Director of COM Performance Excellence

AMER ASSOC OF COLL OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE • Bethesda, MD

23h • $140,000 - $150,000 • Remote

About The Position

AACOM is seeking a full-time, exempt Director of COM Performance Excellence to build and lead a national accreditation excellence and quality improvement program for colleges of osteopathic medicine (COMs). AACOM is creating this role to fill a strategic gap between accreditation compliance and continuous institutional improvement as the accreditation environment undergoes significant change. Rather than serving solely as an accreditation consultant, the Director will build a sustainable infrastructure for accreditation research, benchmarking, quality improvement, faculty development, and thought leadership across the osteopathic medical education community. The Director will help member COMs strengthen accreditation outcomes, improve institutional performance, and prepare for evolving standards and expectations. This role offers the opportunity to establish a proactive, data-driven, and innovation-oriented service that expands AACOM's support for its members. The Director will generate research and benchmarking data, create practical resources, introduce new approaches to accreditation preparation, and strengthen AACOM's influence in national discussions about educational quality and institutional effectiveness.

Requirements

• A master's degree in education, health professions education, higher education administration, improvement science, or a closely related field, such as an M.S.Ed., M.Ed., M.S., or equivalent. A terminal professional degree, such as a Ph.D., Ed.D., D.O., or M.D., accompanied by substantial scholarly activity in medical education will also be considered.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience in medical education, accreditation, institutional effectiveness, or quality improvement within a higher education or health professions setting.
• Ability to develop deep expertise in the COCA New and Continuing Accreditation Standards and the accreditation life cycle for colleges of osteopathic medicine
• Research design, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and scholarly writing skills, supported by a demonstrated record of peer-reviewed publication
• Expertise in institutional effectiveness, program assessment, and/or improvement science methodologies
• Familiarity with the broader health professions education accreditation landscape, including LCME, CHEA, and U.S. Department of Education requirements
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex regulatory and research information into clear, actionable guidance for diverse audiences
• Demonstrated ability to design and facilitate professional development programs, workshops, and training for adult learners
• Proficiency with data analysis tools and survey platforms
• Strong project-management skills and the ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives and deliver results on deadline
• A collaborative approach and the ability to work effectively across departments and with member institutions and external stakeholders

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience with COCA or LCME accreditation processes
• Experience with data visualization and dashboard development
• Familiarity with AI applications in education and institutional research

Responsibilities

• Serve as AACOM's principal subject matter expert on current and evolving COCA accreditation standards and the accreditation life cycle for colleges of osteopathic medicine.
• Help member COMs prepare for initial accreditation, comprehensive site visits, self-studies, mid-cycle reviews, focused visits, and accreditation decisions.
• Provide guidance on standards interpretation, compliance strategies, evidence documentation, assessment planning, self-study preparation, and accreditation readiness.
• Review draft self-study documents and evidence portfolios and provide individualized consultation to member institutions.
• Support the development of new COMs while helping existing programs sustain accreditation excellence.
• Strengthen institutional readiness and help reduce variability in accreditation preparation and performance across COMs.
• Lead quality improvement and improvement science initiatives that move AACOM's accreditation support beyond compliance toward continuous performance enhancement.
• Design, implement, and evaluate programs that strengthen institutional capacity for accreditation and continuous quality improvement.
• Develop frameworks, rubrics, and self-assessment instruments addressing curriculum quality, clinical education, student outcomes, program assessment, and institutional effectiveness.
• Connect accreditation improvement with strategic planning, outcomes assessment, and data-informed decision-making.
• Collaborate across AACOM to align accreditation support with research, learning innovation, faculty development, student affairs, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
• Build an evidence base around accreditation and educational quality in osteopathic medical education.
• Design and conduct original research on accreditation processes, outcomes, and trends, with a focus on the COCA Continuing Accreditation Standards.
• Analyze public accreditation data and work with COCA and member COMs to study self-study reports and site-visit outcomes.
• Identify patterns, common challenges, and emerging practices that can improve institutional performance and accreditation outcomes.
• Develop and maintain dashboards and analytical tools that enable COMs to benchmark accreditation-related performance against peer institutions.
• Create longitudinal data assets that strengthen AACOM's accreditation research and member-support capabilities.
• Produce research reports, white papers, briefs, and peer-reviewed publications that advance knowledge about accreditation and educational quality.
• Create and curate self-assessment instruments, accreditation toolkits, templates, and exemplars aligned with the 12 COCA standards areas.
• Develop and deliver workshops, webinars, training programs, and other professional development opportunities for accreditation leaders, administrators, faculty, and other adult learners.
• Coordinate peer-learning networks and communities of practice among COM accreditation liaisons, deans, quality improvement officers, and other institutional leaders.
• Translate complex regulatory and research information into clear, actionable guidance for member institutions.
• Build practical resources that help COMs improve readiness, document evidence, assess performance, and sustain accreditation excellence.
• Move AACOM's accreditation support from a primarily reactive consultation model to a proactive, data-driven, and innovation-oriented service.
• Explore and pilot AI-assisted accreditation document analysis.
• Develop simulation-based approaches to self-study preparation and accreditation review.
• Establish cross-institutional quality improvement collaboratives.
• Use advanced dashboarding, analytics, and benchmarking tools to help institutions identify risks, monitor progress, and learn from peers.
• Evaluate new approaches and scale those that demonstrate value for member COMs.
• Represent AACOM in national forums, conferences, and working groups focused on accreditation, educational quality, and institutional effectiveness in medical and health professions education.
• Monitor national and international developments in accreditation policy, including actions by the U.S. Department of Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, and other recognized accrediting bodies.
• Assess the implications of changing accreditation policies and standards for osteopathic medical education and AACOM's member institutions.
• Build and sustain productive relationships with COCA leadership and staff, institutional accreditors, and other stakeholders across health professions education and health care accreditation.
• Develop position papers, comment letters, policy recommendations, scholarly publications, and other materials that strengthen AACOM's national voice.
• Present research findings and program outcomes at national conferences, including AACOM's Educating Leaders conference.
• Collaborate with AACOM's communications team to share accreditation research, resources, and program outcomes with member institutions and external audiences.

Benefits

• Annual bonus program
• 403(b) with generous employer contribution
• Company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Company-provided life insurance, short-term disability, and long-term disability plans
• Flexible Spending Account
• 12 annual company-paid holidays
• Vacation & sick leave benefits
• Professional development opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director