Director of Exam Administration & Grading

SBC • San Francisco, CA

93d • $160,148 - $213,541

About The Position

The Director of Exam Administration & Grading (Program Director I) provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the administration and grading of the California Bar Examination, First-Year Law Students’ Examination, and Legal Specialization Examinations. This role ensures exam integrity, accessibility, security, and fairness in accordance with the State Bar’s policies, Chapter 6 Rules, and strategic objectives. The candidate selected for this position will take the lead to develop recommendations for exam delivery in the short-and long-term based on field research and best practices for licensing or other high stakes exams. The candidate will also bring improvements and innovations to grading practices. The ideal candidate brings experience managing both in-person and remote exam formats and is skilled in navigating the operational, logistical, and security challenges unique to each modality.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a field that develops skills related to essential duties, or equivalent academic achievement.
• Minimum eight (8) years’ progressively responsible experience in related program administration.
• Minimum four (4) years’ senior management/supervisory experience in administering personnel and budget requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree is preferred and may substitute for up to two years of experience.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing both in-person and remote exam administration, with the ability to anticipate and respond to challenges unique to each modality.
• Proven experience negotiating, managing, and evaluating vendor contracts and service-level agreements.
• Strong record of delivering presentations and reports to governing committees, boards, or other oversight bodies.
• Experience communicating complex operational or policy issues to external stakeholders and members of the public in a clear, professional, and responsive manner.
• Familiarity with psychometric principles and applying data analysis to inform exam-related decisions (preferred but not required).
• Commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in operational practices and team composition.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement strategic goals for exam administration and grading across all formats and venues.
• Lead initiatives to evaluate and apply emerging trends, research, and best practices in high-stakes testing to inform recommendations for exam delivery and grading improvements.
• Advise Executive Leadership, the Committee of Bar Examiners (CBE), Board of Trustees, and the California Supreme Court through regular reports and presentations.
• Represent the Office of Admissions in high-level meetings, offering expert guidance on exam-related risks, innovations, and policy impacts.
• Review and recommend updates to exam-related rules to ensure alignment with evolving exam modalities and delivery formats.
• Promote an organizational culture focused on integrity, service excellence, and continuous improvement.
• Lead and support staff and cross-functional teams to ensure smooth, timely, and compliant exam operations.
• Set team priorities, monitor performance metrics, and coach staff to meet high service standards.
• Oversee recruitment, training, and evaluation of graders and the Exam Development & Grading (EDG) team; lead efforts to diversify the grader and EDG team pool across geography, race/ethnicity, and legal practice areas.
• Foster professional growth and team engagement through regular feedback, support, and recognition.
• Direct the secure and efficient planning, logistics, and delivery of all exams—including remote, in-person, and hybrid formats—ensuring readiness across varied modalities and alignment with strategic goals.
• Research, test, and implement delivery models that reflect best practices in the field, with a focus on long-term sustainability, equity, and exam integrity.
• Manage vendor procurement and exam site acquisition in alignment with State Bar policies and long-term strategic needs.
• Negotiate and manage contracts with exam vendors, proctors, and service providers.
• Develop and oversee training for staff, site leads, and proctors on exam protocols, security, and applicant support.
• Coordinate exam communications and collaborate with the Communications team to ensure applicants receive clear and timely information.
• Oversee grading processes to ensure fairness, consistency, and adherence to policy and scoring standards.
• Identify and implement innovations in grading workflows and systems to improve accuracy, efficiency, and transparency.
• Collaborate with psychometricians to analyze scoring data and apply validated methodologies.
• Continuously evaluate grading procedures to align with national best practices in licensing assessments.
• Establish and maintain robust quality assurance protocols to safeguard the accuracy and integrity of exam outcomes.
• Respond to and resolve grading-related inquiries and reconsideration requests promptly and transparently.
• Design and enforce security protocols across all exam formats to protect exam integrity.
• Monitor compliance with exam rules and respond to potential violations, incidents, and breaches.
• Oversee investigations, documentation, and resolution of exam-related misconduct in accordance with Chapter 6 rules.
• Support live exam administration through real-time incident response protocols and proctor guidance.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for applicants, graders, vendors, and regulatory bodies on exam-related matters.
• Assume shared leadership for applicant communications and engagement strategies to enhance clarity, transparency, and trust.
• Deliver presentations and reports to internal and external stakeholders, including public meetings.
• Collaborate across the State Bar to align exam operations with broader organizational goals and improve the applicant experience.

Benefits

• Annual Salary Range: $160,148 - $213,541
• This position allows for up to four days of remote work per week

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees