One external trustee and one external committee member volunteer jobs

Job Title: Director of Examinations 

Reports to: Chief Executive

Line reports: Examinations Manager (x2) 

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) is a membership organisation and the voice of the profession, with over 4,750 members in the UK and overseas. Our role is to champion the specialty, set standards of training and practice, and influence change to make a difference to the lives of patients with eye conditions.

Job Purpose 

The Director of Examinations plays an important role within the College, providing strategic leadership, oversight and delivery of our exam function in the UK and overseas, at the same time as ensuring alignment with best practice and GMC standards.

This role has responsibility for a budget of £2M+ and for the delivery of exams to around 3,000 candidates each year. The postholder is also responsible for leading a team of six members of staff and forms a key part of our Senior Leadership Team, taking corporate responsibility for the overall direction and operational management of the College.

Main responsibilities 

1. To oversee the strategic direction and delivery of exams 

• Provide strategic leadership for the College's examination function, ensuring all examinations are designed, delivered and continuously improved in accordance with the College's strategic objectives, regulatory requirements, obligations and recognised best practice 

• Develop and implement the long-term exams strategy, anticipating future developments in medical education, assessment, AI technology and regulation to identify opportunities, manage risks and ensure the continued relevance and sustainability of the College's examinations 

• Ensure the College's examinations meet the standards required by the General Medical Council (GMC) and other relevant regulatory bodies, maintaining robust governance, quality assurance and standard-setting processes that demonstrate examinations are valid, reliable and fit for purpose 

• Lead the strategic planning, financial management and performance of the examinations function, ensuring delivery within agreed budgets while maintaining high-quality services and identifying opportunities for innovation and operational efficiency 

• Champion an outstanding candidate and stakeholder experience by ensuring examinations are delivered to consistently high standards of customer service, accessibility, fairness and professionalism, with particular regard to equity, diversity and inclusion, confidentiality and information security 

• Provide executive leadership for the development, implementation and continuous improvement of policies, assessment methodologies and quality assurance frameworks, ensuring alignment with developments in medical assessment and educational best practice. 

• Oversee governance arrangements for examination appeals, reasonable adjustments, examination security and risk management, ensuring robust, transparent and legally compliant decision-making processes 

• Ensure comprehensive monitoring and analysis of examination performance, assessment outcomes and equality data, using evidence and statistical analysis to inform continuous improvement, maintain standards and provide assurance to the College's governance structures and external regulators 

• Drive the development and implementation of digital solutions, leading business change to improve resilience, efficiency, data quality and the candidate experience 

• Lead the strategic development and expansion of the College's international examination portfolio, identifying opportunities for growth while ensuring consistent quality, governance and candidate experience across the UK and overseas in a financially sustainable way 

• Ensure appropriate governance, oversight and maintenance of systems, policies, guidance and digital resources, including candidate communications and public-facing information 

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation and evidence-based practice across the examinations function, ensuring emerging risks, operational issues and opportunities are identified and addressed proactively. 

2. To foster close and constructive relationships with key stakeholders 

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with examiners, psychometricians, clinical leaders, regulators and international delivery partners, fostering collaboration to ensure the consistent delivery, quality and integrity of the College's examinations across the UK and internationally 

• Provide strategic oversight of the recruitment, development and performance of the College's volunteer examiner workforce, ensuring examiners are appropriately trained, supported and calibrated to deliver assessments in accordance with regulatory requirements and recognised best practice 

• Serve as the executive lead for the College's Examinations Committee and its subcommittee structure, providing strategic advice, governance support and assurance to enable effective oversight of the examination function and its ongoing development 

• Lead the College's relationship with the GMC, acting as the principal point of engagement on examination matters. Ensure timely and robust regulatory reporting, represent the College in formal discussions, and provide assurance that examinations continue to meet all applicable regulatory standards 

• Build and maintain productive relationships with key UK stakeholders, including the Postgraduate Dean for Ophthalmology, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC), NHS partners and other professional bodies, influencing developments in postgraduate medical assessment and promoting collaboration across the sector 

• Lead the College's engagement with international partners, including examination delivery organisations, host institutions and the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (COESCA), supporting the strategic growth, quality assurance and sustainable development of the College's international examination portfolio 

• Represent the College externally on matters relating to examinations and assessment, acting as a trusted advisor to senior clinical leaders, regulators and partner organisations, and enhancing the College's reputation as a leader in postgraduate medical assessment. 

