ETS

About ETS:

ETS is a global education and talent solutions organization enabling lifelong learners worldwide to be future-ready. For more than 75 years, we've been advancing the science of measurement to build benchmarks for fair and valid skill assessment across cultures and borders. Our worldwide impact extends through our renowned assessments including TOEFL®, TOEIC®, GRE® and Praxis® tests, serving millions of learners in more than 200 countries and territories. Through strategic acquisitions, we've expanded our global capabilities: PSI strengthens our workforce assessment solutions, while Edusoft, Kira Talent, Pipplet, Vericant, and Wheebox enhance our educational technology and assessment platforms across critical markets worldwide.

Through ETS Research Institute and ETS Solutions, we're partnering with educational institutions, governments, and organizations globally to promote skill proficiency, empower upward mobility, and unlock opportunities for everyone, everywhere. With offices and partners across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas, we deliver nearly 50 million tests annually. Join us in our journey of measuring progress to power human progress worldwide.

The Executive Director of Business Delivery is a senior leadership role responsible for the successful planning, execution, and delivery of the organization's portfolio of technology programs and projects, including AI. This individual will ensure that technology initiatives align with our strategic goals and operational needs, driving efficiency, innovation, and impact. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned leader with a strong background in program management, issue and risk management, and executive-level communication, all within a context that understands the unique challenges and opportunities of a non-profit environment. This role requires a blend of strategic thinking, hands-on execution, and a passion for leveraging technology to advance our organizational objectives.

• Program Planning & Strategy:

o Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive program and portfolio plans, including scope, goals, deliverables, required resources, budget, and timelines.

o Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., Programs, Operations, Assessment Development, Finance) to define portfolio requirements and ensure technology solutions meet organizational needs.

o Develop and maintain a strategic roadmap for technology program delivery, ensuring alignment with the organization's long-term vision across a portfolio of projects.

o Oversee the selection, procurement, and management of technology vendors and consultants as needed.

• Delivery of Milestones & Execution Oversight:

o Drive the execution of a portfolio of projects, ensuring they are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget.

o Monitor and track portfolio program progress, proactively identifying and addressing deviations from the plan.

o Implement and manage project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid) appropriate for each of the specific initiatives within the portfolio of projects.

o Ensure quality assurance processes are in place for all technology deliverables.

• Issue Management:

o Establish and manage a robust issue identification, tracking, and resolution process for all technology programs and projects.

o Facilitate timely and effective resolution of issues, escalating critical problems to executive leadership when necessary.

o Conduct root cause analysis of recurring issues to implement preventative measures.

o Maintain clear documentation of all issues and their resolutions.

• Risk Management:

o Develop and implement a comprehensive risk management framework for technology programs and projects.

• Proactively identify potential risks, assess their impact, and develop mitigation strategies.
• Monitor risks throughout the program/project lifecycle and adjust plans accordingly.
• Ensure contingency plans are in place for critical technology systems and projects.
• Executive Status Reporting & Communication:

o Develop and deliver clear, concise, and regular status reports on the portfolio of AI and other high priority projects to executive leadership, the Board of Trustees, and other key stakeholders.

o Effectively communicate complex technical information to non-technical audiences.

o Facilitate program and project review meetings, ensuring all stakeholders are informed and aligned.

o Serve as the primary point of contact for all matters related to technology program delivery.

• Budget Management:

o Develop and manage budgets for technology programs and projects, ensuring responsible stewardship of non-profit resources.

o Track expenditures and provide regular financial reporting on program/project spending.

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Education, Certifications, or Special Licenses:

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field. A Master’s degree is a plus

Relevant Years of Experience Required:

Minimum of 10 years of experience in technology program and project management, with at least 5 years in a leadership role overseeing complex, multi-faceted technology initiatives.

Other Requirements:

• Proven track record of successfully delivering large-scale technology programs and projects on time and within budget.
• Deep understanding of project management methodologies (e.g., PMP, Agile, Scrum certifications are a plus).
• Extensive experience in issue management, risk identification, and mitigation strategies.
• Exceptional ability to develop and deliver clear, concise, and impactful executive status reports and presentations.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate organizational needs into effective technology solutions.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency in project management software and tools.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets and resources effectively.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in the education sector with a broad understanding of the challenges and opportunities.
• Experience leading digital transformation initiatives.
• Change management expertise

Other Qualifications desired:

• Understanding of ML pipelines and cycles to communicate effectively with the ML engineers
• Familiarity with model iteration cycles; comfortable managing for business impact using 'pivots' during a project execution
• Familiarity with models’ performance metrics to define success
• Familiarity with exploratory data analysis, to communicate with the data team, especially regarding privacy and security risks, data quality impact, data collection methods
• Understanding of ML QA cycles, model degradation, bias testing, agentic process
• Basic knowledge of tooling, compute resources requirements and compute costs

ETS is mission driven and action oriented

• We are passionate about hiring innovative thinkers who believe in the promise of education and lifelong learning.
• We are energized by cultivating growth, innovation, and continuous transformation for the next generation of rising professionals as leaders. Â In support of this ETS offers multiple Business Resource Groups (BRG) for you to learn and advance your career growth!
• As a not-for-profit organization we will encourage you to lean in to your passion for volunteering. Â At ETS you may qualify for up to an additional 8 hours of PTO for volunteer work on causes that are important to you!

ETS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by law. We believe in creating a work environment where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity.

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