Position Overview
This position provides oversight & leadership for ACVIM’s accredited (i.e., recognized) training programs, including Residency Training Programs (RTPs) and Fellowship programs. This position is responsible for advancing operational excellence, program integrity, and continuous improvement in alignment with defined strategy across all accreditation and training program functions.
To fulfill this responsibility, this person develops and manages the internal systems and processes that ensure programmatic compliance with defined requirements and standards. This includes working with volunteer subject matter experts, Program Directors, and internal staff to define, maintain and enforce requirements for ACVIM-recognized graduate medical education programs, and ensure that requirements and standards are clear, defensible, consistently applied and aligned with the evolving needs and landscape of specialty veterinary education.
Essential Functions
Accreditation Program Oversight
- Monitor compliance with accreditation requirements and proactively address potential areas of risk.
- Ensure accreditation policies, procedures, and documentation are clearly defined, maintained, and consistently applied across specialties.
- Oversee ACVIM Fellowship program administration, including application processes, renewals, standards implementation, committee coordination, and continuous program refinement.
- Oversee all operational aspects of Residency Training Program (RTP) approval and renewal cycles, ensuring timely execution, consistency in review processes, and adherence to established requirements and standards.
Training Program Quality & Compliance
- Identify trends, operational gaps, and opportunities for process improvement to enhance efficiency, clarity, and fairness.
- Create and maintain a formal training programs quality control plan, including standard operating procedures, documentation standards, review protocols, and escalation pathways.
- Establish and maintain training programs dashboards, tracking mechanisms, and reporting tools to support data-informed oversight.
- Develop and implement structured systems to assess, monitor, and enforce training programs program quality and compliance.
Competency-Based Education Implementation
- Lead operational implementation of ACVIM’s competency-based residency training framework across specialties.
- Translate Board -approved frameworks into sustainable workflows, policies, tools, and communication resources.
- Develop and execute a phased change management plan to support Program Directors, committees, and Diplomates in adopting competency-based requirements.
- Partner with volunteer leaders to ensure training standards remain relevant, defensible, and aligned with professional expectations.
Accreditation Systems & Technology
- Serve as system owner for accreditation technology, ensuring effective reviewer workflows, documentation integrity, and reporting functionality.
- Partner cross-functionally to ensure technology systems support operational and analytical needs.
Volunteer & Stakeholder Leadership
- Serve as co- staff liaison to accreditation-related committees and task forces, as applicable.
- Prepare reports and presentations for committees and the Board of Regents as requested.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with Program Directors, Diplomates, volunteer leaders, and external partners.
- Ensure clear, professional, and timely communication regarding accreditation requirements and standards, timelines, and decisions.
Staff Leadership & Department Operations
- Supervise and mentor the Senior Certification & Accreditation Specialist, establishing clear expectations, accountability measures, and professional development goals.
- Promote a collaborative, proactive, and solutions-focused team culture.
- Partner with Certification leadership to clarify responsibilities and workflows during the departmental separation process.
- Participate in continuous improvement efforts that strengthen overall departmental performance.
Governance & Risk Management
- Exercise sound judgment, discretion, and diplomacy in accreditation decisions and compliance matters.
- Assess operational risks and escalate concerns appropriately to the Senior Director.
- Maintain strict confidentiality and adherence to organizational policies and ethical standards.
Minimum Qualifications
Education and Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree or higher required.
- Minimum of 6 years progressively responsible experience in accreditation, graduate medical &/or veterinary education &/or professional training program administration
- Minimum of 3 years supervisory or management experience.
- Demonstrated experience working with volunteer committees &/or governance structures.
- Understanding of the practical implications of competency-based education, compliance systems, &/or training oversight strongly preferred.
- Experience leading complex operational programs or accreditation systems.
- Extensive experience with Microsoft Office Suite (MS-Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Outlook) and solid working knowledge of Adobe Acrobat Pro, association management and online community software; ability to learn new software applications with relative ease.
Skills/Knowledge:
- Exceptional interpersonal and written communication skills.
- Proficient in accreditation and compliance management
- Advanced expertise in program & policy development, interpretation & implementation
- Excellent project management skills
- Proficient in quality assurance and risk assessment
- Advanced expertise in change management and stakeholder engagement
- Proficient in data analysis and dashboard interpretation
- Understanding of volunteer management and facilitation with demonstrated experience leading volunteer committees
- Ability to identify & prioritize competing deadlines and cross-departmental goals
- Ability to guide individuals and foster cross-collaboration across teams to achieve organizational goals through clear direction, relationship-building, and effective decision-making
- Expertise in budget development management and financial oversight
Core Competencies:
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Ability to consistently model ACVIM's core values by demonstrating the following:
- Adaptability, continuous learning, and a growth mindset
- Reliability, accountability, and consistent follow-through
- Strong judgment, integrity, and the ability to build trust
- Collaborative working style with strong relationship-building skills
- Ability to empower others and work independently when needed
Other Job Details
Supervisory Responsibility
This position supervises the Senior Certification & Accreditation Specialist.
Position Type/Expected Hours of Work
Full-time remote position working 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday during general business hours with periodic schedule deviations to support business needs. Domestic travel may be required, including one week, annually, for the ACVIM Forum.
Physical Demands
- Ability to sit or remain stationary at a computer workstation for extended periods of time.
- Frequent use of hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other standard office equipment.
- Occasional lifting and moving boxes or equipment weighing up to 30 pounds.
