Certification Standards Team Lead

Department: Office of Medical Affairs (OMA)

Reports To: OMA & CBME Director

Location: Dallas, Texas – ABOG National Center for Certification and Continuing Education (Uptown); Hybrid Work environment with expectation for 60% in office

Travel: Meeting Travel Required (up to 10%) as needed.

FLSA Status: Exempt

Summary: The Certification Standards Team Lead serves as a first-line people leader and senior functional expert for certification standards within the Office of Medical Affairs (OMA), providing people leadership, functional direction, process ownership, and quality assurance across eligibility, credentialing, program tracking, and reporting operations.

Operating with substantial autonomy, the Team Lead formulates, interprets, and implements policies and operating practices; advises the Director and OMA leadership on certification standards, operational risk, and process design; and provides day-to-day leadership of assigned Certification Standards staff.

The role directly supervises assigned staff and provides work direction, technical guidance, coaching, performance management, and professional development while establishing quality and performance expectations and ensuring consistent, accurate, and defensible application of ABOG certification requirements.

The Team Lead has formal people-management accountability for assigned staff, including performance evaluations, coaching and development, corrective action, workload prioritization, hiring recommendations, and other personnel-related responsibilities within delegated authority and organizational policies.

The ideal candidate brings seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible experience in certification, credentialing, GME, accreditation, or a comparable regulated environment, including demonstrated leadership experience, and demonstrates advanced analytical capability, sound professional judgment, and the ability to lead people, processes, and complex initiatives in a fast-paced, mission-driven organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

People & Team Leadership

• Directly supervise assigned Certification Standards staff and provide day-to-day people leadership, work direction, coaching, development, and performance accountability.
• Plan, prioritize, assign, and monitor team workload to support certification requirements, service expectations, deadlines, and departmental priorities.
• Establish clear performance expectations and provide ongoing feedback, coaching, and professional development to assigned staff.
• Conduct performance evaluations and address performance or conduct concerns, including corrective action, in collaboration with Human Resources, as appropriate.
• Participate in recruiting, interviewing, hiring recommendations, onboarding, advancement, and other personnel-related decisions within delegated authority.
• Develop team capability through training, mentorship, calibration, cross-training, and knowledge-transfer activities.
• Promote accountability, collaboration, consistency, professional development, and continuous improvement across the Certification Standards function.

Functional Leadership & Process Ownership

• Own and lead the certification standards function, including eligibility review, credentialing determinations, program tracking, and reporting, with end-to-end accountability for accuracy, integrity, and timeliness.
• Exercise discretion and independent judgment in evaluating and resolving complex or ambiguous certification matters within delegated authority; analyze precedent-setting or higher-risk matters and provide recommendations to the Director regarding cases requiring leadership determination.
• Formulate, interpret, and implement policies, standards, and standard operating procedures; recommend and, upon approval, enact changes that shape how the function operates.
• Serve as the escalation point for assigned Certification Standards staff, resolving novel situations and policy ambiguities and setting the interpretive standard for the team.
• Establish functional priorities, quality expectations, service standards, and internal controls and monitor team performance against established requirements.

Policy Interpretation & Advisory

• Act as the subject-matter authority on ABOG certification standards, providing consultation and expert advice to OMA leadership and cross-functional partners.
• Analyze regulatory and accreditation developments (e.g., ABMS, ACGME) and advise leadership on implications, required policy updates, and implementation approach.
• Draft and steward FAQs, SOPs, decision frameworks, and instructional materials that codify sound, consistent practice across the function.
• Translate policy, certification-standard, accreditation, and regulatory changes into operational requirements, staff guidance, training, workflows, and implementation plans.

Program Tracking, Data Analysis & Reporting

• Design and produce advanced analyses, dashboards, and trend reporting; identify systemic risks, anomalies, and opportunities and translate findings into recommendations for leadership.
• Ensure data integrity and audit readiness across all certification records and reporting deadlines, establishing controls and quality checks for the team.
• Prepare executive-ready summaries and briefings for the Director, OMA leadership, and internal stakeholders.
• Monitor functional performance, workload, quality indicators, and emerging operational or compliance risks and implement or recommend appropriate corrective actions.

