Senior Director Test Development

The GED test has opened doors to college/universities programs for more than 20 million graduates since 1942. The GED test is accepted by virtually all U.S. universities, and students from more than 90 countries utilize the GED program outside the U.S. each year to attend universities around the world. As the creator of the one official GED test, GED Testing Service has a responsibility to ensure that the program continues to be a reliable and valuable pathway to a better life for the millions of test takers looking to pursue jobs, career training and higher education credentials. GED Testing Service is a joint venture between the American Council on Education and Pearson. 

The Senior Director of Assessment Services is an important role that will be responsible for ensuring the quality of the GED Test – our flagship assessment – and our other assessment products that are used by several hundreds of thousands of learners in the U.S. and around the world each year. In this position you’ll have the opportunity to put your stamp on one of the world’s largest high-school-level testing programs and position it for the next decade. We are seeking an experienced assessment leader that cares about the impact our program has on adult learners, and cares about the quality of their team’s work environment.

This role sits within our GED Workforce Skills division, specifically in GED Testing Service, and will report to the Vice President of Global Operations & Government Relations. As the Senior Director, and leader of Assessment Services, you will:

• Lead the Assessment Services team which includes content specialists, project managers, editors, psychometricians, and consultants
• Create and execute plans, strategic priorities and the future direction of the GED Test—our flagship product—and for all assessment services products
• Monitor student performance, outcomes and make policy recommendations based on data
• Ensure that the GED Test, GED Ready and other assessment products maintain great performance, using solid psychometric and test development best practices
• Stay abreast of changes in the assessment industry and evaluate their potential impact to GED® assessment products, including the impact and potential of AI and GenAI
• Stay abreast of research studies related to assessment, and adult learners
• Be a credible voice with state customers and educators
• Review and approve policy decisions/language and revise where needed
• Review and assist in responding to Assessment Services portions of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and coordinate/review standards and content alignments for RFPs
• Assist in evaluating, researching, and responding to test security anomalies and incidents in collaboration with Pearson VUE security and GED operations and legal teams.
• Recruit, train, and manage Assessment Services team by planning, monitoring, and appraising job results.
• Build a healthy environment focused on individual learning and development, team development, and embraces diversity, equity and inclusion
• Ensure teams complete operational requirements and meet assessment product deadlines, including quality control and testing
• Manage short and long-term goals for the Assessment Services team including staffing needs and professional development opportunities
• Identify and manage new and existing business partnerships
• Provide direction to business partners and contractors in developing the GED® content
• In coordination with the VP, respond to public inquiries regarding GED® processes, items, and policies
• Support development of data and presentations for Tuesdays for Teachers, the GED Conference, and other sessions as professional development for educators
• Oversee continuous improvement efforts related to new products to and learning opportunities for GEDTS staff and GED students
• Coordinate and oversee special projects such as the Credly® Badge refresh, the Passing Standard Study, and National Student Clearing House studies and ACE Credit recommendations.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Education required: bachelor’s degree or higher
• Experience required: Ten or more years managing assessment programs, with expertise in assessment, data analysis and educational outcomes
• Experience with and understanding of test authoring tools and software
• 5+ years of management experience
• Strong understanding of psychometrics and measurement
• Strong communication, presentation, and public speaking skills—have the ability to communicate and explain complex topics to non-assessment professionals
• Knowledge or experience with computer adaptive testing (CAT)
• Knowledge of budget preparation and fiscal management
• Critical thinking and prob