Vice President, Certifications

Vice President, Certifications

Association Management Washington, D.C. Chicago, IL N/A, Alaska

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Description

The Window & Door Manufacturers Associationis seeking aVice President, Certificationsto lead and grow WDMA’s certification programs, including the Hallmark Certification Program. This senior-level position is responsible for ensuring the credibility, technical integrity, operational effectiveness, and marketplace value of WDMA’s certification activities.

The ideal candidate will bring a balanced combination of fenestration industry knowledge, product certification expertise, program management discipline, and business development ability. This role requires someone who can understand the technical details of windows, doors, skylights, and related products while also serving as an effective advocate and ambassador for certification among manufacturers, specifiers, code officials, architects, builders, and other stakeholders.

The Vice President, Certifications will oversee day-to-day certification operations, maintain strong relationships with participating companies and third-party partners, support standards and code-related alignment, and help position Hallmark as a trusted, valuable, and market-relevant certification program.

Key Responsibilities

Certification Program Leadership

• Lead the strategic and operational management of WDMA certification programs, with primary responsibility for the Hallmark Certification Program.

• Ensure certification policies, procedures, technical requirements, and quality-control processes are clear, consistent, credible, and effectively administered.

• Maintain the integrity of certification decisions, program documentation, plant inspection processes, product validation, labeling, and related compliance activities.

• Work with staff, committees, auditors, laboratories, inspection agencies, and participating manufacturers to ensure program requirements are properly understood and implemented.

• Monitor certification trends, market needs, regulatory changes, and competitive programs to ensure WDMA certification remains relevant and valued.

Hallmark Program Oversight

• Serve as the principal staff lead for the Hallmark Certification Program.

• Manage participant relationships, certification processes, issue resolution, and program communications.

• Identify opportunities to improve the user experience for participating companies while preserving program integrity.

• Support ongoing evaluation of Hallmark’s scope, value proposition, pricing, efficiency, and competitive position.

• Develop strategies to increase awareness, participation, and marketplace recognition of the Hallmark program.

Technical and Industry Expertise

• Serve as a knowledgeable resource on fenestration products, performance standards, testing, labeling, certification, and code-related requirements.

• Understand the technical and business realities facing window, door, skylight, and component manufacturers.

• Work with WDMA technical staff, committees, and member companies to ensure certification programs align with applicable product standards, code requirements, and industry practices.

• Translate technical certification requirements into clear, practical guidance for manufacturers and external stakeholders.

Sales, Marketing, and Program Promotion

• Act as an evangelist for WDMA certification programs and the value of third-party certification.

• Promote Hallmark to manufacturers, architects, specifiers, builders, code officials, regulators, and other audiences.

• Develop messaging that explains the credibility, efficiency, marketplace value, and technical foundation of WDMA certification.

• Partner with WDMA communications, membership, and events teams to elevate certification visibility through presentations, articles, webinars, conference programming, website content, and member outreach.

• Identify opportunities to grow certification participation, deepen member engagement, and strengthen program revenue.

Member and Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong relationships with current and prospective certification participants.

• Serve as a trusted point of contact for manufacturers navigating certification requirements, program participation, inspections, documentation, or compliance questions.

• Work collaboratively with WDMA committees, councils, and technical bodies as needed.

• Represent WDMA in meetings with certification partners, laboratories, inspection agencies, code officials, standards organizations, and industry stakeholders.

• Provide timely and professional support to members while maintaining appropriate boundaries between service, advocacy, and certification integrity.

Operations and Administration

• Manage certification program workflows, records, schedules, communications, and reporting.

• Oversee budgets, revenue tracking, expense management, and forecasting related to certification programs.

• Evaluate opportunities for process improvement, technology modernization, customer-service enhancements, and administrative efficiency.

• Prepare reports and recommendations for WDMA leadership, committees, and the Board as appropriate.

• Ensure certification activities are administered in accordance with WDMA policies, applicable standards, contractual obligations, and sound governance practices.

Desired Qualifications

• Significant experience in the fenestration, building products, product certification, testing, inspection, code, standards, or construction products sector.

• Working knowledge of window, door, skylight, or related product performance standards and certification processes.

• Experience managing or supporting a product certification, quality assurance, testing, inspection, labeling, or compliance program.

• Ability to communicate effectively with both technical and nontechnical audiences.

• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with manufacturers, technical experts, code officials, specifiers, and industry partners.

• Experience in business development, sales, marketing, member engagement, or program promotion strongly preferred.

• Strong project management, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to interpret technical requirements and explain them in practical, user-friendly terms.

• Comfort operating in a trade association, standards, certification, or member-service environment.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be credible with technical experts, responsive to manufacturers, comfortable with standards and certification processes, and capable of promoting the business value of certification. This person should be equally comfortable reviewing program requirements, discussing plant inspections, presenting to members, speaking with code officials, and explaining why Hallmark matters in the marketplace.

WDMA is seeking a leader who can protect the integrity of certification while also helping the program grow. The ideal candidate will understand that certification is not simply an administrative function; it is a member service, a market signal, a technical assurance tool, and a strategic asset for the association.

Core Competencies

• Technical credibility

• Certification program management

• Fenestration industry knowledge

• Member service orientation

• Business development mindset

• Clear communication

• Process improvement

• Relationship building

• Strategic thinking

• Attention to detail

• Public-facing confidence

• Integrity and sound judgment

Reporting Relationship

The Vice President, Certifications reports to the President and CEO of WDMA or the chief staff executive designated by WDMA’s association management structure. The position works closely with WDMA staff, certification participants, technical committees, outside vendors, inspection and testing partners, and member company representatives.

Position Type

Full-time senior staff position. Travel may be required for member visits, plant visits, industry meetings, standards or code-related meetings, and WDMA events.

Smithbucklin is a hybrid work environment with in-office days established as Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Employees will work a standard 40-hour week, with the possibility of additional hours based on project deadlines. Smithbucklin considers several factors when determining compensation, including a candidate's recent coursework, training, experience, and certifications, among other considerations. The expected pay for this role is $120,000-$140,000.

Equal Employment Opportunity

At Smithbucklin, Equal Employment Opportunity is our commitment and goal. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital status or any other protected status designated by federal, state or local law. Applicants are encouraged to confidentially self-identify when applying. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a reference and background investigation based on position.

Smithbucklin will not sponsor applicants for work visas and as a precondition of employment. You must be authorized to work in the United States permanently.