Associate, Standards

Job Summary and Mission:

The Standards and Assessment Team at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is responsible for ensuring Board certification is administratively feasible, professionally credible, publicly acceptable, legally defensible and economically affordable and for enabling growth of certification in schools and equity in certification rates.

The Associate of Standards should be committed to fairness, diversity, equity and contribute to an inclusive working and learning environment at the National Board.  Vital to the smooth operations of the Standards Team, the associate is responsible for managing and distributing project tasks and information within the team, across the organization, and with the committees and stakeholders the team interacts with on a regular basis. This position requires an individual who is skilled in decision-making, communications and collaboration, organizing and prioritizing for oneself as well as for others, troubleshooting, record-keeping, and writing. This position also has duties specific to planning and implementing events (virtual and in person), preparing correspondence and documents, and serving as the point of contact for the consultants the team hires. The associate will join organizational standing or ad hoc committees as needed.

Summary of Key Responsibilities:

Team Organization, Project Planning, and Information Flow 

• Create and maintain team project plans and steer standards team toward successfully meeting current and future deadlines by providing status updates, organizing weekly team meetings, distributing and monitoring action items, identifying opportunities to streamline, and anticipating obstacles.
• Communicate information among teams, individuals at all levels of the organization, and external stakeholders on a regular basis to nurture collaboration and ensure project timelines are met.
• Prepare and edit communications (such as memos, emails, and other correspondence) and documents (such as meeting materials, instructions, invoices, and contracts) that are tailored to their intended audience and purpose.
• Create and maintain records of all proceedings, standards development archives, validity evidence, and standard operating procedures.

Consultant Management

• Serve as main point of contact for standards consultants and committee members, maintaining two-way communication by providing accurate and timely information, anticipating their needs, and responding promptly to their inquiries.
• Run subject matter expert recruitment periods, including announcements, application processing, responding to applicant inquiries, technical troubleshooting as needed, response aggregation and analysis, organization of internal review, and communication of results to applicants and relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain a well-organized and complex database of standards consultant information that is linked to the National Board Champions database.
• Process contracts and invoices for all consultants.

Standards Development and Team Initiatives

• Incorporate the perspectives of multiple communities, including marginalized communities, in the consideration of impacts and outcomes of all decision-making processes.
• Manage standards revision public comment periods, including announcements, survey creation, survey maintenance and technical troubleshooting, preparing survey reports and presenting results, and maintaining official records of how standards committees respond to public comment.
• Support committees and individual members in whole group, small group, and one-to-one settings by managing file exchanges and version control, providing research and resources as needed, and advising the committee’s members, chairs, and staff leaders.
• Coordinate with National Board teams for external standards outreach and announcements, stakeholder convenings, and publications.
• Conduct research and provide documentation or recommendations for standards processes, related fundraising or development efforts, or other standards or organizational initiatives.
• Proofread, copy edit, and revise National Board published material and resources in various platforms and file formats.

Meeting and Event Planning, Setup, and Implementation

• Manage all logistics and participant assistance for internal team and external stakeholder meetings, including scheduling;  providing agenda and materials; securing physical and/or virtual meeting space; arranging food, travel, and lodging as needed; setup of meeting space; and ongoing monitoring and adjustments as needed during meetings.
• For virtual meetings, serve as point person for platform management (e.g., breakout room management) and assist participants with technical issues.
• Maintain and prepare internal meeting notes as well as official Certification Council and committee materials and minutes.
• Record and track completion of action items that are assigned during meetings.

Summary of Experience:

• Experience managing project plans, events, consultants, and/or processes is required.
•  A postsecondary degree or vocational certificate is required. A combination of knowledge, skills, and record of accomplishment may be substituted for this education requirement.
• Previous experience within the field of education and/or National Board Certification is preferred.

Required Competencies:

• Ability to contribute positively to the collaboration and inclusivity of groups throughout exploratory and decision-making discussions.
• Knowledge of and demonstrated skills in multiple approaches to keeping  yourself, others, and complex project plans organized.
• Ability to plan for the immediate, short, and long terms and to determine which tasks are the most important at a given time.
• Demonstrated initiative and self-motivation by actively engaging in collaborative efforts to move the work forward, i.e., asking questions, seeking solutions, offering suggestions.
• Demonstrated skill in written and verbal communication, including ability to adapt style to suit the purpose, audience’s preferences and background knowledge, and the occasion.
• Demonstrated skill in finding work-around solutions, making decisions, resolving conflicting priorities, and developing strategies for completing tasks and projects.
• Skill as a strategic planner with attention to detail and the ability to plan events, operations, and processes by considering multiple angles and perspectives.
• Facility with using, learning how to use, and assisting others in using technology and platforms such as Zoom, MS Office, Google Drive, SmartSheet, SurveyMonkey, and Slack.

National Board Core Competencies:

• Business acumen
• Critical and analytical thinking
• Builds collaborative relationships
• Develops continuously
• Results Focus

Job Scope:

• Reports to Director of Standards and regularly works with Vice President, Standards and Assessment
• External contacts
• Oversees Certification Council budget
• Performs other duties as required to meet the ongoing needs of the organization

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

• Continuous standing, walking and sitting throughout the day.
• Travel may be required, including some out of state.
• Evening and weekend work may be required.
• Some light lifting of up to 25 pounds may be required.
• Continuous typing and viewing of a computer screen may be required.

Position Type and expected hours of work:

• Full Time

Location:

• The National Board’s office is located in Arlington, VA; however, National Board staff are currently working remotely due to COVID-19.

Deadline to apply:  Friday, August 13, 2021

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AAP/EEO Statement:

The National Board provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

 

NOTE:  This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive.  Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or others may be assigned at any time with or without notice to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.