Strategic Certification Programs Manager

API - American Petroleum Institute; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

API - American Petroleum Institute in DC seeks a Project Business Manager for Individual Certification Programs (ICP) to drive operational excellence and strategic partnerships with the Director. You will help shape the long-term ICP vision, manage cross-functional initiatives, oversee technology platforms, and support certification program delivery, including examinations, events, and related initiatives.

The role emphasizes budgeting, performance tracking, and governance across programs;

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Project Management, Education, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5–7 years of experience in a similar role and subject matter expertise.
• 3+ years’ experience in program management, project coordination, or operations—experience with certification or credentialing programs preferred.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior leadership and managing cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Familiarity with budgeting processes and basic financial analysis.
• Strong project management skills; able to manage multiple concurrent projects and deadlines.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and documentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Support program launches, committee work, and Inspection and Mechanical Integrity Summit (IMIS) operations.
• Coordinate and support the GIS Growth Strategy and related expansion initiatives.
• Track departmental goals, initiatives, and key performance indicators.
• Partner with the Director to support end-to-end program launch activities, coordinating planning and execution for new programs and ensuring alignment with existing certifications.
• Coordinate with senior stakeholders and other internal partners to align priorities and deliverables.
• Provide program and administrative support for the biennial IMIS; assist with milestone tracking, stakeholder communication, and logistics oversight with API Meetings Team.
• Support the Director throughout the full budget cycle, including budget development, financial analysis, forecasting, monitoring, and reporting.
• Track program expenditures, assist with forecasting, and support financial reporting for certification programs.
• Coordinate budget activities and contract renewals.
• Coordinate ICP technology initiatives, line-of-business systems, exam scheduling, and credentialing platform administration.
• Assist the Director in overseeing certification-related technology platforms and business systems.
• Manage ICP portal development activities and coordinate with vendors, developers, and stakeholders.
• Track system enhancements, bug resolution, testing activities, and implementation schedules.
• Gather and document business requirements and support process improvement initiatives.
• Manage and maintain exam scheduling across programs
• Oversee and maintain the Accredible platform, ensuring data integrity, certification issuance.
• Ensure compliance with accreditation requirements
• Coordinate exam logistics and stakeholder communication

Skills

Analytical skills

Cross-functional coordination

Budgeting

Communication

Project management

MS Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Project Management, Education, or related field

Tools

MS Project

Asana

Jira

Job description

API - American Petroleum Institute in DC seeks a Project Business Manager for Individual Certification Programs (ICP) to drive operational excellence and strategic partnerships with the Director. You will help shape the long-term ICP vision, manage cross-functional initiatives, oversee technology platforms, and support certification program delivery, including examinations, events, and related initiatives.

The role emphasizes budgeting, performance tracking, and governance across programs;