Director of Assessment Development
Director of Assessment DevelopmentNew Meridian Corporation, headquartered in Austin, TX, seeks outstanding candidates for a Director of Assessment Development role.
Reporting to the VP of Assessment Design and Development, the Director of Assessment Development will manage New Meridian's custom content development initiatives with the goal of expanding the reach and impact of our assessment solutions.
WHO WE ARENew Meridian is a non-profit, assessment design and development organization.
We provide states with technical expertise and the highest quality, research-validated test content that is uniquely focused on critical thinking, reasoning, and communication skills - the capabilities students will need to thrive in the future.
Our mission is to advance the quality of public education for all studentsby designing assessments that focus on the skills that matter.
Founded with the goal of enabling all states to be able to afford high quality assessments, New Meridian has created new assessment models and products to achieve that goal and continues to innovate to enable states to develop 21 st century assessment systems that provide timely and actionable data that can drive improvements in the instructional core.
Our team is marked by our willingness to go the extra mile for our customers, our operational excellence, our deep expertise in assessments, and our enjoyment of and ability to solve complex problems.
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
Candidates interested in this position should have an extensive background in developing educational assessments, managing asset development, managing content teams and relationships with vendors and customers, and developing processes to effectively manage workflow.
The ideal candidate for this exciting, dynamic role enjoys working collaboratively with high-performance teams to solve challenging assessment design and development problems, and they have diverse experience supporting all phases of the assessment content development process (e.
g.
, crafting test designs based on client requirements, developing asset development plans, managing item writing and review processes, committee facilitation, forms construction and/or review, understanding of complexities around passage permissions, budgeting for assessment contracts and committee meetings etc.
).
An ideal candidate possesses the following traits:
An ability to get things done :
You are results-driven, resourceful, action oriented, and persistent.
You are a master organizer and project planner who consistently looks ahead and anticipates needs before they arise.
Creative mindset :
You can quickly adapt and develop creative solutions to assessment and content development challenges.
You deeply understand assessment design, content development, and test construction processes and can synthesize information to recommend a plan of action.
Emotional intelligence :
You are highly self-aware and perceptive to the dynamics of key relationships.
You are positive, empathetic, flexible, and curious.
You naturally gain the respect of your colleagues through your authenticity, warmth, and competence.
Trustworthy :
You are highly ethical, principled, and mission driven, garnering the trust of colleagues and vendors.
Strong business acumen:
You have a proven record of successfully managing projects independently, excellent communication skills, and a sound sense of judgment and sensibility for working closely with clients and teams.
EXPECTED DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESSupports the VP of Assessment Design and Development in building out the corporate capacity for New Meridian to become an industry leader in custom assessment development.
Assessment Design & Development:
Leads and/or supports the development of corporate capabilities for custom asset development including determining the requirements for assessment processes, tools, training, and staffing.
Leads and supervises assessment design activities including the development of test designs, assessment blueprints, passage and item development processes, and test form construction processes.
Oversees and approves Asset Development Plans for each contract.
Serves as point of escalation for test development issues raised by contract-dedicated Program Managers and Test Development Managers.
Manages overall relationships with assessment subcontractors, including negotiating scope of work, budgets, and service level agreements.
Supervises Test Development Managers responsible for day-to-day operational delivery of content and test development contracts.
Leads and supervises design, planning, and delivery of test development meetings, including content review meetings, bias and fairness review meetings, and other development or management meetings.
As New Meridian continues to expand its contracts, recruits, hires, trains, and manages a team of assessment development professionals e.
g.
, test development managers, content leads, editor(s), permission specialist(s), item bank manager(s), and project manager(s) in all phases of the asset development process.
Management and Leadership:
Directs assigned projects, including the preparation of planning tools, monitoring expenses, delegating work, monitoring and reviewing work delegated, negotiating deadlines, and coordinating work schedules and progress toward goalsPartners with Program Management to ensure quality on-time contractual deliverables.
Promotes a team culture focused on quality, transparency, integrity, and responsiveness.
Works collaboratively with internal teams and vendors and follows established protocolsDriven and able to follow requirements in scope of work to fulfill tasks accurately and on timePossesses strong oral and written communication skills.
Approves and supervises the development and management of plans, schedules, activities, and deliverables to ensure on-time delivery of assessment products.
Provides mentoring and training support to other team members.
Provides formal and informal leadership within the team to develop and refine best practices and process improvements.
REQUIREMENTS AND
Experience:
Bachelor's degree in education, business, educational leadership or related field10
years' experience in the educational testing industry including supporting or managing the comprehensive asset development processExperience with building and developing teams, implementing standard processes, and supporting quality control proceduresExcellent written, verbal, and presentation skillsStrong analytical thinking and structured problem-solving skillsAbility to organize, prioritize, and effectively handle multiple projects simultaneouslyStrong desire to take initiative and ability to work independently as well as within teamsPreferred location for this position is Austin, TX.
Telecommuting will be considered for candidates with proven experience working remotely.
Travel to meetings and conferences as neededThis job is a fully remote work opportunity, and we consider candidates from all states in addition to the following states:
#Circa:
Austin, TX; Albany, NY; Trenton, NJ; Baton Rouge, LA; Harrisburg, PA; Helena, MT; Sacramento, CA; Santa Fe, NM; Springfield, IL; Washington, DC.
New Meridian Corporation is an equal opportunity employer and encourages individuals of all backgrounds and identities to apply.
We are excited to receive applications from persons in occupations or positions where they are under-represented, particularly from individuals connected to underserved communities.
We feel we are strengthened by diverse perspectives.
