President and Chief Executive Officer

Nysurgeon; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 250,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

The American Board of Surgery (ABS) seeks a transformative President and Chief Executive Officer to lead a premier credentialing organization in surgery education. Reporting to the Board of Directors, you will set strategy, oversee certification processes, and steward relationships with medical boards, specialty societies, and diplomates.

This role requires deep leadership experience in healthcare, strategic planning, and a strong record of governance and financial stewardship, with a commitment

Qualifications

• Active ABS certification.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience in a complex healthcare, academic medicine, or medical professional organization.
• Demonstrated track record of executive leadership with strategic planning and organizational management.
• Deep understanding of medical education, certification processes, and quality assessment in healthcare.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing complex organizational budgets.
• Exceptional communication skills with experience in stakeholder engagement and public representation.
• Experience with governance, policy development, and navigating complex organizational structures.

Responsibilities

• Provide executive leadership for ABS aligned with mission, strategy, and policies.
• Oversee certification and Continuous Certification processes with rigor and relevance.
• Maintain healthy relationships with medical boards, accrediting bodies, and related societies.
• Represent ABS publicly and manage engagement with stakeholders and staff.
• Guide governance activities across BOD, councils, and boards to drive change.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic planning

Financial acumen

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Education

Active ABS certification

Job description

President and Chief Executive Officer, The American Board of Surgery

Since 1937, the American Board of Surgery (ABS) has set the standard for excellence in surgical education, training, knowledge, and professionalism. The ABS offers certification in complex general surgical oncology, general surgery, pediatric surgery, trauma, burns and surgical critical care, and vascular surgery.

The next ABS President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will be an exceptionally talented servant leader who will shepherd a highly respected and arguably the most influential voice in surgery and medicine. Working in concert with the Board of Directors, Council, and specialty boards, the President and CEO will help shape and execute the organization's strategic priorities, ensuring ABS remains responsive to an increasingly dynamic environment.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ABS President and CEO provides executive leadership for the ABS in alignment with the mission, strategy, and policies established to ensure the value of certification. The President and CEO serves as the key partner to the Board and oversees the Council, whose work ensures the rigor and relevance of ABS certification and Continuous Certification processes, impacting more than 40,000 active ABS diplomates, as well as surgeons in training, surgical training programs, the public, and a spectrum of other medical and surgical organizations. The President and CEO serves as the primary representative of the ABS and is responsible for sustaining healthy relationships with medical specialty boards, accrediting associations, related surgical societies, program directors, diplomates, and the full ecosystem of organizations involved in surgical education, licensure and certification, and a commitment to excellent patient outcomes.

Required Qualifications

• Active ABS certification
• Minimum of 15 years of progressive leadership experience in a complex healthcare, academic medicine, or medical professional organization
• Demonstrated track record of executive leadership with strategic planning and organizational management expertise
• Deep understanding of medical education, certification processes, and quality assessment in healthcare
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing complex organizational budgets
• Exceptional communication skills with experience in stakeholder engagement and public representation

Preferred Qualifications

• Active surgical practice experience
• Experience with medical specialty boards or ABMS member organizations
• Academic and/or other leadership experience at a major medical institution, association, non-profit organization or corporation
• Experience navigating healthcare policy and regulatory environments
• Track record of successful change management and organizational transformation
• Governance experience
• Experience working within a complex, matrixed organizational structure

Desired Leadership Attributes

• A visionary servant leader committed to the public good
• Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, both internally and externally
• Fosters an environment and culture of innovation and keeps the ABS at the forefront of the industry, and a best-in-class leader in assessment and credentialing
• Politically astute and able to navigate a complex governance structure (BOD, specialty boards, and Council)
• Experience in leading both remote and in-office staff and working with volunteer leaders
• Desire to make an impact and willingness to enact bold, mission-focused change
• Comfortable representing the ABS externally, and maintaining strong relationships with numerous external constituents
• Strong financial acumen
• Transparent, confident and credible, with the ability to garner the respect of staff and volunteers
• Diplomatic but able to make hard decisions
• High emotional intelligence