Director of assessment operations

The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing a competent, ethical, and diverse legal profession. We develop and deliver high-quality assessment products, services, and research that support state courts and licensing authorities in evaluating the readiness of aspiring lawyers.

NCBE is committed to fostering a collaborative, mission-driven environment with competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, flexible scheduling, and professional development opportunities. NCBE’s headquarters is based in Madison, Wisconsin, a dynamic community with exceptional amenities.

The Director of Assessment Operations leads the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of the operating model that supports NCBE’s assessment programs, with particular responsibility for the modernization and digitization of the Uniform Bar Exam. Reporting to the Chief Product Officer, the Director translates assessment strategy into scalable, reliable production capabilities spanning assessment content operations, constructed-response grading, and the transition from fixed, event-based exam administrations toward more flexible delivery models.

The Director establishes the processes, capacity plans, performance measures, governance, and cross-functional coordination necessary to produce high-quality assessment materials and deliver timely, consistent scoring at increasing scale. Working closely with leaders in Psychometrics, Test Development, Product, User Experience, Product Engineering, and other operational functions, the Director ensures that current administrations are executed effectively while building the infrastructure and production-grade processes required for NCBE’s future operating model. The role is accountable for operational execution and process integrity; subject-matter, measurement, technology, and product decisions remain with the respective functional leaders. The Director also serves as a key operational partner to NCBE’s external exam delivery and technology providers, ensuring shared plans, clear responsibilities, measurable service commitments, and coordinated execution.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leads the development and implementation of NCBE’s assessment operating model, ensuring reliable current operations and alignment with long-term modernization priorities.
• Designs and manages scalable assessment content production workflows, including capacity planning, schedules, resource allocation, production controls, and timely delivery.
• Partners with Test Development, Psychometrics, Product Engineering, and Product to modernize content pipelines through streamlined workflows, automation, and responsible AI-assisted processes.
• Leads operational planning and coordination for constructed-response grading, including grader capacity, recruitment logistics, training schedules, assignments, and workflow management.
• Works with Psychometrics and Test Development to implement standardized grading operations, calibration support, quality monitoring, and processes that scale while maintaining scoring consistency.
• Builds the operating capabilities required to support more frequent, flexible, and potentially window-based exam administrations, including evolving test-center and delivery models.
• Establishes and oversees operational readiness frameworks, implementation plans, contingency procedures, and reviews across jurisdictions, venues, and delivery environments.
• Partners closely with Internet Testing Systems (ITS), Pearson VUE, and other strategic providers on operational planning, implementation, readiness, service delivery, and continuous improvement.
• Defines shared responsibilities, service expectations, performance measures, escalation paths, and governance processes for vendor-dependent operations.
• Collaborates with leaders across Psychometrics, Test Development, Product, User Experience, Product Engineering, and other functions to coordinate priorities, dependencies, and execution.
• Identifies and implements the systems, tools, documentation, standard operating procedures, and supporting infrastructure needed for a sustainable, production-grade operation.
• Establishes operational metrics and reporting to monitor throughput, quality, turnaround times, capacity, costs, partner performance, and opportunities for improvement.
• Identifies operational risks and leads mitigation planning, issue escalation, contingency preparation, and business continuity efforts to protect exam integrity and service reliability.
• Develops and manages operational budgets, staffing models, resource plans, and capacity forecasts to support current commitments and future growth.
• Leads organizational change and operational improvement initiatives; builds and manages staff and external resources as the assessment operations function evolves.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in business, operations, education, assessment, or a related field preferred.
• At least 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience leading complex operations, production systems, program delivery, or large-scale service functions, including people and cross-functional leadership.
• Demonstrated success building scalable operating processes, managing high-volume workflows, improving quality and throughput, and implementing performance measures and controls.
• Experience in educational assessment, licensure/certification, regulated operations, or another high-stakes, quality-sensitive environment strongly preferred.
• Ability to partner effectively with psychometric, content, engineering, product, and operational specialists without substituting for their technical expertise.
• Demonstrated experience managing strategic technology or service-provider relationships, including shared operational planning, vendor performance, service levels, escalation, and cross-organizational delivery accountability.
• Excellent judgment, communication, organizational, and analytical skills; ability to manage competing deadlines and lead through ambiguity.
• Familiarity with workflow automation, production analytics, and responsible applications of AI to operational processes desirable.

The Director of Assessment Operations may work remotely. NCBE will consider applicants from the following states: FL, IA, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OK, PA, WA, and WI.

This position may include up to 10% travel.

Mission

NCBE promotes fairness, integrity, and best practices in admission to the legal profession for the benefit and protection of the public. We serve admission authorities, courts, the legal education community, and candidates by providing high-quality assessment products, services, and research; character investigations; and informational and educational resources and programs.

EEO Statement

NCBE is proud to be an equal employment opportunity organization. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees regardless of their race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, military service, protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

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