Director, Standards and Competency

CFP Board seeks a seasoned credentialing leader with deep expertise in psychometrics, exam development, and exam administration operations to direct the high-stakes CFP® Examination program. This role ensures full compliance with NCCA accreditation standards, oversees outsourced exam delivery partners, leads psychometric practices, and manages a team responsible for registration, accommodations, audits, and corrective actions. The position is accountable for modernizing and stabilizing exam-related processes, strengthening volunteer items development engagement structures, and improving cross-departmental collaboration across Professional Practice.

Essential Functions

• Psychometrics, Exam Design, and Assessment Integrity: Leads the design, psychometric analysis, and continuous improvement of CFP Board’s high-stakes examination program in alignment with industry best practices and NCCA standards.

• Oversees the exam development cycle, including job task analysis inputs, blueprint maintenance, item development, form assembly, standard setting, equating, and scoring.
• Ensures validity, reliability, fairness, and security of all exam forms using contemporary psychometric methodologies.
• Identifies and implements improvements to exam development workflows; establishes rigorous documentation standards and reproducible, policy-driven processes.
• Modernizes volunteer engagement structures—item writers, reviewers, technical advisors—to ensure sustainable, high-quality contributions and appropriate training, mentoring, and evaluation.
• Monitors performance trends, industry benchmarks, and advances in assessment science to proactively adjust practices.
• Ensures exam-related activities support Accreditation compliance and withstand internal and external audits.

• Exam Delivery, Vendor Management, and Accreditation Compliance: Oversees CFP Board’s outsourced exam delivery vendor(s) to ensure seamless administration of the CFP® exam.

• Manages the full vendor relationship, ensuring contract compliance, service-level performance, test security, and accurate results reporting.
• Implements practice-based oversight, dashboards, and monitoring of operational KPIs (capacity, disruptions, incidents, score processing timelines, etc.).
• Ensures all exam administration practices comply with NCCA requirements, including policy alignment, traceability, documentation, and corrective-action frameworks.
• Collaborates with Legal and Professional Practice leadership to ensure risk mitigation, quality assurance, and contractual governance.
• Manages accommodations processes, maintaining consistency, timeliness, and compliance with ADA-aligned policies while meeting NCCA expectations for fairness and transparency.
• Conducts periodic audits of vendors, internal processes, accommodations, and exam security with evidence-based corrective action plans.

• Leadership of Examination Operations, Registration, Accommodations, and Corrective Actions. Leads a team of exam operations administrators responsible for all candidate-facing and compliance-driven functions

• Supervises and develops staff who manage exam registration, eligibility verification, accommodations intake and evaluation, exception requests, audit documentation, and corrective-action follow-up.
• Establishes a performance culture grounded in professionalism, accountability, and team dynamic.
• Implements customer-service standards for candidate interactions, particularly during high-stress or escalated situations.
• Ensures timely resolution of inquiries, accurate processing, and consistent application of policies across all exam cycles.
• Strengthens team cohesion and communication while modeling leadership behaviors that rebuild trust and elevate morale.

• Cross-Functional and Organizational Collaboration. This role works closely with peer directors across Professional Practice, including:

• Registered Programs (curriculum alignment, student preparedness, exam readiness guidance).
• Continuing Education & Experience (policy alignment, NCCA compliance, corrective actions, sponsor/experience team interactions).
• Call Center & Customer Experience (accurate candidate information, escalations, and communications).
• Other internal & external stakeholders.
• Collective collaboration is required to strengthen the entire certification lifecycle and ensure organizational excellence.

Background/Skills/Abilities Preferred

• Preferred Education: Terminal degree (Ph.D., Ed.D.) in psychometrics, educational measurement, quantitative psychology, assessment, or a closely related field strongly preferred.
• Credentials:

• Board of Certified Psychometrists (BCP) or obtain within one year
• The I.C.E. Certified Credentialing Professional® (ICE-CCP®) or obtain within one year
• CFP® certification is a plus.

• Experience:

• Minimum 10 years of progressive responsibility in certification, credentialing, licensure testing, or high-stakes assessment.
• Leadership experience with exam development, psychometric analysis, and vendor-managed testing programs.
• Proven success in implementing improvements in credentialing assessment, operations and accreditation compliance.
• Experience building and improving team’s culture.

• Technical & Leadership Competencies

• Deep understanding of NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs.
• Demonstrated expertise in psychometric methods.
• Strong ability to manage outsourced vendors and complex contractual relationships.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to speak up constructively and influence change.
• Proven analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Commitment to professionalism and cross-functional collaboration.
• Experience with measurement software and data systems.
• Experience with database management (NetForum experience a plus).

About CFP Board

CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public’s benefit. CFP Board of Standards (501(c)(6)) sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification — widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners — so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning. CFP® certification is held by more than 105,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning (501(c)(3)) addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession’s body of knowledge.

This position is part of the 501(c)(6).

This position is based in the Washington, D.C. office and works a hybrid schedule, which may change at any time.

CFP Board believes that diversity of experience and perspective are strengths and seeks to continue to grow a highly committed, skilled, and collaborative staff.

CFP Board is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The applicable starting annual base salary is anticipated to be in the range of $145,000.00 to $175,000.00. In addition to base salary, total compensation includes incentive compensation for which employees are eligible based on completion of individual goals.