Director Certification

The Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) located in Falls Church VA is the nonprofit organization advancing the field of child life and fostering excellence in child life professionals through engagement in education scientific inquiry and innovation. ACLP is seeking a Director of Certification to oversee all aspects of the Child Life Certification Commission (CLCC) certification program a subsidiary of ACLP. This is a fulltime remote opportunity. ACLP offers a competitive benefits package including generous PTO. This is an excellent opportunity to implement positive change and make an impact at a small missiondriven organization.

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer the Director of Certification develops the certification program strategy in compliance with the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) to comply with accreditation standards and best practices in certification and credentialing. This position oversees all daytoday aspects of implementing strategic departmental goals activities and required reporting.

The Director of Certification is a strong leader with extensive knowledge of certification processes a passion for advancing professional standards and professional development and a commitment to excellence in child life practice. This position serves as a member of the senior staff leadership team and manages two direct reports.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Engage in ongoing professional development activities to stay abreast of best practices in certification and association management drawing from resources such as the Institute of Credentialing Excellence (I.C.E.) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
• Establish clear objectives and performance metrics to measure the effectiveness and impact of the CLCC certification program ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities.
• Monitor progress toward strategic goals and objectives regularly assessing outcomes and adjusting as needed to ensure continued alignment with the evolving needs of stakeholders and the broader child life profession.
• Oversee the daytoday operations of the certification program including application review examination administration and certification maintenance.
• Manage requests for special testing accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act ensuring equitable access to the certification process.
• Demonstrate exceptional cooperative and supportive leadership/management skills while working with staff subject matter experts the CLCC and ACLP boards and volunteers.
• Collaborate with the CLCC leadership and ACLP CEO to document all updates and revisions to policies procedures and certification manuals maintaining clear and accurate records of changes and rationale for future reference and transparency.
• Collaborate with the Marketing and Communications team to effectively communicate updates and changes to the certification program with internal staff certification candidates certified professionals and other stakeholders.
• Design comprehensive orientation materials coordinate training sessions for CLCC committee leaders and members and continuously assess and evaluate the effectiveness of orientation materials.
• Establish mechanisms for ongoing evaluation and quality improvement of the certification program including regular reviews and collaboration with certification candidates certified professionals and partner organizations to gather feedback address concerns and promote engagement with the certification program.
• Serve as the primary contact with the testing agency ensuring compliance with terms and conditions while managing all aspects of the development and administration of the certification exam.
• Supervise the collaborative development of examination content and item banks in partnership with the testing agency ensuring that all materials adhere to the established certification standards.
• Lead the process of conducting job analyses in collaboration with the testing agency to gather essential insights that inform the content and validity of the certification examination.
• Supervise the Certifications team overseeing activities related to managing inquiries conducting eligibility assessments and facilitating certification verification processes; provide regular feedback and performance evaluations supporting their professional development and growth.
• Develop and manage the certification program budget by conducting a thorough analysis and forecasting to project financial requirements accurately.
• Serve as staff liaison and provide support to assigned committees.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Commitment to diversity equity and inclusion in certification practices and program development
• Excellent communication skills both oral and written including with webbased applications and presentations
• Effective leadership skills
• Ability to successfully prioritize in highpressure situations to meet critical deadlines
• Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners and provide exceptional customer service
• Ability to travel up to 10%

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
• Minimum of five years of experience leading a certification program including program development administration and evaluation preferably in a healthcare setting
• Minimum of three years of supervisory experience
• Demonstrated experience in project management and success with crossdepartmental teams and external stakeholders
• Strong understanding of psychometric principles and best test development and scoring practices
• Proficient in Microsoft Word Excel and PowerPoint

Preferred EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Experience working in a nonprofit association
• I.C.E. Certified Credentialing Professional® (ICECCP®)

HOW TO APPLY

If you believe you meet the requirements please submit a resume cover letter and two writing samples to the Apply button below.

Additional inquiries and questions can be emailed to Beth Cessna at or contact.