Manager I, Programs: Assessment Development and Maintenance

• Facilitate cooperation and teamwork throughout the organization. Example: Willingness to collaborate across the Council, as well as with department team members. 

• Provides prompt, courteous, expert, respectful, and responsive customer service to internal and external stakeholders. Example: Consistent and timely communication with colleagues and NCARB customers. 

• Embrace change and continuously evaluate/improve programs, processes, and policies. Example: Open to the innovation and exploration of new processes and ideas that better serve the Council.

Core Responsibilities – Department Specific

Strategic

• Contribute to the development of annual and long-range departmental plans, including scope of work for assessment development and maintenance.
• Contribute to the development and management of budgets and resource plans for assigned projects and initiatives.
• Lead or participate in assigned departmental strategic initiatives, and participate in assigned Council-wide strategic initiatives.
• Engage with volunteers, vendors, consultants, and other experts to gather insights, share best practices, and inform planning and decision-making.
• Contribute to the review and development of assessment-related policies, procedures, systems, and operational practices.

Program Management 

• Keep supervisor informed of program and project status, progress, risk, and significant issues. Develop and present to supervisor proposed solutions to mitigate risks and issues.
• Maintain the security of confidential assessment, candidate, and vendor information.
• Serve as a staff liaison to assigned volunteer committees:
  • Develop and manage annual committee workplans, including requirements and success criteria to support program goals and objectives. Collaborate with other staff, vendors, and consultants as needed.
  • Utilize reports, dashboards, and performance metrics to monitor and report committee progress. Notify supervisor when progress does not align with expectations.
  • Manage communications with committee volunteers and others supporting the committee. Provide timely and respectful communications of homework assignments, meeting agendas, and other information.
  • Oversee completion of committee charges.
  • Determine committee training needs, collaborate with other staff to develop training as required, and ensure committee volunteers have received all necessary training.
  • Evaluate effectiveness of committee training and identify deficiencies.
  • Determine content development and review needs and impediments in collaboration with Test Development Coordinators. Determine committee volunteer homework assignments and meeting activities to achieve content development and review goals.
  • Monitor volunteer homework progress and completion, and address underperformance as needed.
  • Ensure initial submission and post-meeting reporting of continuing education credits.
  • Coordinate meeting logistics with NCARB meeting planners.
  • Prepare meeting minutes.
  • Compile volunteer feedback and identify opportunities for improvement based on feedback.
  • Complete annual volunteer evaluations, and facilitate evaluations by others, including Test Development Coordinators and volunteer workgroup coordinators. Participate in volunteer recommendations for future committee efforts.
• Review newly developed assessment content for conformance with assessment standards, and review for conformance with test content outline as needed. Identify common deficiencies and/or needed improvements.
• Manage assessment development and maintenance activities as assigned, which may include:
  • managing and organizing the item banks, including user access permissions;
  • maintaining and updating a list of critical resources used by item writers;
  • and managing the statistical review process and tracking necessary changes to items or item statuses.
• Manage the assembly and publication of test forms as assigned and in collaboration with psychometric consultants, including:
  • managing schedule of deliverables to meet consultant and organizational timelines and priorities;
  • implementing form and publication settings within the test delivery driver;
  • performing quality control of all form and publication settings prior to launch;
  • monitoring initial launch of new forms for potential errors;
  • and coordinating with consultants on assessment copyright requirements and submissions.
• Conduct testing of potential changes to assessment development and maintenance software and provide feedback as needed.
• Contribute to the development, maintenance, and ongoing review of assessment-related resources, documentation, and SOPs, and identify opportunities for improvements.
• Maintain a proficient level of understanding of assessment programs, rules, requirements, service standards, software, and technology.  Maintain a basic level of understanding of other NCARB programs, products, services, policies, and requirements.
• Support team and departmental priorities by providing assistance across programs and functional areas as needed, including facilitation of volunteer workgroups.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communications

• Serve as a subject matter expert on NCARB programs and deliver internal and external training, outreach, and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Contribute to the development of training, outreach materials, stakeholder resources, and program communications that translate complex information and support diverse audiences.
• Partner with other departments to provide program messaging and support customers, Member Boards, volunteers, and other stakeholders.
• Review and recommend responses to escalated customer and Member Board concerns in a professional and timely manner. 

Vendor & Contract Management

• Develop and maintain productive relationships with vendors and consultants.
• Collaborate with vendors as needed to support assessment goals and objectives.
• Monitor vendor compliance with contractual requirements, service standards, and program expectations; identify deficiencies.

Assessment Research

• Review psychometric performance reports of NCARB assessments and identify trends or anomalies.
• Evaluate emerging technology, trends, risks, and opportunities in the assessment industry to identify opportunities for program improvements.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the education, experience, knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Bachelor’s Degree: or a combination of substantial related experience, training, and education may substitute.
• Architect candidates preferred; must be licensed in at least one NCARB jurisdiction and meet all NCARB certification requirements.
• Three or more years of relevant experience in program management, systems integration, and/or architectural practice or related field with project management oversight.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to provide high-quality customer service, deliver presentations, and adapt messaging for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated proficiency with technology and a broad range of software applications, including Microsoft Office and Adobe PDF applications.
• Ability to quickly learn, adapt to, and effectively apply new technologies, systems, processes, policies, and practices.
• Proven ability to coordinate and manage multiple projects, processes, and competing priorities while maintaining schedules, accuracy, and attention to detail.
• Understanding of basic statistical concepts and the ability to analyze and interpret quantitative and qualitative data to identify trends and inform decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and take ownership of assigned responsibilities and outcomes.
• Experience applying Agile principles and practices to project and program management preferred.
• Ability to travel domestically up to 30% of the year, including weekends and occasional work outside standard business hours

Benefits

NCARB's employees enjoy a comprehensive set of benefits that include strong support for health and wellness, some nice perks, and professional development. 

Some highlights include:

• Competitive pay
• Medical, vision, and dental Benefits
• Paid parental leave
• Life and disability insurance
• 401k
• Tuition assistance
• All-staff outings and retreats
• Full access to LinkedIn Learning, supporting self-directed/curated professional development