Smithbucklin

Director of Accreditation Services

Posted 9 Days Ago

Be an Early Applicant

2 Locations

In-Office

150K-175K Annually

Senior level

Other

The Role

Lead strategic and operational management of I.C.E. accreditation programs, oversee standards and application processing, manage budgets and volunteers, grow services and partnerships, develop marketing and policy outreach, supervise a small team, and represent the organization externally. Requires balancing strategic planning with hands-on operations and occasional travel (3–5 meetings/year).

Summary Generated by Built In

Smithbucklin, a 650-person, employee-owned professional services company with more than 70 years of success serving the association market, is looking for a Director of Accreditation Services for our Washington DC office.

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.

At Smithbucklin, we embody a culture driven by optimism, ambition, expertise, and thoughtfulness, where every team member is empowered to exceed expectations and deliver exceptional results for our clients. Join us in shaping the future of association management, where our values serve as the cornerstone of our success.

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.

Where Do You Fit?

Whether you are just beginning your career or are a mid- or senior-level professional, working at Smithbucklin will offer you countless opportunities to develop transferrable skills, acquire meaningful knowledge and gain rich experiences at an accelerated pace. By working collaboratively with smart, ambitious, multi-talented, genuine and hardworking colleagues, you will build meaningful, deep and enduring relationships that will serve you well throughout your career, regardless of your chosen path. In addition, as a 100 percent employee-owned company, Smithbucklin offers all of our people – regardless of position or compensation – an equal chance to experience the fulfillment and reap the benefits of ownership. As owners, our employees control the destiny of Smithbucklin and are unified in the goal of building a great, enduring company.

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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.

Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment. You must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.

Skills Required

Involvement or oversight of a professional credentialing program.
Familiarity with standards related to professional credentialing and accreditation.
Experience with accreditation and/or regulatory processes and procedures.
Experience with standards development, evaluation, and compliance.
Experience supporting boards or leadership committees and translating strategy to operations.
Experience evaluating processes and systems and implementing improvements.
Business development and negotiation skills.
Ability to evaluate and translate data into program development and improvement.
Marketing experience, including promoting the value of accreditation.
Exceptional focus on customer service.
Comfort with using and integrating new technology platforms.
Ability to spot and identify important trends or dynamics (e.g., AI, technology changes).
Hands-on general management experience managing operations, programs, and projects.
Experience coaching and developing internal teams.
Strong financial management and budgeting experience.
Judgment to escalate issues and seek legal counsel when appropriate.
Strong written and verbal communication and influencing skills.
Relationship-building, collaboration, and confident decision-making skills.
High emotional intelligence (approachability, composure, integrity, listening, political savvy).
Strong time management and organizational skills.
Willingness to travel approximately three to five meetings per year.
Authorization to work in the United States permanently (employer will not sponsor visas).