Project Manager II, PIC, Veterans Association Care Navigation Training

Position Summary

The Practice Improvement and Consulting Department (PIC) is central to the National Council's goal of providing timely and meaningful technical assistance and consulting to community mental health and substance use services organizations and other key stakeholders.

The Project Manager II will play a crucial role in the Practice Improvement and Consulting (PIC) Department, managing complex projects to achieve strategic goals. This position requires a highly skilled individual with a proven record of effectively managing project planning and execution, collaborating with diverse stakeholders, and delivering high-quality results.

This is an individual contributor role without any direct reports. While this position can be done remotely from anywhere in the U.S., you may occasionally travel to our Washington, D.C. office. Business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

Project Summary

This position within the PIC department supports the Veterans Association Care Navigation Training project, part of the broader Project Safeguard initiative led by the Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce and prevent suicide among Veterans. Clear Vantage Point Solutions (CVPS), the prime contractor, identified the need for specialized training for community-based, Veteran-centered care navigators to aid pilot implementation in selected sites such as community mental health clinics and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs). As a subcontractor, the National Council will design and deliver this pilot training program, ensuring Veterans experiencing suicidality can quickly connect with trained navigators who help them access mental health and substance use services across VA and community settings, ultimately building a wraparound system of care that reduces barriers and supports suicide prevention.

This position is contingent upon continued project funding. After the end of the 1-year initiative, or if there are changes in project funding, there may be the possibility to extend or to shift to support additional projects in the PIC department.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of project management processes, tools, and protocols for assigned projects
• Facilitate collaboration across National Council programs and initiatives to optimize resource utilization, opportunities for collaboration and achieve shared objectives
• Mentor and support team members' development, contributing to a high-performing and collaborative team culture

Project Management

• Lead the development and implementation of complex project strategies and work plans, consulting Directors and Senior Directors for guidance as needed.
• Provide strategic guidance to Project Managers for less complex projects.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, timelines, and budgets.
• Monitor overall project performance and identify areas for improvement. Ensure adherence to project timelines, budgets, quality standards, and funder requirements.
• Conduct regular project reviews and communicate project status to internal and external stakeholders.

Technical Assistance Implementation

• Lead development and execution of technical assistance strategy where relevant.
• Facilitate and train Project Managers and Project Coordinators in facilitation of technical assistance events including welcoming presenters, moderating panels, and/or managing audience engagement.
• Build and manage relationships with subject matter experts.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Support relationship building with key stakeholders, including clients, partners, and internal teams.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external partners and consultants.
• Lead the development of partner and consultant contracts and scopes of work.
• Monitor partner and consultant performance and ensure timely submission of deliverables.
• Identify any risks or areas of concern with partner and consultant performance and mitigate directly with the parties.

Financial Management

• Manage complex project budgets, including monitoring of budget "spend down", identification of risks and opportunities supporting cost allocation strategies.
• Provide guidance and support to project managers and project coordinators in developing and managing their project budgets.
• Ensure adherence to financial policies, procedures, and regulations.

Quality Monitoring & Improvement

• Identify and develop data and evaluation strategies to ensure accurate and timely data collection, management, and reporting.
• Lead the project management team in implementation of evaluation and monitoring strategies.
• Manage performance monitoring and evaluation frameworks, including supporting the development and implementation of key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Support team in identifying trends, patterns, and insights from data and evaluation efforts to inform decision-making and strategic planning.
• Lead the development and maintenance of regular reporting, including progress reports, financial reports, and evaluation reports.
• Utilize data visualization techniques to communicate data and evaluation findings effectively.
• Provide guidance and support to team members on data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Technical Expertise

• Stay current on industry trends, best practices, and tools in project management.
• Leverage technical skills and knowledge to address complex project challenges.
• Produce high-quality deliverables, including reports, presentations, and training materials.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors' degree in related field required; public health, mental health and substance use services with 4-6 years of project management experience, or Masters' degree with 2-4 years of experience.
• Background in public health, mental health and substance use services or related fields is desirable.
• Familiarity with grant writing and compliance requirements.
• Experience building and managing workplans to meet deadlines and respond to stakeholder needs.
• Experience with program evaluation, data analysis, and reporting.
• Experience with in-person and virtual meeting planning and coordination.
• High level proficiency in Microsoft Office-MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Exceptional written, oral, and interpersonal skills.
• Results-oriented with a high attention to detail.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in virtual meeting/collaboration, project management, and survey software (e.g., Zoom, Teams, Asana, Survey Monkey, Higher Logic).
• Ability to quickly learn new software platforms and programs.
• Ability to travel up to 20%.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing training and technical assistance programs in the behavioral health field.
• Experience managing large federal or philanthropy grants and/or contracts with multiple external partners.
• Experience in the mental health and substance use field.
• PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or other professional project management-related certification.

Salary & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $98,730 to $120,665. Salary decisions within the range are based on experience, education and internal equity.

The National Council offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes (but is not limited to):

• Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer contributions after 1 year of service
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick, personal, floating holiday, bereavement and observed federal holidays
• Parental support benefits, including adoption, fertility and surrogacy reimbursement and two weeks paid parental leave
• Free unlimited Relias professional development courses
• Annual professional development and tuition reimbursement funds
• Calm Premium access

About Us

The vision of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing is to make mental wellbeing, including recovery from substance use challenges, a reality for everyone. Despite overwhelming need, nearly 30 million people across the U.S. do not have access to comprehensive mental health and substance use treatment.

Founded in 1969, the National Council is a 501(c)(3) membership organization that drives policy and social change on behalf of more than 3,200 mental health and substance use treatment organizations and the more than 15 million children, adults and families they serve. We advocate for policies to ensure equitable access to high-quality services. We build the capacity of mental health and substance use treatment organizations. And we promote greater understanding of mental wellbeing as a core component of comprehensive health and health care. Through our Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) program, we have trained more than 4.5 million people in the U.S. to identify, understand and respond to signs and symptoms of mental health and substance use challenges.

The National Council is growing to meet this moment. We've more than doubled our dedicated team to 240+ employees since 2020. Although we have office space in Washington, D.C., we operate as a remote-first organization, with employees working from their various locations across the United States.

The National Council is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We embrace individuals from all backgrounds and perspectives, welcoming people of all races, ethnicities, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and ages, as well as veterans, people with disabilities, and those with lived experiences in mental health and substance use challenges to apply. We are committed to fostering a welcoming environment and recruitment process for everyone. If you require accommodation during the application process, please contact us at Recruiter@thenationalcouncil.org.