Director, Elected and Appointed Leadership

Note: APA operates on a 37.5-hour work week with one hour lunch breaks each day. APA sets salaries based on several considerations, including years of relevant experience, level of education, and previous staff and/or governance experience at APA.

DESCRIPTION:

The role is focused on facilitating and driving APA's engagement with key experts in psychology to advance APA's strategic priorities in the creation, communication, and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives. The role includes supporting the operations of the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI) and additional committee(s) focused on public interest issues. Additional responsibilities include the support and engagement of other individuals and groups, such as APA Divisions and other psychological associations that share an interest in the intersection of psychology, diversity, inclusion, and human rights. This is a highly collaborative and member-facing role requiring excellent relationship management, critical and systems thinking, organization and time management, consultation and communication skills. This role is recognized as an expert in understanding the work of APA, adopts an association-wide perspective when approaching complex problems, and provides technical expertise in timely way to inform priority setting.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree required; an advanced degree is preferable.

Meeting and dialogue facilitation skills, including prioritization, mediation, and follow-up.

10 years of experience in association work, association governance processes, including association or non-profit/public health, especially in a staff liaison capacity highly desired.

Ability to interact judiciously with high-level staff of external organizations.

Exceptional collaboration, relationship management, presentation, and time, self, and program management skills; meticulous attention to detail.

Utmost tact, emotional intelligence, discretion, diplomacy, and respect for confidentiality.

Capacity for skillful comprehension of APA strategic priorities, bylaws, and rules, and the proven ability to understand, simplify, and effectively communicate complex information.

Confidence to effectively interact with various levels of leadership and influence with or without positional authority.

Genuine interest in and self-driven knowledge development of associations and non-profit governance.

Commitment to psychology in the public interest, understanding of psychological science, appreciation of the benefits of applied psychology, and awareness of education and training in psychology.

Problem-solving mindset and demonstrated ability to prioritize and reprioritize work wisely.

COMPUTER SKILLS:

Microsoft Word (advanced user)

Microsoft Excel (user)

Microsoft Power Point (user)

Email programs (advanced user)

Virtual meeting technology (e.g., Teams, Zoom) (user)

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Responsible for all aspects of planning and facilitating assigned committees/board, including meetings. Provide regular updates and recommendations for action to relevant staff and elected and appointed APA member leaders. Ensure timely completion and presentation/dissemination of pertinent information regarding committee/board projects.

Partner with executive staff and elected and appointed leadership to provide guidance and strategic insight, design strategic agendas, facilitate productive conversations toward measurable outcomes, and support fulfillment of elected and appointed leadership responsibilities.

Work collaboratively with elected and appointed leadership and key staff throughout APA.

Provides analysis and projections of future initiatives and expenses.

Use diplomatic and mediation skills to supervise and guide the facilitation of relevant elected and appointed leadership activities to drive dialogue, agendas, and outcomes towards action consistent with APA's strategic priorities.

Develop annual strategic plans to focus relevant board/committees' work to align with strategic priorities and comply with all written policies and procedures.

Maintain a thorough understanding of APA's strategic priorities, objectives, and bench of experts, convene staff expertise where needed to advance a focused agenda, and coordinate elected and appointed efforts and expertise, as appropriate.

Collaborate within the Governance Office and across the association to establish decision-making criteria to support the prioritization and reprioritization of initiatives.

Partner with executive staff and elected and appointed leadership to provide guidance and strategic insight, design strategic agendas, facilitate productive conversations toward measurable outcomes, and support the fulfillment of elected and appointed leadership responsibilities.

Promote cross-board/committee visibility by identifying and highlighting opportunities to streamline or complement efforts.

Facilitate and support consultative relationships among the Board of Directors Liaison to BAPPI, the BAPPI Chair, and the Directorate Chief.

Responsible for meeting agenda books and minutes, coordination of meeting logistics, and tracking budgets.

Serve as ambassador of APA to elected and appointed leadership, curating priorities, efforts, and accomplishments to sustain visibility and understanding of association work and supporting the association's delivery of a unified voice, narrative, and experience to this important audience.

May represent APA to members and outside organizations, as appropriate.

Other Duties as Assigned.

About APA:

The American Psychological Association (APA) represents 122,000 psychologists, students, and affiliates, primarily in the U.S. and Canada but also in other countries around the world. APA is a scientific and professional organization with about 500 employees and is categorized as a 501(c)(3) along with its 501(c)(6) companion organization, APA Services, Inc.

Job Location: Remote: APA jobs may be considered for remote work eligibility as defined in APA's Flexible Work Policy and are subject to approval. Remote work employees may not work from the following states or U.S. territories: Alaska, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, Wyoming.

Application Instructions:

Qualified candidates must apply online through APA's applicant system and attach a resume and cover letter specifying your salary expectations. Applications that are submitted without both documents are considered incomplete and will not be reviewed for consideration. Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. Please make sure to check your Spam folder if you do not receive an email from us.

The American Psychological Association is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected categories covered under local law.

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Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)