National Council for Mental Wellbeing Project Director, Practice Improvement

Position Summary

As the Project Director, you will lead a national, multi-year training and technical assistance center funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that advances the integration of primary care and behavioral health. The center serves both SAMHSA grantees and the broader field, and delivers much of its work through a large network of partner organizations and consultants. You will not deliver technical assistance directly; instead, you will bring deep integrated care expertise to connect the goals of the federal grant to what is happening in the field, translating models, policy and evaluation findings into strategy that meets providers where they are.

You will also be the steady, decisive center of a highly collaborative team. Our team values reflection and connection, and looks to the Project Director to synthesize its thinking, set clear direction and move the work forward. You will partner closely with department leadership on the National Council’s vision for integrated care and serve as the primary liaison to federal project officers in a nationally visible, bipartisan environment.

This is an individual contributor role. In our matrixed structure, you will lead the day-to-day work of a multidisciplinary project team, while Directors, PI (People Managers) support team members’ overall growth and performance. While this position can be done remotely from anywhere in the U.S., you must occasionally accommodate our Washington, D.C. business hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

Key Responsibilities

Project Strategy & Delivery

• Lead the setting, reinforcing and iterating of project strategy and design throughout the project life cycle, in partnership with department leadership.

• Translate federal grant goals, evaluation findings and field needs into annual technical assistance plans for grantees and the broader field.

• Oversee development of project scope, work plans, schedules and budgets, and monitor progress against milestones and quality standards.

• Proactively identify risks, including shifts in federal priorities and funding, and develop mitigation strategies.

• Lead or oversee the project evaluation strategy and apply lessons learned to improve delivery.

Federal Grants & Financial Management

• Serve as the primary liaison to federal project officers, communicating directly and regularly and representing the National Council’s national visibility and bipartisan approach.

• Ensure compliance with all grant terms and conditions, including progress reporting to the funder.

• Integrate supplemental funding and new federal priorities into the project scope, work plan and budget as they arise.

• Monitor project budgets with Finance, support grant proposal development and develop strategies to maximize available funds and secure continued funding.

Partner & Contract Management

• Manage a high volume of external partnerships, including organizational partners and a rotating pool of consultants and small firms.

• Oversee procurement and contracting for agreements of varying size and scope, from developing scopes of work and budgets through performance monitoring and closeout.

• Identify gaps in content expertise or reach (for example, children, youth and families) and recruit new partners to address them.

Project Team Leadership

• Provide decisive, well-informed leadership for the project team: synthesize team input, set clear direction and delegate responsibilities so the work moves forward.

• Model execution and accountability, and build a strong sense of community within a virtual team.

• Supervise tasks and coach team members on their project work, in collaboration with Directors, PI (People Managers).

• Drive cross-functional collaboration and alignment with other National Council initiatives and departmental strategic priorities.

Required Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience managing complex, large-scale projects, including significant experience leading federally funded initiatives and project teams.

• Knowledge of integrated health and whole-person care required, with particular depth in primary care and behavioral health integration as defined by SAMHSA; deep expertise gained through direct work in integrated care settings or managing federally funded integrated care projects strongly preferred. Experience limited to other forms of integration (for example, mental health and substance use treatment) does not by itself meet this requirement.

• Experience managing large federal grants or contracts involving training and technical assistance, including direct communication with federal project officers.

• Experience managing a high volume of subcontracts, consultants and partner organizations, including procurement and the development of scopes of work and budgets.

• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary project teams and make timely, well-informed decisions in complex stakeholder environments.

• Experience developing and overseeing quality improvement, evaluation and performance measurement activities.

• Experience presenting to broad audiences and collaborating with federal agencies such as HHS, SAMHSA, HRSA or CMS.

• Comfort working at a fast pace in a nationally visible organization with evolving federal priorities and a high degree of scrutiny.

• Bachelor’s degree in project management, business, public health, mental health or a related field.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Understanding of integrated care models, implementation strategies, quality improvement methods, and financing and sustainability considerations.

• Experience working in or with a national organization.

• Master’s degree or PMP/PRINCE2 certification.

• Proficiency in project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Jira, Asana) and methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall).

Salary & Benefits

The salary range for this position is $140,000-$160,000. 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

Department Summary

The Practice Improvement (PI) department has grown rapidly and recently restructured to separate project direction from people management. In this structure, Project Directors lead the strategy and execution of the department’s projects, while dedicated People Managers focus on developing and supporting staff. This role reports to the Senior Director, PI, and leads a large, nationally visible federally funded project at a pivotal time for integrated care.

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

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