The Senior Accreditation Specialist is regarded as the content expert in specialized/programmatic accreditations. This role is responsible for providing training and mentorship to other accreditation team members and managing complex accreditation projects, such as new accreditation pursuits, under the guidance of the supervisor of specialized accreditation. The senior specialist works collaboratively with cross-functional project teams to produce high-quality, on-time accreditation deliverables (including, but not limited to, accreditation applications, self-studies, and site visits, as well as annual, interim, and substantive change reporting).
This role reports to the Supervisor, Specialized Accreditation and works closely with Academic Quality and Effectiveness (AQE) team members, faculty and academic leadership, and functional experts.
This is a hybrid or remote position depending on your location to our headquarters in Minneapolis, MN. If hybrid you will be required to be onsite two days per week, and additional days as needed. Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
Project Management and Communication
Collaborate with academic owners, institutional leadership, and other accreditation staff to develop and execute project plans for written deliverables and data reports across the accreditation life cycle, including applications, self-studies, appendices/evidence, addenda, and annual/interim/substantive change reports.
Enable transparency of activities and results by leading accreditation meetings, maintaining relevant documentation, and consistently communicating status updates, including risk assessment results.
Actively manage relationships with external agencies as primary contacts via timely and appropriate communications, conference attendance, service to the profession, and engagement.
Manage communications and execute logistics for work sessions and site visits to successfully host external evaluators, academic owners/faculty, and internal participants and stakeholders. Such logistics include preparing meeting agendas, booking travel, lodging, and meals, scheduling meeting rooms, coordinating IT access, and providing orientation training.
Content Management and Analysis
Act as accreditation subject matter expert (SME) on assigned accreditation projects and a central expert on the accreditor/agency/board, its expectations and process, and the program's fulfillment of the accreditor's expectations.
Research and understand external rules, policies, and standards to maintain the breadth and depth of accreditation knowledge and content expertise.
Identify and compile supporting resources and documentation to facilitate internal work sessions or reviews by an external review team.
Assist the academic owners and SMEs with ongoing audits and updates of academic programs' alignment with the current accreditation standards.
Conduct critical reading of accreditation deliverable content, interpret data, and advise accreditation specialists, academic SMEs, and leaders on content and/or program needs to best respond to external requirements for self-studies and reporting.
Provide advanced writing and proofreading support across accreditation portfolios for candidate/accredited programs during pursuit and maintenance.
Mentorship and Consultation
Collaborate with the supervisor on onboarding new team members.
Assist the supervisor with the development and improvement of processes, tools, and training resources.
Provide training and consultation services on external rules and standards to accreditation specialists, academic leaders, and SMEs to facilitate accreditation knowledge transfer.
Act as a consultant to the department and institutional leadership during all phases of accreditation, approval, and recognition initiatives from initial readiness through maintenance and re-accreditation.
Job Skills:
Demonstrated ability to conceptualize, plan, manage, prioritize, and complete complex concurrent projects.
Strong critical thinking and analysis skills.
Ability to understand and synthesize complex external policies, accreditation policies and standards, etc.
Advanced writing and proofreading skills.
Ability to perform basic data analysis, interpret results, and summarize data in tables, figures, and text.
Strong presentation skills.
Strong accuracy and attention to detail.
Ability to effectively communicate, both up and down the organizational hierarchy.
Ability to effectively respond to stressful or ambiguous situations.
Advanced MS Office skills, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, with the ability to create and format professional documents, tables, and spreadsheets.
Work Experience:
Background in one or more of the following: curriculum, higher education policy, accreditation, and legal/regulatory compliance.
Preferred 3+ years of experience with developing and assembling complex accreditation deliverables (e.g., self-studies, written documents, and supporting materials for submission to authorizing agencies, etc)
Education:
Master's degree from an accredited institution required.
Other:
Must be able to travel up to 10% of the time.
Must be able to lift 25 lbs.
Typical office setting.
Mobility within the office including movement from floor to floor.
Travel via plane, car, and metro may be required to perform this job.
Must be able to work more than 40 hours per week when business needs warrant.
Access information using a computer.
Effectively communicate, both up and down the management chain.
Effectively cope with stressful situations.
Strong mental acuity.
Regular, dependable attendance and punctuality are essential functions of this job.
Other essential functions and marginal job functions are subject to modification.
If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete our application process, please contact our Human Resources Department at .
