Product Development Manager

Join Our Mission to Elevate Ambulatory Health Care

At AAAHC, we are more than just a team; we are at the forefront of improving health care quality through accreditation. Our employees are the heartbeat of our mission-based culture, dedicated to applying their diverse skill sets—technical, research, clinical, analytical, and data-driven—to improve health care quality through accreditation. As we celebrate over four decades of excellence, we invite you to become part of our story. Here, your work is not just a job; it’s a journey filled with opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute to a higher purpose. Embrace the chance to be part of a community that values quality every day and strives for excellence in ambulatory health care.

What do we offer?

We prioritize our employees’ wellbeing by providing a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Compensation: Receive annual merit increase consideration and an annual discretionary bonus
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy generous paid holidays, increasing paid time off with tenure, and potential hybrid schedule eligibility
• Health & Wellness: Take advantage of our medical, dental, and vision plans including company contributions to HSA as well as our wellness reimbursement benefit
• Retirement Plan: Invest in your future with our robust 401(k) plan that includes a company contribution and match
• Professional Development: Advance your career with ongoing training and educational opportunities along with a tuition reimbursement program
• Life & Disability Insurance: Experience peace of mind with company-paid short/long-term disability, life, & AD&D insurance
• Employee Assistance Program: Access support services for personal needs

Position Description 

Reporting to the Director, Standards Development, the Product Development Manager has primary responsibility for the design and development of new AAAHC accreditation and certification programs including research, competitor and regulatory crosswalks, Standards development, and Subject Matter Expert contributions to FAQs, tools and resources, stakeholder (i.e., staff, client and surveyor) education, articles, press releases, and other resources that contribute to program marketing launch, stakeholder learning, and client participation. Success in this role requires a clinical research background, knowledge and utilization of accreditation standards in a clinical setting, effective workflow and workload management, attention to detail, and a focus on timeliness, thoroughness, and accuracy.

Apply industry-accepted project management and new product development practices to lead, research, design, develop, pilot, package, and launch new AAAHC accreditation and certification programs. Collaborate with both internal teams and external stakeholders in the development of new programs that are harmonized across AAAHC programs and packaged comprehensively to include the tools and resources necessary to support marketing and program participation to specific target audiences

• Collaborate with Marketing & Business Development (MBD) to identify and define new programs that align with AAAHC’s mission, vision and strategic objectives, and competencies; draft high-level program definition, structure, and development timeline, and combine with MBD target market definition and market size estimation. Present for leadership and Board approval as appropriate
• Once a new program concept is approved, develop and execute a detailed project plan for new program development including milestones, timelines, expert content requirements, and responsibilities
• Utilize AAAHC Standards development principles, style guide, and architecture, (e.g., standards taxonomy, weighting and scoring methodology(ies), interpretative comments, applicability algorithms, level of evidence, and references) to ensure AAAHC program consistency and harmonization
  • Determine and recruit external expertise necessary for program development including leveraging medical/professional specialty association support/partnerships, surveyors, and other expertise willing to contribute to program development
  • Serve as Staff Liaison for new program development Expert Content Committee (ECC)/Technical Panel volunteer groups appointed to contribute to program design and development; schedule and facilitate conference calls, webinars, and both virtual and in-person meetings; draft committee and technical panel meeting agendas, supporting materials, and minutes, as specified by the organization; maintain BoardEffect portal information for committee communication and minutes approval
  • Conduct literature reviews and quantitative and/or qualitative research as needed to support evidence-based Standards development; includes medical industry research and crosswalks against competitor programs, state/federal regulatory requirements, and deeming authorities
  • Develop new, leverage existing, and propose revisions to Standards in program design
  • Develop and manage the public comment process for new programs including target distribution selection, feedback aggregation, committee review and decision documentation, response development where appropriate, and integration into final program deliverables
  • Structure and coordinate program pilot(s) including client and surveyor selection, committee feedback review and program refinement
  • Collaborate with Business Intelligence to establish program performance dashboard/metrics and monitor program performance during initial 12-24 months post-launch; recommend and implement refinements as necessary
• Serve as the primary Subject Matter Expert (SME) for stakeholder (i.e., staff, client, surveyor) supporting/collateral development and communication that contribute to program marketing launch, stakeholder learning, and Client participation. (MBD and Finance teams are responsible for program pricing and SKU system setup; MBD manages final value proposition/messaging)
  • Take the lead role in drafting Standards-related FAQs and other tools (e.g., Selective Indicator grid)
  • Support MBD as SME in drafting Triangle Times Today articles, press releases, and other communications/program promotion materials
  • In collaboration with other SME stakeholders and EDU team, determine survey process and surveyor training requirements to drive effective consistent Standards interpretation and application, and survey delivery; serve as new program EDU faculty, as appropriates
• Maintain awareness of market competitor and ambulatory care practice developments that may generate new AAAHC opportunities or suggest need for program refinement

Minimum Qualifications and Job-specific Competencies Required

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., Nursing, Business, Healthcare Administration, Management, Public Affairs and Policy Management)•    At least 5 years of ambulatory care or hospital experience in a clinical, quality improvement, education, or regulatory role
•  Demonstrated experience in quality improvement and performance measurement methodology and implementation, research survey and other study design and administration, and research literature review and synthesis
• Active involvement with organization compliance to health care accreditation standards and third-party onsite survey participation
• Demonstrated project management experience and skills requiring minimal supervision and direction; experience indirectly managing cross-functional project teams and building consensus
• Strong analytical skills; independent thinker with proven technical acumen in problem-solving and analyzing datasets; intense attention to detail
• Advanced reasoning, critical thinking, and language abilities with strong communication, technical writing and editing, and presentation skills
• Advanced proficiency with MS Office products (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint); online survey tools (e.g., Qualtrics, Verint) and project management tools
• Maintain awareness of market competitor and ambulatory care practice developments that may generate new AAAHC opportunities or suggest need for program refinement

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with volunteer Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)•    Knowledge of CMS Conditions for Coverage
• Certified Professional in Health Care Quality (CPHQ) or other demonstrated knowledge of process improvement
• Current clinical certification/licensure (e.g., clinical nurse leader, nurse manager, quality improvement specialist, nurse educator, or occupational safety and health specialist)

Working Conditions & Travel Expectations

• Occasional evening conference calls and weekend meetings (e.g., association, client, and committee meetings); no more than 1 call/month and 1 meeting/quarter
• Estimated travel: <10% includes weekends

Physical Requirements

• Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 lbs of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally, and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Salary varies based on experience, location, and qualifications