Manager, Assessment Development

Position Summary:

The Assessment Development Manager is responsible for leading the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of assessment strategies across the institution. This role requires a strategic thinker with deep expertise in assessment design and evaluation who can collaborate with faculty, administration, and external stakeholders to ensure that assessment practices align with institutional outcomes, accreditation standards, and educational goals. The Manager will foster a culture of evidence-based decision-making that promotes academic quality and learner success.

Role and Responsibilities:

Assessment Development: 

• Lead the design and continuous improvement of assessment frameworks, tools, and methodologies across programs.
• Oversee the development of assessment plans, blueprints, and supporting documentation in collaboration with the Curriculum function.
• Guide the creation and review of diverse assessment items and tasks, ensuring alignment with learning outcomes and rigor expectations.
• Ensure assessments are developed with accessibility, inclusivity, and fairness in mind.

Strategic Leadership: 

• Develop and drive a strategic vision for assessment practices aligned with institutional priorities and competency-based education models.
• Provide leadership in the planning, prioritization, and execution of assessment initiatives across programs.
• Use assessment insights and data to inform decision-making at the program and institutional level.
• Establish standards and expectations for assessment quality, consistency, and rigor across the organization.
• Influence cross-functional stakeholders to ensure alignment between assessment, curriculum, and learner outcomes.

Collaboration and Communication: 

•  Partner closely with the Director, Learning Content and Assessment Development and other related functions on learning analytics and measurement-focused initiatives.
• Engage with faculty, program leaders, and other stakeholders to gather input and drive alignment on assessment design and outcomes.
• Communicate assessment strategies, insights, and recommendations clearly to academic and operational stakeholders.
• Oversee multiple assessment-related projects, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and timely execution.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement scalable and sustainable assessment solutions.

Assessment and Evaluation:

• Establish and oversee metrics and evaluation methods to assess learner performance, program effectiveness, and institutional outcomes.
• Ensure the integrity and quality of assessment data, including oversight of analysis, interpretation, and reporting processes.
• Apply advanced evaluation methods to support continuous improvement, including analysis of assessment performance and outcomes.
• Support standard-setting, benchmarking, and validation efforts to ensure assessments are meaningful and defensible.

Professional Development: 

• Identify and facilitate professional development opportunities focused on assessment design, item development, evaluation methods, and data literacy for faculty and internal teams.
• Provide guidance and coaching to stakeholders on effective assessment practices, including alignment to outcomes, rigor, and quality standards.
• Collaborate with the Director, Learning Content and Assessment Development, the Director, Academic Technology, the Director, Learning Design and Innovation, and the Director of EvolveU, to support the integration of assessment tools, platforms, and emerging technologies.
• Promote best practices in assessment through training, resources, and ongoing support to ensure consistency and quality across programs.

Assessment Evaluation: 

• Establish and oversee metrics and evaluation methods to assess learner performance, program effectiveness, and institutional outcomes.
• Ensure the integrity and quality of assessment data, including oversight of analysis, interpretation, and reporting processes.
• Apply advanced evaluation methods to support continuous improvement, including analysis of assessment performance and outcomes.
• Support standard-setting, benchmarking, and validation efforts to ensure assessments are meaningful and defensible. 

Assessment and Accreditation: 

• Partner with key stakeholders to define and implement evaluation frameworks, metrics, and methodologies that measure learner achievement and program effectiveness, using results to drive continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with cross-functional partners with accreditation expertise to develop, validate, and deliver data, reports, and supporting documentation for accreditation reviews and program evaluations.
• Support programmatic accreditation efforts, including alignment of assessment practices with CCNE and CNEA standards, ensuring clear evidence of learner outcomes and continuous quality improvement.
• Contribute to institutional accreditation processes, including NWCCU, by ensuring assessment systems, data integrity, and reporting practices meet required standards and expectations.
• Ensure assessment design, data collection, and reporting practices are audit-ready, well-documented, and aligned with regulatory and accreditation requirements.
• Provide analysis and insights that inform accreditation narratives, self-studies, and ongoing compliance efforts. 

Project Management:  

• Collaborate with the Project Manager, Manager of Learning Content, Manager, Learning Design and Innovation, to oversee multiple projects related to curriculum, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and timely execution.
• Provide timely reviews and documentation in alignment with assessment and course quality initiatives.
• Oversee multiple assessment-related projects, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and timely execution.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement scalable and sustainable assessment solutions.

Resource Management:  

• Manage resources related to assessment initiatives, ensuring effective allocation and utilization.
• Provide input into tools, technologies, and investments that support assessment and analytics capabilities.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of assessment tools and platforms, making recommendations for optimization or enhancement.
• Collaborate with leadership to prioritize resource allocation based on institutional goals and assessment needs.
• Support planning and forecasting for assessment-related initiatives, ensuring sustainability and scalability of efforts.

Qualifications and Education Requirements:

• Master’s degree in Education, Assessment, Measurement, Psychometrics, Instructional Design, or a related field, PhD preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in assessment development, evaluation, or a related area, preferably in higher education.
• Minimum 5 years leading teams, including mentoring and managing direct reports, and providing performance management.
• Demonstrated expertise in assessment design, item development, and evaluation practices.
• Experience working with data analysis, reporting, and continuous improvement processes.
• Strategic thinker with a commitment to academic quality and learner success.
• Strong problem-solving skills and adaptability in a dynamic educational environment.
• Passion for fostering an inclusive and evidence-based learning culture.