about your skills and career history, as our sifting process is anonymised and relies on the information you submit.

Additionally, we would like you to submit a Personal statement (no more than 500 words) in the "Personal Summary" section of the portal. Please outline why you believe you would be an ideal candidate for this role. Please highlight your relevant skills, experience, and achievements that align with the essential job requirements.

• This vacancy is using SIA Competency Framework and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills plus a brief written assessment.
• Interviews will take place on 14th and 15th January 2025.
• Interviews may be held in person at our office based in canary wharf, or via Microsoft Teams, this will be confirmed closer to the interview date.
• Start dates will be determined based on security clearance checks, and the successful candidate’s notice period.

**Please note - if you do not meet the essential work or qualification experience, you will be automatically rejected by the pre-screening questionnaire.

The SIA is committed to the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion. Our approach: do more than just our duty. We explain this in more detail in our equality, diversity and inclusion policy. We actively promote equality, take positive action to redress inequality and build a culture that champions diversity and inclusion. By doing this, we will ensure that we build equality, diversity and inclusion into the way we think and work. As an employer, the diversity of our employees enriches us and enables us to better carry out our role as a regulator. We value the skills and qualities each employee brings with them into the organisation. And we improve representation wherever we need to foster a culture of inclusion that our employees lead, own and champion.

If you’d like to know anything before applying such as more on the location, salary, or our recruitment policies etc, please just let us know and we’ll be happy to help. You can contact the recruiter for this role at (Recruitment@sia.gov.uk )