Stakeholder Engagement & Representation

• Represent OMA in interactions with program directors, trainees, specialty societies, and accredited programs; handle sensitive and complex communications and resolve matters of significance on behalf of management within delegated authority.
• Lead liaison activities with professional organizations and ACGME-accredited programs, negotiating and coordinating on standards-related matters within delegated authority.
• Represent the Certification Standards function in cross-functional meetings and initiatives and communicate operational priorities, risks, decisions, and requirements to appropriate internal and external stakeholders. 

Process Improvement & Project Leadership

• Lead process redesign and improvement initiatives as the functional expert; evaluate alternative approaches, select solutions, and drive implementation with measurable impact.
• Plan and manage short- and long-term functional objectives, aligning resources and priorities with OMA and CBME strategy.
• Document workflows and institutionalize changes to ensure continuity, scalability, and knowledge transfer.
• Lead implementation and change-management activities associated with new standards, systems, workflows, and operational requirements and ensure appropriate staff readiness and adoption.

Staff Development & Functional Capability

• Provide advanced technical guidance and subject-matter expertise to assigned staff; review complex work product, calibrate decision-making, establish quality expectations, and ensure consistent interpretation and application of certification standards.
• Develop and lead training, onboarding, and calibration sessions for staff, new program directors, and program personnel.
• Identify staff skill and knowledge gaps and develop appropriate training, cross-training, coaching, and development strategies.
• Perform other duties as needed to advance organizational goals.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Demonstrable Proficiency: Candidates may be required to demonstrate proficiency in essential skills during the interview process (e.g., work samples, analysis exercise, and communication brief).
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant professional certification preferred.
• Seven or more (7+) years of progressively responsible experience in credentialing, accreditation, program operations, healthcare, higher education, or a comparable regulated environment; demonstrated leadership experience required, with prior formal people-management or supervisory experience preferred. 
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop staff, establish performance expectations, provide coaching and feedback, prioritize work, address performance issues, and contribute meaningfully to hiring and other personnel decisions.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (formulas, pivot tables, data analysis) and proficiency in Word, PowerPoint, Teams, Zoom, and certification/database systems.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and policy-interpretation skills; ability to evaluate competing courses of action and reach defensible conclusions independently.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to advise leadership and represent the organization with diverse professional stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead, mentor, and set quality standards for other staff, and to manage multiple complex priorities with accuracy and sound judgment.
• Demonstrated ability to balance formal people leadership with advanced functional responsibilities and maintain accountability for both employee performance and operational outcomes.
• Self-directed professional who works effectively both independently and collaboratively in a mission-driven environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The following essential functions describe what must be accomplished and may be performed with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Primarily sedentary computer-based work; frequent keyboard/mouse use and on-screen analysis.
• Regular verbal and written communication in meetings and documentation; ability to present findings/action items.
• Occasional standing/walking/meeting facilitation; occasional lifting/carrying of typical office items (up to 20 lbs.).
• Periodic travel (up to 10%) for meetings or conferences.

ABOG engages in an interactive process and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Typical professional office/administrative environment with low noise levels; hybrid schedule with 60% in-office presence (role-specific positions that align with the nature of their work) and periodic travel for meetings/conferences. Work involves handling sensitive information under strict confidentiality, data governance, and security protocols. ABOG provides reasonable accommodation throughout the application and employment process upon request.

COMPENSATION

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.

BENEFITS

Comprehensive benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HSA, employer-match 401(k), Basic Life/AD&D, and LTD. Additional benefits and eligibility will be shared in the recruiting process.

EEO STATEMENT

ABOG is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected status. We welcome requests for reasonable accommodation at any stage of the hiring process.

The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) is a national, non-profit, apolitical organization that offers voluntary certification to obstetricians and gynecologists (OB-GYNs) and offers continuing certification to OB-GYNs in the United States and Canada.