IELTS Manager

Position Purpose：
1）The IELTS Manager is responsible for working with 3rd Party for the end-to-end delivery, governance, and continuous improvement of IELTS testing operations, with a primary focus initially on IELTS Video Call Speaking (VCS) and associated test components within the market in collaboration with key internal stakeholders.
2）The role provides operational leadership and oversight across pre-test, live test, and post-test activities, ensuring all IELTS delivery is conducted in line with IDP’s quality, integrity, security, and compliance frameworks. Acting as the senior point of coordination, the IELTS Manager acts as a bridge between China’s third party (3P) test centre, test venues, operational teams and global PSN / Central Operations teams ensuring alignment and timely issue resolution.
3）In addition, the role is accountable for resource planning and operational readiness, supporting test continuity, scalability, and future growth. The IELTS Manager plays a key role in embedding best practices, driving operational efficiency, and ensuring a high-quality test-taker experience.
Key Responsibility：
【IELTS Test Delivery】
• Provide oversight & influence delivery of pre-test, live test and post-test operations across all IELTS 3P locations, with primary focus on IELTS Video Call Speaking (VCS).
• Ensure all 3P locations deliver tests in line with IDP policies, quality standards, security, and integrity frameworks.
• Monitor & support operational readiness of venues, systems, and resources prior to each test window.
• Lead operational issue resolution during live testing, ensuring minimal disruption and timely escalation where required.
• Ensure accurate test administration, result processing, and adherence to agreed result release timelines.
【Operations Management】
• Regular reviews and providing support to 3P (where needed) for them to achieve candidate volume, market share and revenue targets in line with budget.
• Ensure 3P effectively executes IDP “end to end” operations across all test centres in China throughout the test taker journey from registration through to results release and address gaps if any.
• Ensure all IELTS processes from registration to result release operate as per approved timelines and in adherence with Quality and Compliance requirements.
• Support 3P with hiring, training of IELTS staff.
• Provide accurate and timely operational reporting to IDP’s regional and central stakeholders.
• Facilitate the timely communication and adoption of IELTS updates from IELTS Australia across all 3P test centres.
• Proactively identify, monitor, and enable escalation of system linkage or integration issues where required.
【Customer Service】
• Ensure 3P party is compliant with IDP’s operational standard operating procedures to ensure all test candidates receive. exemplary customer experience at every contact point before, during and after sitting the IELTS test.
• Manage the escalation of any customer complaints.
【Partner / Stakeholder Management】
• Act as the primary liaison between local test venues, PSN teams, and global / regional operations.
• Manage relationships with delivery partners, ensuring alignment on service expectations and performance standards.
• Facilitate regular operational reviews with key stakeholders to track performance, address issues, and drive improvements.
• Communicate operational updates, risks, and outcomes clearly to regional and central leadership.
【Business Planning】
• In consultation with the Regional IELTS Director, and IELTS 3P team, create a mid/long-term volume scale up plan for China.
• Develop monthly volume forecasting process with 3P.
• Monitor 3P’s test day availability and capacity to ensure sufficient capacity is available to meet market demand.
【Business Development】
• Work in partnership with 3P in the planning and execution of test location expansion and testing frequency, to ensure IDP is competitive and meets the service expectations of candidates.
• Work closely with 3P on development and implementation of a competitive referral partner commission program to drive referral partner growth and performance.
• Build strong communication channels/working relationships with key stakeholders (audit team, marketing, finance/regional and global IELTS teams).
【Team Management】
• Provide guidance, and manage PSN Administrators, and operational staff.
• Identify resourcing needs in line with volume demand and future growth plans.
• Drive onboarding, training, and ongoing capability development aligned to IELTS and VCS delivery requirements.
• Foster a culture of accountability, quality, and continuous improvement.
【Communications】
• Prepare well-documented reports and submissions to facilitate understanding of the commercial and business value of current and new initiatives.
Essential requirements：
1. Graduate degree in business administration, operations management, or other related fields.
2. 7 years + experience in Business management preferably in language testing, FMCG, Retail, consumer banking or equivalent industry with minimum 5 years of leading a team.
3. Relationship management experience, including fostering and building highly effective partnerships with 3rd party organisations.
4. Proven experience leading teams that are geographically dispersed.
5. Previous ‘hands-on’ operational management experience.
6. High level of business acumen combined with good knowledge of the commercial environment.
7. High level interpersonal skills to engage and influence key stakeholders from diverse cultural backgrounds and surface ideas for change.
8. Demonstrated ability to make decisions and act with integrity.
9. Strong written, verbal and presentation skills to communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
10. A strong, ethical leader who acts with integrity and in the best interests of the business.
11. Respects diversity in employees.
12. High energy.
13. Willing to undertake reasonable travel within China and attend overseas business meetings for IELTS as required.