Associate Director, Value Chain Analyst - AP Reading & Exam Production

College Board•Remote - Virginia, VA

3d•$56,000 - $90,000•Remote

About The Position

This role is central to AP Delivery operations, supporting both the annual AP Reading (January through June) and AP Exam Production (July through December). The position operates in a high-volume, fast-paced environment requiring accuracy, responsiveness, and strong judgment to ensure millions of student exams are processed and scored correctly and on time. During the AP Reading cycle, the role functions as part of a live operational command center for a large-scale, distributed scoring event with tens of thousands of Readers. Responsibilities include acting as a first responder to real-time issues like staffing gaps, scoring imbalances, and system challenges, working closely with Session Leads to translate decisions into action. Success depends on the ability to prioritize quickly, manage multiple issues, and maintain precision under time pressure. During AP Exam Production, the role supports the technical build, validation, and delivery of exams by collaborating with content and technical teams to ensure materials meet strict specifications. This involves managing large datasets, validating components, coordinating handoffs, and maintaining documentation to safeguard exam integrity. The role is dynamic and evolving, requiring adaptability, comfort with ambiguity, and a willingness to contribute broadly across the AP value chain.

Requirements

Highly adaptable and resourceful, with the ability to thrive across analytical, operational, and stakeholder-facing work.
Strong client service orientation with the ability to anticipate needs, resolve issues proactively, and deliver high-touch support.
Strong problem solver who performs accurately and decisively in fast-paced environments.
Detail-oriented with sound judgment, strong organizational skills, and the ability to prioritize and escalate effectively.
Exceptional ability to audit, validate, and manage large datasets with accuracy under tight deadlines.
Skilled at leveraging systems, technology platforms, automation tools, and advanced Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and Smartsheet, to drive efficiency and operational effectiveness.
A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work.
Authorization to work in the United States for any employer.
Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and comfort learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively.
A learner's mindset and a commitment to growth: welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receiving timely, respectful feedback, and continuously improving through iterative learning and user input.
A drive for impact and excellence: solving complex problems, making data-informed decisions, prioritizing what matters most, and continuously improving through learning, user input, and external benchmarking.
A collaborative and empathetic approach: working across differences, fostering trust, and contributing to a culture of shared success.

Nice To Haves

Candidates who live near CB offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office).

Responsibilities

Act as a first responder to operational issues during the AP Reading, executing fixes or escalating as appropriate.
Embed with Chief Readers and subject leadership teams to support Reader selection, invitations, and event planning.
Execute approved real-time adjustments to support scoring operations, including moving Readers between questions or prompts.
Respond quickly to live operational issues such as prompt imbalances, no-shows, access issues, staffing gaps, or session disruptions.
Support Session Leads in implementing changes with speed and accuracy.
Handle high-volume, time-sensitive work during peak windows with strong attention to detail and reliable follow-through.
Track Reader participation across onsite and at-home environments, documenting exceptions.
Contact Readers who do not appear as expected and maintain accurate records of outreach and next steps.
Assist with onsite personnel issues and other Reader support tasks, escalating when necessary.
Support attendance, scheduling validation, and subject-level workforce tracking.
Monitor subject- and prompt-level scoring data, including throughput, coverage, and pacing.
Build and maintain trackers, dashboards, logs, and reports to support Session Lead decision making and documentation.
Flag anomalies, trend changes, or execution gaps early.
Help connect operational observations with data patterns.
Provide hands-on support for session execution, including logistical troubleshooting, setup help, transition support, and issue routing.
Maintain a productive and responsive environment for Readers by supporting fast communication and issue tracking.
Document recurring Reader questions, pain points, or confusion to inform process or communication improvements.
Contribute to the overall professionalism and stability of the Reading by filling gaps wherever the session most needs support.
Document operational issues, actions taken, exceptions, and lessons learned during both Exam Production and Reading phases.
Support post-cycle analysis and retrospective work by keeping reliable records.
Identify opportunities to improve tools, trackers, communication approaches, and execution routines.
Develop broad operational fluency to serve as a pipeline into future Session Lead or other AP Delivery roles.
Oversee finalization, certification, and downstream delivery of AP Exams.
Work with content and technical teams to certify that each AP Exam form has been developed and will be delivered according to defined processes and specifications.
Develop and manage schedules that prioritize according to time-sensitive downstream hand-offs, escalating as needed.
Facilitate final content validation processes for digital AP Exams.
Coordinate hand-off of finalized AP Exams to downstream delivery systems and print vendors.
Oversee specifications for AP Exam authoring and key.
Ensure accurate and timely set up of templates and data pathways for all AP courses and item types in relevant College Board exam authoring and delivery systems.
Collaborate with the broader team to revise and/or maintain certification processes and documentation, including job aides, checklists, and submission reports.
Collaborate with the broader AP Assessment Production team to document and iterate on current work management practices and associated documentation, such as Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documents.