Program Manager, Office of Scientific Programs

POSITION SUMMARY

The Program Manager for Scientific Programs assists the Director in the planning and coordinating of all activities related to the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Annual Meeting and Mental Health Services Conference (MHSC). The program manager will work in the Office of Scientific Programs (OSP) which is responsible for the development and implementation of the educational content of these two meetings. Primary responsibilities for this position includes the direct management of projects associated with the planning committees, assisting with adherence of production timelines, coordinating with the Office of CME, and assisting with various departmental tasks as assigned. The Project Manager is also responsible for assisting the Director and Associate Director with developing, administering, and implementing administrative procedures and operational methods for the efficient functioning of all Annual Meeting and Mental Health Services Conference activities and ensuring that ACCME guidelines are followed.

 DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for assisting the Director with planning and executing all programmatic aspects of the Annual Meeting and Mental Health Services Conference 
  • Creates and tracks detailed work plans which identify and sequence the activities needed to successfully implement the meetings/conferences noted above. Work plans cover topics including session scheduling, room assignment, acquiring faculty materials, abstract solicitation, and other work plans as assigned.
  • Uses project management approaches to ensure that meeting/conference initiatives adhere to project milestones, scope, and policies. 
  • Consults with the Director and the Division of Education Business Manager on the processing of all SPC reimbursement requests and ensures that faculty and committee members adhere to budget/travel related policies.
  • Provides organizational support to the Director of Scientific Programs including drafting and reviewing documentation, organizing internal and external meetings, maintaining accurate records and schedules, and communicating with our scientific program committees.
  • Subcommittee staff liaison for the Scientific Program Committee, manages committee calls and invitation letters.
  • Technical support and management of abstract database system.  
  • Provide onsite support to member attendees, faculty, and program committee members. 
• Other duties as assigned

COMPETENCIES

The Program Manager’s performance on these duties and responsibilities will be measured using the following competencies:

SCOPE & IMPACT

• Performs tasks that significantly impact the Office of Scientific Programs and require the ability to gather, organize, verify, compose, and/or analyze established concepts, policies, and procedures to complete several multistep functions
• Responsible for specific daily activities for a body of work or publication
• Demonstrates proficiency in the use of specialized skills and techniques
• Independently manages development of smaller in-person educational activities from planning to execution, with status reports to the Director of the Office of Scientific Programs and Chief of the Division of Education
• Takes responsibility for specific components of the Annual Meeting and Mental Health Services Conference, ensuring timely and effective completion of all relevant deliverables
• Success is frequently measured by completing a complex set of tasks and demonstrating complex and nuanced individual and group work environment behaviors

COMPLEXITY, PROBLEM SOLVING & DECISION-MAKING

• Exercises judgment to choose a work method/procedure and to schedule tasks appropriately to meet guidelines
• Must demonstrate sound decision-making in a range of situations 
• Has authority to make decisions relevant to day-to-day operations
• Identifies complex problems and issues.  Designs and implements solutions with management approval
• Recognizes out-of-scope problems and escalates them to the appropriate level
• Reviews departmental timelines to ensure all tasks are on schedule and escalates concerns of delays as needed

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT & AUTHORITY

• Relationships span levels internally and externally and center on collaborative work efforts
• Has regular contact with outside partners and organizations
• Has extensive contact with management, staff, and colleagues across departments to identify, learn, explain, and report on key issues, trends, and challenges
• Uses diplomatic skills to obtain trust, cooperation, and understanding in order to resolve more complex problems
• May represent the organization as a liaison to APA governance and other external coalitions and audiences with guidance from supervisor
• Effectively manages committees/subcommittees planning the content for Annual Meeting and Mental Health Services Conference

ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE

• Demonstrates a full understanding of the relationships and responsibilities within the department
• Demonstrates a thorough working knowledge of policies, procedures, and terminology of the related department/field
• Recognizes when current knowledge of departmental policies is insufficient to address current needs and either escalates inquiry or seeks clarification and/or additional information to better assist member

REQUIRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND QUALIFICATIONS  

• BA/BS preferred with at least 5 years of relevant experience
• Project Management certification and a minimum of two years related work experience. Work experience to include planning and executing projects, assisting with multiple complex projects, strong project management skills with attention to detail. 
• Experience with educational and/or mental health programs is preferred. 
• Experience with project management, event management, and/or abstract management software is preferred. 
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a team member and excellent organizational communication skills. Proficiency using the Microsoft Office Suite.

EOE, including disability/vets