3. To lead the directorate 

• Provide executive leadership of the team, creating a high-performing, collaborative and customer-focused culture that enables colleagues to deliver excellent outcomes 

• Lead, develop and empower the team through effective coaching, succession planning and identification of professional development opportunities, building capacity and resilience

• Establish clear individual and team objectives aligned to the College's strategic priorities, monitoring performance, fostering accountability and supporting the successful delivery of agreed outcomes

• Promote effective communication and collaboration across the team, ensuring colleagues are informed, motivated and connected to the College's strategic direction, while championing the team's achievements across the organisation 

• Ensure robust financial stewardship, including strategic financial planning, budget management and long-term forecasting, contributing to the College's sustainability and value for money 

• Provide strategic advice, analysis and assurance to the Board of Trustees and Finance Committee, reporting on performance, risks, financial position and progress against objectives 

• Establish effective governance and programme management arrangements to deliver strategic initiatives, foster cross-College collaboration and drive continuous improvement. 

4. To contribute as a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) 

• Play a full and active role as a member of the SLT, contributing to the development and delivery of the College's strategy and organisational priorities 

• Provide visible organisational leadership, promoting collaboration across teams and embedding a one-College approach that delivers consistently high standards of service and performance 

• Contribute to the development, implementation and review of College-wide policies, governance arrangements and organisational processes, ensuring effective and consistent application across the organisation 

• Share collective corporate responsibility for decisions taken by the SLT and Board of Trustees, supporting their successful implementation and promoting a culture of accountability and continuous improvement 

• Lead and contribute to cross-organisational change programmes and strategic projects, ensuring effective engagement with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver sustainable improvement 

• Champion and role model the College's values, behaviours and leadership expectations, fostering an inclusive, respectful and high-performing organisational culture. 

5. To undertake other duties as required:  

• Undertake any other reasonable duties as required by the Chief Executive

• Extensive travel in the UK and overseas is required, alongside working outside normal hours from time to time during exam sittings. 

Person Specification 

Knowledge, Qualifications and Experience 

• Degree or equivalent professional qualification 

• Significant senior leadership experience in examinations, education, assessment or a professional membership organisation 

• Experience of leading high-stakes assessment or examination services, including quality assurance and regulatory compliance 

• Experience of strategic planning, budget management and organisational performance 

• Experience of leading, developing and motivating high-performing teams 

• Experience of working with Boards, committees, regulators and senior stakeholders 

• Experience of leading organisational or digital change programmes 

Skills and Abilities 

• Strategic leadership with strong planning, analytical and decision-making skills 

• Excellent communication, influencing and relationship management skills 

• Financial and commercial awareness with the ability to manage resources effectively 

• Ability to lead change, manage risk and deliver continuous improvement 

• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results 

Personal Qualities (Attributes) 

• Collaborative, inclusive and values-driven leader who demonstrates integrity, professionalism and sound judgement 

• Resilient, adaptable and committed to innovation, continuous improvement and customer excellence 

• Commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and to continuing professional development 

Other requirements

Willingness to travel within the UK and internationally and work occasional evenings or weekends during examination periods

REDRESS is looking to appoint an Advocacy Officer to deliver our work on policy advocacy with a focus on the United Kingdom, including on Magnitsky Sanctions, and work with survivors and survivor communities on our policy advocacy campaigns. We are seeking applications from intermediate professionals with some previous experience in human rights advocacy to contribute to this work.  

We are committed to amplifying the voice of survivors of torture or ill-treatment within REDRESS and the wider sector and working to ensure that people with lived experience are partners in bringing the change needed. We strongly encourage applications from candidates with lived experience, which may mean that they or their families are survivors of torture, or that they have escaped persecution.  

REDRESS has a diverse team from different backgrounds and with different experiences, including those with lived experience of torture. Under our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, we encourage applications from people of colour, LGBTQI+ people, and disabled people, who are currently under-represented. We will use positive action under the Equality Act 2010 to appoint from these groups if two candidates are equally qualified.

Who we are

REDRESS is an international human rights organisation based in London and The Hague that pursues legal claims on behalf of survivors of torture in the UK and around the world to obtain justice and reparation for violations against their human rights. Our approach to legal claims is strategic, so that as well as representing an individual we target the policy reasons that enabled the torture to take place, by building campaigns that uses advocacy, survivor participation, and communications to influence change.

Our 2030 Strategy sets out our priorities for 2026–2030 in response to the challenges facing the anti-torture movement and our areas of expertise.

You can find information about the organisation in the latest Trustees Annual Report. We continue to strengthen our processes to further enhance our diversity, build our survivor-centred approach, and ensure people with lived experience are part of REDRESS. 

