Project Manager, Practice Improvement and Consulting

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.

As directed by the Senior Director/Director, PIC, you will provide project management support for multiple initiatives to maximize value on consulting and practice improvement engagements, meet client/customer expectations, and support the development of deliverables for the benefit of the mental health and substance use services field. You will assist in the day-to-day operations of the department within the framework of the National Council's strategic goals and priorities. The ideal candidate for this role demonstrates a commitment to fostering inclusivity and equity, particularly by advocating for initiatives that challenge systemic inequalities, structural, and institutional biases, and privilege disparities within systems of care.

This is an individual contributor role without any direct reports. While this position can be done remotely from anywhere in the U.S., you must primarily work our Washington, D.C. business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

Project Summary

This position is expected to work across three projects. These projects include one focused on youth tobacco control work, another on the development of a youth-focused substance use curriculum, and the third on peer recovery services. Project assignments are subject to change based on the evolving needs of the projects, the department, and the organization.

Key Responsibilities

PIC Department Activities

• Develop and monitor work plans for projects of varying sizes and degrees of complexity; work with teams to execute projects and product development
• Monitor project finances, including the development of project budgets, staffing allocations and financial projections
• Manage relationships and collaborate with PIC staff, consultants and subcontractors, other National Council departments and both public/governmental and private external clients/customers
• Create new tools and processes, where needed, to support successful project management
• Manage project data and evaluation activities
• Interact with other team members, including task oversight and delegation, to develop and execute work plans
• Monitor performance and communicate areas of risk and opportunity to the project director and other National Council leadership, where appropriate
• Draft progress reports and other materials that describe project milestones and results
• Develop and/or curate technical assistance and educational resources that benefit the field; includes conducting research, synthesizing information and developing materials tailored to specific audiences
• Facilitate internal and external meetings as needed
• Provide project mentorship to coordinators and interns
• Present during webinars and meetings as needed
• Support proposal and business development efforts as needed

Organizational Activities – Participate in other National Council activities

• Participate in department, project and all staff meetings
• Travel on behalf of the National Council as needed
• Carry out other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors’ degree with minimum 3-5 years of project management experience, OR master’s degree with 2-4 or more years of experience.
• High level proficiency in Microsoft Office—MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint
• Exceptional written, oral, and interpersonal skills
• Able to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a dynamic and changing environment
• Proficiency in virtual meeting/collaboration, project management, and survey software (e.g., Zoom, Teams, Asana, Survey Monkey, Higher Logic)
• Ability to travel up to 20%

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in public health, social work, public administration, health administration, public policy, business, mental health and substance use services or related fields is desirable.
• Experience and/or academic knowledge of overdose prevention, tobacco control, youth, and/or substance use preferred.
• PMP or other certification project management certification

Salary & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $80,268 to $102,824. 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) pension plan with a 5% employer contribution and an additional up to 4% employer match (totaling up to 9% of annual salary)
• Paid time off, including vacation, sick, personal, floating holiday, bereavement, parental, federal holidays and a floating holiday
• Adoption, fertility and surrogacy reimbursement benefits
• Annual allowance for home office and personal wellness expenses
• Annual professional development and tuition reimbursement funds
• Free Calm Premium app subscription

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, high-quality, affordable mental health and substance use care when they need it.

Founded in 1969, the National Council is a 501(c)(3) membership organization that drives policy and social change on behalf of more than 3,400 mental health and substance use treatment organizations and the more than 10 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 3 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. With an annual budget of $80 million, we’ve more than doubled our dedicated team to 290+ 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. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) is a core organizational value. To this end, we have a DEIB staff committee and multiple Employee Resources Groups (ERGs). We embrace individuals from all backgrounds and perspectives, welcoming people of all races, ethnicities, religions, gender identities, gender expressions, sexual orientations, and ages to apply. We also encourage veterans, people with disabilities, and those with lived experiences in mental health and substance use challenges to apply. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and recruitment process for everyone. If you require accommodation during the application process, please contact us at