Recommended Skills Analytical Assessments Blueprinting Business Process Improvement Coaching And Mentoring Commercial Awareness Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
Reporting to the VP of Assessment Design and Development, the Director of Assessment Development will manage New Meridian's custom content development initiatives with the goal of expanding the reach and impact of our assessment solutions.
WHO WE ARENew Meridian is a non-profit, assessment design and development organization.
We provide states with technical expertise and the highest quality, research-validated test content that is uniquely focused on critical thinking, reasoning, and communication skills - the capabilities students will need to thrive in the future.
Our mission is to advance the quality of public education for all studentsby designing assessments that focus on the skills that matter.
Founded with the goal of enabling all states to be able to afford high quality assessments, New Meridian has created new assessment models and products to achieve that goal and continues to innovate to enable states to develop 21 st century assessment systems that provide timely and actionable data that can drive improvements in the instructional core.
Our team is marked by our willingness to go the extra mile for our customers, our operational excellence, our deep expertise in assessments, and our enjoyment of and ability to solve complex problems.
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR:
Candidates interested in this position should have an extensive background in developing educational assessments, managing asset development, managing content teams and relationships with vendors and customers, and developing processes to effectively manage workflow.
The ideal candidate for this exciting, dynamic role enjoys working collaboratively with high-performance teams to solve challenging assessment design and development problems, and they have diverse experience supporting all phases of the assessment content development process (e.
g.
, crafting test designs based on client requirements, developing asset development plans, managing item writing and review processes, committee facilitation, forms construction and/or review, understanding of complexities around passage permissions, budgeting for assessment contracts and committee meetings etc.
).
An ideal candidate possesses the following traits:
An ability to get things done :
You are results-driven, resourceful, action oriented, and persistent.
You are a master organizer and project planner who consistently looks ahead and anticipates needs before they arise.
Creative mindset :
You can quickly adapt and develop creative solutions to assessment and content development challenges.
You deeply understand assessment design, content development, and test construction processes and can synthesize information to recommend a plan of action.
Emotional intelligence :
You are highly self-aware and perceptive to the dynamics of key relationships.
You are positive, empathetic, flexible, and curious.
You naturally gain the respect of your colleagues through your authenticity, warmth, and competence.
Trustworthy :
You are highly ethical, principled, and mission driven, garnering the trust of colleagues and vendors.
Strong business acumen:
You have a proven record of successfully managing projects independently, excellent communication skills, and a sound sense of judgment and sensibility for working closely with clients and teams.
EXPECTED DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIESSupports the VP of Assessment Design and Development in building out the corporate capacity for New Meridian to become an industry leader in custom assessment development.
Assessment Design & Development:
Leads and/or supports the development of corporate capabilities for custom asset development including determining the requirements for assessment processes, tools, training, and staffing.
Leads and supervises assessment design activities including the development of test designs, assessment blueprints, passage and item development processes, and test form construction processes.
Oversees and approves Asset Development Plans for each contract.
Serves as point of escalation for test development issues raised by contract-dedicated Program Managers and Test Development Managers.
Manages overall relationships with assessment subcontractors, including negotiating scope of work, budgets, and service level agreements.
Supervises Test Development Managers responsible for day-to-day operational delivery of content and test development contracts.
Leads and supervises design, planning, and delivery of test development meetings, including content review meetings, bias and fairness review meetings, and other development or management meetings.
As New Meridian continues to expand its contracts, recruits, hires, trains, and manages a team of assessment development professionals e.
g.
, test development managers, content leads, editor(s), permission specialist(s), item bank manager(s), and project manager(s) in all phases of the asset development process.
Management and Leadership:
Directs assigned projects, including the preparation of planning tools, monitoring expenses, delegating work, monitoring and reviewing work delegated, negotiating deadlines, and coordinating work schedules and progress toward goalsPartners with Program Management to ensure quality on-time contractual deliverables.
Promotes a team culture focused on quality, transparency, integrity, and responsiveness.
Works collaboratively with internal teams and vendors and follows established protocolsDriven and able to follow requirements in scope of work to fulfill tasks accurately and on timePossesses strong oral and written communication skills.
Approves and supervises the development and management of plans, schedules, activities, and deliverables to ensure on-time delivery of assessment products.
Provides mentoring and training support to other team members.
Provides formal and informal leadership within the team to develop and refine best practices and process improvements.
REQUIREMENTS AND
Experience:
Bachelor's degree in education, business, educational leadership or related field10
years' experience in the educational testing industry including supporting or managing the comprehensive asset development processExperience with building and developing teams, implementing standard processes, and supporting quality control proceduresExcellent written, verbal, and presentation skillsStrong analytical thinking and structured problem-solving skillsAbility to organize, prioritize, and effectively handle multiple projects simultaneouslyStrong desire to take initiative and ability to work independently as well as within teamsPreferred location for this position is Austin, TX.
Telecommuting will be considered for candidates with proven experience working remotely.
Travel to meetings and conferences as neededThis job is a fully remote work opportunity, and we consider candidates from all states in addition to the following states:
#Circa:
Austin, TX; Albany, NY; Trenton, NJ; Baton Rouge, LA; Harrisburg, PA; Helena, MT; Sacramento, CA; Santa Fe, NM; Springfield, IL; Washington, DC.
New Meridian Corporation is an equal opportunity employer and encourages individuals of all backgrounds and identities to apply.
We are excited to receive applications from persons in occupations or positions where they are under-represented, particularly from individuals connected to underserved communities.
We feel we are strengthened by diverse perspectives.
Recommended Skills Analytical Assessments Blueprinting Business Process Improvement Coaching And Mentoring Commercial Awareness Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
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