Position Profile

The main responsibilities of the role are:

UK Advocacy. Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders relevant to REDRESS’ UK policy objectives, including government departments, parliamentarians, parliamentary committees, NGOs and academics. Draft written materials and briefing papers for policymakers, and respond to government enquiries and consultations, and undertake direct advocacy.

Sanctions Advocacy and APPG. Deliver REDRESS’s UK advocacy on Magnitsky sanctions and asset recovery for reparation. This includes supporting REDRESS’s role as secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Magnitsky Sanctions and Reparation and conducting advocacy to key stakeholders: the FCDO, Treasury, Home Office, parliamentarians and others.

Survivor Advisory Group. Work collaboratively with the Survivor Advisory Group to support our work with survivors and survivor communities on our policy advocacy campaigns.

Upholding the Absolute Prohibition of Torture. Support and deliver our policy advocacy work in the UK relating to other issues, such as an effective system for universal jurisdiction prosecutions, responding to threats to the absolute prohibition of torture, and responses to UK torture overseas. Conduct advocacy work related to the legal right to consular assistance and State hostage-taking.

Project Management. Manage and deliver specific project activities which include administrative tasks, budget management, planning and participating in the delivery of meetings and events, as well as other tasks related to project management.

Teamwork/Collaboration. Work collaboratively with REDRESS team members and external stakeholders, always exercising professional integrity. Supervise fellows and interns.

Representing REDRESS. Contribute to the wider needs of the organisation, including communicating REDRESS’ work to a wide array of audiences.

The position is also expected to carry out such further duties as may reasonably be required from time to time by REDRESS.  

Person Specification

Essential Competencies

The successful candidate will need to have the following essential competencies:

· At least three years relevant post-qualification professional experience. 

· Strong knowledge of how the UK Parliament and government works.

· Undergraduate degree specialised in international law, human rights, politics, international relations, or a related field.

· A solid understanding of international human rights policy issues.

· Demonstrated proficiency in policy analysis and policy writing and editing; demonstrated competence in writing for a broader public audience. 

· Experience at delivering projects and managing project budgets.

· Experience working with victims of human rights violations, survivor groups, or grassroots campaigns.

· Experience working with NGOs and other stakeholders.

· Experience in public speaking to a variety of audiences.

· Experience managing interns and volunteers.

· Fluency in written and oral English.

· Literacy in social media in a professional environment (primarily Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook).

· Willing to undertake travel within the UK. 

· An ability to work with a range of political parties.

Personal Attributes

To work for Redress, the candidate should have the following personal attributes: 

· Happy to work collaboratively as part of a small and energetic team with a wide range of personalities. 

· Highly efficient and organised, with an ability to multi-task, show initiative, solve problems, and take a hands-on role when necessary.

· Able to think and work strategically, creatively, and under pressure.

· Able to understand and support the aims, objectives and values of REDRESS and reflect them in all aspects of work. 

· Able to work with survivors of human rights abuse with a range of specific needs. 

Terms

Reporting. The position will report to a Senior Legal Advisor.

Hours. This is a part-time position at 21 hours a week. Evening and weekend work may be required from time to time.

Location. The position is based at the REDRESS office in London.

Flexible Working. REDRESS is an “in-person” organisation and we value teamwork, but we have a flexible working policy which allows for working from home. This role is currently required to be in the office one-two days a week.

Duration. The contract is for a fixed term of 12 months (maternity cover).

Start date. The position would start in September 2026.

Probation. There is a four-month probationary period. 

Pension. REDRESS offers a pension contribution of 10% of salary.

Holiday.  There are 25 days of holiday per year, in addition to UK public holidays. The office is also closed between Christmas and New Year.

Status. The candidate must have the right to live and work in the UK. Unfortunately, we cannot sponsor a UK immigration process for this role.

Interview process. We expect to do two rounds of interviews. We may ask candidates to complete a brief written test as part of the process but will provide information on that nearer the time.

· First round Interviews will take place on 7 August and will be on-line.

· Final round interview will take place on 13 August and will be in-person at our office in London.

How to Apply

Please upload to our recruitment portal a single PDF file including both: 

· A cover letter of no more than one page explaining (a) why you would like to work for REDRESS, (b) how you fulfil the personal specification for the role, and (c) how you will contribute to the diversity of REDRESS, and

· Your CV or resume.

Please also complete the anonymous Diversity Monitoring Form. We use the information from the form to tell us about the diversity of the applicant pool for each of the positions that we advertise. We keep the conclusions of the analysis for our records, and the underlying data is deleted three months after the recruitment closes.

Deadline: 31 July 2026