Smith, Bucklin & Associates

Director of Accreditation Services

Smith, Bucklin & Associates$150K — $175K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Experience managing professional credentialing programs and familiarity with accreditation standards.
  • Experience supporting leadership boards and translating strategies into operational execution.
  • Proficient financial management skills with a strong budgeting background.
  • Strong marketing skills particularly in promoting accreditation value and customer engagement.
  • Hands-on management experience, especially in operations, projects, and team coaching.

Responsibilities

  • Advise and guide accreditation leaders in strategic and operational planning.
  • Develop and manage accreditation services budget alongside executive leadership.
  • Collaborate with volunteers to oversee accreditation decisions and trends.
  • Lead the growth of accreditation programs and align operational strategies with organizational goals.
  • Foster strategic partnerships and represent I.C.E. at various governmental and accreditation discussions.
  • Manage and develop team members supporting accreditation services, emphasizing a collaborative approach.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work environment with specific in-office days.
  • Opportunity for travel approximately 3-5 meetings per year.
  • Potential for a discretionary bonus up to 5-10% of base pay.
Full Job Description
Description

This role will be working with Institute for Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.), a Smithbucklin client, and will provide the strategic and operational leadership and management expertise necessary to help I.C.E. grow and improve its accreditation programs for assessment-based certificate, certification, and other credentialing programs. The Director of Accreditation is responsible for representing I.C.E. in the standards community and in regulatory situations.

What You Will Do...

This person will report to I.C.E.'s Executive Director and work closely with I.C.E.'s accreditation programs and volunteer leaders to manage their strategic initiatives, policies, programs and services. The successful candidate will lead strategy, financial management and operations to drive growth of accreditation services and build a competitive advantage. Candidates must have experience with certification and accreditation programs.

  • Accreditation Services Management- Advise, guide and support the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and Assessment-Based Certificate Accreditation Council (ACAC) in defining their long-term strategy and goals and allocating resources including capital and people. Provide expertise and develop, present and recommend operational plans and improvements to accreditation components that enhance the delivery of services. Oversee standards revisions as necessary and recommend opportunities for additional standards development. Includes allocating resources, setting budgets, determining operational program activities, and establishing targets. Will require balancing between expansive strategic level thought and detail orientation of the application system and application processing (high priority for at least the first eighteen months in role).
  • Financial Management- Work with the I.C.E. Executive Director to develop accreditation services budget, analyze, interpret and forecast financials.
  • Volunteer Management- Work with high level volunteer leaders on the commission and council for processing accreditation decisions, monitoring accreditation trends, raising important risk management elements, conducting accreditation training for volunteers, and identifying future leaders.
  • Manage Accreditation Program Growth - Lead effort to grow accreditation programs. Support the I.C.E. Accreditation Services Council (ASC) in its efforts to oversee the development, implementation, marketing and evaluation of programs designed to grow I.C.E.'s accreditation services. Drive operational strategy to align growth with overall organization strategy and work with the internal marketing team to evaluate current marketing efforts and develop new ones. Represent the organization externally to other organizations such as conducting presentations and outreach on accreditation.
  • Develop Strategic Alliances- Identify and manage strategic partnerships and coordinate association efforts on accreditation issues. Build relationships with state and federal agencies and make presentations to government organizations and credentialing and accreditation organizations. Lead accreditation bodies in policy discussions.
  • Team Management- This position includes performance management and development of two team members who support accreditation services through application processing, technology troubleshooting, and customer service. A collaborative team approach is a requirement. The role will also assess the current team structure to identify opportunities to align staffing, capabilities, and workflows with potential future growth.


Qualifications include:

Professional Credentialing and Accreditation Experience
  • Involvement and or oversight of a professional credentialing program.
  • Familiarity with standards related to professional credentialing and accreditation.
  • Working in an accreditation and/or regulatory environment and with accreditation and/or regulatory processes and procedures a plus.
  • Previous experience with standards development, evaluation, and compliance

Strategic Leadership and Business Development Experience
  • Experience supporting boards or similar leadership committees, effectively translating strategy to operations.
  • Experience evaluating processes and systems and implementing improvements
  • Business development and negotiation skills.
  • Experience evaluating and translating data into program development and improvement.
  • Marketing experience, including promotion of the value of accreditation .
  • Exceptional focus on customer services.
  • Comfort with using and learning technology platforms and experience integrating new technologies.
  • Experience spotting and identifying important trends or dynamics that need to be addressed by the organization (such as AI or other technological changes).

Management experience
  • Hands-on general management experience, managing operations, programs and projects.
  • Coaching of internal teams.
  • Strong financial management & budgeting experience.
  • Knowing when to elevate issues including seeking legal counsel

Personal Skills
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate up, down and sideways.
  • A relationship builder and re-builder, with collaboration and influencing skills as well as confident decision-making skills that move the programs forward.
  • A team player both within the company and the client.
  • High emotional intelligence (approachability, composure, informing, integrity and trust, listening, politically savvy.)
  • Strong proficiency in time management and organizational skills.
  • Willing to travel. Approximately three to five meetings per year will require travel.


Smithbucklin is a hybrid work environment with in-office days established as Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Employees will work a standard 40-hour week, with the possibility of additional hours based on project deadlines.

The salary for this role will be based on the candidate's skills, qualifications, and relevant experience. Additionally, successful candidates may qualify for a discretionary bonus up to and including 5-10% of base pay. The expected pay for this role is: $150,000-$175,000.

About Smith, Bucklin & Associates

Smith, Bucklin & Associates is a leading association management company that provides a range of services to trade associations, professional societies, and other non-profit organizations. The company's services include strategic planning, membership development, event management, marketing and communications, and financial management. Smith, Bucklin & Associates is committed to helping its clients achieve their goals and improve their operations. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and has offices in Washington, D.C., and St. Louis, Missouri.
Learn more about Smith, Bucklin & Associates
Size
750 employees
Industry
Founded
1949

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