Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives, Executive Office

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives plays a pivotal role in bolstering the leadership effectiveness of the CEO and Medical Director and executive leadership team by facilitating strategic planning, initiating and supporting new strategic projects and processes, along with assisting in the design and development of enterprise level dashboards to monitor progress. The ideal candidate for this role will be expertly skilled in hands-on project management, innovative research initiatives, and development/execution of strategic priorities. The Senior Director actively engages, alongside the CEO and Medical Director and other key stakeholders, facilitating the advancement of the organization's mission and strategic priorities. Balancing long-term strategic vision with operational execution support, they assist leaders in identifying priorities, defining focus areas, and strategically aligning their time to achieve desired outcomes, while shaping objectives, KPIs, and financial goals. Central to their responsibilities is ensuring meticulous tracking and follow-through on action items, thereby enhancing organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Additionally, strong PowerPoint presentation development skills, exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication capabilities as well as strong data and analytic acumen will be critical success enablers for this position. Moreover, the Senior Director spearheads the creation and coordination of precise, timely communications around strategic priorities emanating from the CEO's office, addressing both internal and external audiences. This role necessitates the capacity to make sensitive and pivotal judgment calls that mirror the standards and priorities of the CEO's office, underscoring the indispensable nature of their contributions. The ideal candidate possesses a robust ability to collaborate with other executive team members and leaders, leveraging diverse perspectives to drive collective success. Suited for self-starters committed to advancing organizational goals, this role demands individuals who thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments, embodying adaptability and resilience in the pursuit of excellence.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner with Senior Leadership to lead and facilitate annual strategic planning efforts through research, operational and financial data collection and analysis, and development of KPI's/OKR's while articulating clear processes and timelines. Engage key stakeholders, socialize processes, and ensure follow-up.
• Advise on long-term, cross-organizational projects, ensuring timely deliverables, resolving bottlenecks, and modifying business processes for efficiency.
• Ensure effective tracking and reporting of priorities and strategic agenda, overseeing and improving internal systems.
• Guide and support Senior Leadership Team collaboration, developing meeting agendas, facilitating information flow, and troubleshooting challenges.
• Act as adviser to the CEO and senior management, streamlining access to information and facilitating decision-making.
• Coordinate strategic initiatives, ensuring responsive follow-up on priorities and managing resources efficiently.
• Identifies opportunities for innovation across APA/APAF.
• Identifies, researches and proactively sources potential APA partnerships to advance the association's strategic initiatives.
• Build out CANVAS and business cases for new ideas
• Assess inquiries to the CEO, delegate as necessary, and follow through on action items, including data collection, report writing, and presentations.
• Participate in high-level meetings and conferences, interpreting and ensuring the execution of administrative decisions and policies.
• Utilize planning data to develop and evaluate programs, identifying management improvement needs and implementing recommendations.
• Prepares the CEO/Medical Director for internal and external meetings through the development of presentations, talking points, speeches and other back up and informational materials while ensuring timely and thorough follow up on discussed items.
• Serves as an extension of CEO at forums, events, etc., as needed.
• Act for the CEO as assigned, representing the APA at meetings and events to further organizational goals.
• Work in coordination with CEO and Senior Director Human Resources to drive organizational culture changes across the organization.
  
  
  
  • Drive change initiatives related to operational excellence.
  • Align structure to organizational strategic goals.
  • Ensure leaders are equipped with core management toolbox.
  
  
  
  
• Creates agendas and facilitates executive leadership meetings and retreats in CEO's absence; ensures follow through on action items.
• Researches key interest areas for APA and CEO.
• Performs other duties as assigned for the office of the CEO and its operations.

COMPETENCIES

The Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives, Executive Office's performance on these duties and responsibilities will be measured using the following competencies:

SCOPE & IMPACT

• Oversees the functions, projects, research, analysis and activities of Office of the CEO/Medical Director
• Contributes expert knowledge of APA, healthcare policy, and processes as they relate to goals and objectives of APA's mission, strategic priorities and CEO.
• Leads and coordinates strategic projects across the association.
• Participates in the development of strategic and business plans for the CEO/Medical Director and the CEO Office.
• Applies knowledge and extensive experience to achieve the goals and objectives of the executive office and association.
• Demonstrates mastery of skills and techniques utilized in the department or program and is recognized as expert in the field, both inside and outside of APA
• Success is frequently measured by metrics associated with completing the outputs of organizational strategic initiatives (projects, surveys, reports, etc.) and demonstrating mastery of highly complex and nuanced organizational work environment behaviors and standards established by the CEO/Medical Director.

COMPLEXITY, PROBLEM SOLVING & DECISION-MAKING

• Develop systems and tools for collecting metrics to enable faster executive decisions, using data, analytics, and technology to improve and scale measurement, reporting, and business processes.
• Work is performed with wide latitude in making decisions within the limits of overall policies, precedents, and guidelines.
• Decisions and actions have a considerable impact on Executive Office operations and may affect other departments as well.
• Will actively participate in budgeting and expense monitoring activities for the Executive Office.
• Consults with executive leadership for decisions involving major policy, practice or budgetary issues.
• Identifies novel and complex problems and issues.
• Problem analyses include reviewing alternative solutions and developing likely outcomes.

RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT & AUTHORITY

• Relationships span levels internally and externally and center on advancing strategic relationships critical to the achievement of APA'S mission.
• Advanced diplomatic skills are used to persuade key decision-makers to take recommended but sometimes controversial actions.
• Utilizes diplomacy, innovation and creativity when resolving non-routine matters that impact achievement of departmental goals and objectives.
• Collaborates with outside organizations, consultants, vendors, and other organizational partners in a manner that demonstrates expert knowledge of the department or program as well as an advanced knowledge of the organization as a whole.
• May lead discussions on behalf of executives.

ORGANIZATIONAL KNOWLEDGE

• Demonstrates a broad knowledge of entire organization and external factors of importance to business strategy and uses knowledge to assist in the development and execution of business strategy.

SUPERVISION

• May manage or mentor CEO Office staff.

REQUIRED SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND QUALIFICATIONS

• BA/BS and at least 10 years of relevant experience and/or sufficient relevant work experience. Master's or advanced degree preferred.
• Experience in membership associations is preferred.
• Experience working at or directly with C-Suite level executives and facilitating strategic discussions and decision-making processes.
• Experience planning and leading strategic initiatives, including strategic investment process and budget planning.
• Effective project management skills, PMP certification or similar certification preferred.
• Strong data analysis, research, and budget management skills.
• Knowledge of mental health and substance use issues, highly preferred.
• Understanding of federal and state regulatory processes, federal regulatory bodies that monitor and implement health programs, healthcare policy development and the administrative structure of funding sources for government agencies, highly preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing executive communications, summaries and briefings.
• Proven track record for developing and managing project from inception to implementation.
• Self-motivated, able to work independently, as well as leading cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Normal demands associated with an office environment.
• Ability to work on computer for prolonged periods, communicate with individuals by telephone, email, and face to face.
• Occasional lifting of up to 25 lbs.
• Some travel to local and out of town meetings with CEO. Travel to the APA Annual Meeting, APA Assembly Meeting, and other meetings required.
• Weekend attendance required for Board Meetings (3 per year) and Assembly Meetings (3 per year).

EOE, including disability/vets

Salary-$137,800 - $219,200