Advocacy, Policy, Practice Advancement Coordinator - The American Psychiatric Association

The coordinator provides high level administrative support to the Chief and staff of the division of Advocacy, Policy, Practice Advancement (APPA). The incumbent provides executive support, project management, internal and external communications management, document management, meeting support, office technology support, scheduling, administrative functions, records management, and handles highly confidential issues and matters of a sensitive nature.

This position involves frequent interactions with APA leadership, members, and all levels of APA staff along with congressional staff. Successful candidates will demonstrate strong professionalism, discretion, communication skills, technology savvy, and ability to manger competing priorities. The ideal candidate is a flexible professional who is a quick learner, demonstrates strong personal initiative, attention to detail and task follow through.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provides administrative assistance and coordination of activities within the APPA Division, including managing and maintaining daily and long-range division calendar; arranges appointments, meetings, conference calls; planning and coordinating travel, planning itineraries, and facilitating reimbursement requests; and coordinating with various APA Administration to gather appropriate background materials for meetings.
  • Works independently to perform various administrative duties
  • Creates and maintains organizational systems for tracking scheduling needs, files and materials for APPA
  • Coordinates and prepares business meetings/events involving both internal staff and external members/partners including scheduling, material preparation, and logistics/technology needs (video conferencing, presentations, Web Ex, etc.)
  • Builds strong relationships throughout the APA to support and facilitate the collaborative team environment
  • Prioritizes and manages multiple projects simultaneously, and follow through on issues in a timely manner
  • Collaborates with APPA staff on other administrative projects as needed
  • Manages expense reports and invoices for APPA
  • Manages and maintains the daily and long-range calendar for the division. Arranges appointments, meetings, conferences, and conference calls using knowledge of multiple schedules and priorities. Coordinates office support for other administrative functions.
  • Develops and maintains administrative and office management systems, including monitoring monthly expenditure reports for the division and assisting in the processing of invoices for payment and travel reimbursement forms, etc.
  • Receives, refers and/or responds to email, fax, phone calls, and voice mail messages on behalf of the division.
  • Coordinates travel for the members invited to represent APPA, including preparing itineraries; and arranging for travel needs (air and car as needed), reserving hotel and preparing reimbursement requests. Coordinates with various APA Administration to gathers appropriate background materials for meetings.
  • Supports basic office operations, including supply, equipment, and furniture acquisition, office organization and vendor relations.
  • Works closely and collaboratively with APA members and staff in identifying and resolving problems in a proactive manner.
  • Receives all incoming mail and determines appropriate disposition.
  • Develops and maintains administrative and office management systems, including monitoring monthly expenditures for the division and assisting in the processing of invoices for payment and travel reimbursement forms, etc.
  • Performs general administrative duties in the department. Covers APA advocacy main phone line and directs calls to appropriate staff, assisting APPA related projects, and scheduling and arranging onsite meetings.
• Coordinates the Division’s quarterly report to the APA and APAF Boards
  • Ensures timely request for brief reports from assigned staff
  • Collates reports into the final documents
  • Ensures timely submission of reports
• Serves as Web Liaison for the division
  • Works with the IT department to troubleshoot problems
  • Reviews website on a regular basis to add/edit current pages, fix broken links, and provides input on redesign
• Communicates with APA members to keep them informed of APPA activities
  • Responds to numerous phone and written inquiries from APA members regarding APA’s and other significant advocacy issues, legislative and regulatory efforts
  • Distributes various types of literature (congressional testimony and studies) either from e-mail, phone or mail requests
  • Works with other APA Departments to supply information to distribute to members about the APA’s advocacy efforts
• Provides administrative support for division conferences,
  • This includes but not limited to assistance with marketing & communications materials; registration preparation & management, travel logistics & tracking, assistance in the production of leave behind packets and participant packets and compilation of printed materials; and follow-up activities, materials development and events coordination.

• Provides administrative services to APPA councils, committees, and boards as needed
  • Attends relevant meetings, including Staff Liaison meetings
  • Ensures APPA staff meet responsibilities to APA governance, including those related to presidential appointments to councils, committees, and boards, maintaining rosters and email lists, and various governance deadlines/requests such as timely review of action papers, Javits award nominations, and other relevant items

• Other duties as assigned

COMPETENCIES

The Practice Advancement Coordinator’s performance on these duties and responsibilities will be measured using the following competencies:

SCOPE & IMPACT

• Supports APPA by performing the duties listed above and contributes suggestions to improve processes
• Success is frequently measured by the completion of individual tasks

COMPLEXITY, PROBLEM SOLVING & DECISION-MAKING

• Completes routine tasks while adhering to well-defined rules and standards and coordinating office support for other administrative functions
• Works closely with Division management to resolve office management issues, including administration and operations. Identifies routine and predictable problems and recommends solutions to management
• Exercises substantial independence of judgment concerning access, priorities, and communication needs. Resolves complicated scheduling issues. Plans, designs, and carries out programs, projects, studies and other work independently. Uses judgment and ingenuity in interpreting the intent of the existing guidelines and in developing applications to specific areas of work
• Simultaneously works on several assignments requiring analysis of a large number of intricately related complex variables. Exercises a high degree of creativity; extensively probes and analyses problems to determine their nature and scope
• Work output is often a predictable product that is used by others to perform larger portions of the end result

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT & AUTHORITY

• Relationships primarily follow established protocol
• Relationships may include significant interactions with members, customers, other employees and vendors via phone calls, emails, and other modes of communication
• Uses tact and discretion to obtain cooperation and understanding on routine matters

ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE

• Demonstrates a limited understanding of the work relationships and responsibilities within the department
• Demonstrates a limited knowledge of policies, procedures, and terminology

SUPERVISION

• No direct management or supervisor duties

• High school diploma required, Bachelor’s degree preferred. Three or more years of related professional work experience supporting a senior level leader
• Project management and special events planning experience highly preferred
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Excellent proofreading, editing and document preparation skills
• Experience with Microsoft Outlook, Excel, Word, and other office software
• Self-guided and a self-starter with exceptional organizational skills and the ability to work quickly and independently in a virtual work environment, meeting precise deadlines
• Ability to interact with staff (at all levels) in a fast-paced environment, sometimes under pressure, remaining flexible, proactive, resourceful and efficient
• Able to execute decision making with sound judgment and discretion and maintain a high-level of confidentiality
• Demonstrated proficiency in information gathering and information monitoring

EOE, including disability/vets

Salary-$26.70/hour