Career Center

Grant Funded

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the nation’s leading advocacy organization for children’s healthcare, is seeking a collaborative communicator with strong writing skills to manage the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funded cooperative agreement Innovations in Access to Care for Children and Youth with Epilepsy (CYE) work plan. The individual in this role will engage internal and external stakeholders to support state epilepsy grantees in their efforts to enhance access to services for CYE; promote a collaborative team-based model of care for CYE; facilitate the development and dissemination of best practices designed to bridge primary and subspecialty care through telemedicine; build knowledge, skills, and cultural competency in the care and transitions of CYE; and track progress related to program objectives.

Hybrid working arrangement of 40% on-site at our Chicago suburb headquarters in Itasca, IL.

All AAP employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19; requests for a medical or religious accommodation regarding this vaccination can be submitted for consideration upon an offer of employment.

Some tasks include:

1. Manage the infrastructure to operate as a coordinating center and forge strategic partnerships with multi-disciplinary stakeholders including the state epilepsy project grantees, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)/Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) staff, and other internal and external groups which support the advancement of patient-centered family care for CYE and access to essential medical, social and community services.
2. Convene and facilitate a national CYE Advisory Committee (AC) and its associated workgroups. Organize meetings/calls, develop agendas, prepare minutes/reports, create a work plan/ performance management tool to guide and measure progress in meeting established metrics for success.
3. Meet regularly with the HRSA/MCHB Project Officer and participate in various national and state epilepsy meetings that serve as a direct communication and knowledge sharing interface between primary care, subspecialty care, policy makers, educators, families, medical home advocates, and community leaders who collectively can serve as change agents in advancing access to services for CYE.
4. Compile materials and information related to the project grantees and provide technical assistance related to same. Enhance the repository of resources that serve the needs of project grantees, health care providers, and families. Coordinate and participate in the development and review of program materials (eg, resource manual, training tools, sample project protocols) and promotional materials (eg, newsletter and email distribution lists, articles, flyers, and brochures).
5. Manage the cooperative agreement budget, prepare all requisite progress reports, and work with the Public Affairs staff to highlight progress and promote avenues for stakeholder engagement.
6. Collaborate with relevant AAP groups including the Section on Neurology (SONu), the National Resource Center for Patient/Family Centered Medical Home, Council on Children with Disabilities, and others to create a virtual community of learners around CYE, promote opportunities for mentoring and education, dissemination of best practices, and adoption of consensus strategies applicable to workforce and training.
7. Work with the program leadership to host bi-monthly grantee conference calls, including agenda development, minutes preparation and dissemination, and action item follow-up.
8. Work with the QI and Evaluation Manager, HRSA/MCHB, and state programs to plan and implement process and outcome evaluation and coordinate the analysis and dissemination of results.
9. Respond to inquiries and correspondence from program collaborators, AAP fellows and other physicians, allied health professionals, governmental agencies, higher education institutions, and other organizations regarding program activities.
10. Meet with the program stakeholders on an as needed basis to ensure optimal consistency, efficiency, and viability of the program.
11. Disseminate program outcomes and successes via conference presentations, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and other communications platforms.
12. Develop, implement, and evaluate epilepsy-related educational programming for health care professionals, utilizing the ECHO model when appropriate. Oversee the provision of continuing medical education (CME) and/or maintenance of certification (MOC) credits for those participating in educational programs.
13. Supervise and mentor assigned staff. Encourage a work environment that promotes inclusion and belonging of all staff. Support ongoing staff development, help set objectives, and evaluate performance, and promote and enhance staff capacity in skills necessary to achieve goals. Ensure staff operate in a fiscally prudent manner, maintain confidentiality, operate with the highest ethical standards, and provide excellent service to members and volunteers.
14. Perform all other duties as assigned for the success of the grant.

Qualifications needed:

1. Bachelor’s degree in public health, health administration, public administration, health policy, education or related discipline or an equivalent combination of relevant education and work experience required. Master’s degree preferred.
2. At least three years’ related experience in public health program coordination/management required, including fiscal/budget responsibility and supervising staff or serving as a team lead, preferably in a medical association, state public health agency, or national advocacy organization. Experience with public health planning and administration, technology and telemedicine, learning collaboratives, grants management, and supervising staff desirable.
3. Excellent organizational, interpersonal, diplomacy, project management, critical thinking, leadership, and verbal/written communication skills required. Strong technical acumen essential with proficiency in MS Office (Word and Excel) and database management and the ability to learn and apply new technologies; knowledge of web maintenance software (eg, SharePoint) and virtual meeting platforms (eg, WebEx, Teams) preferred. Must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously, work both independently and as part of a team, take initiative, collaborate effectively with various internal and external constituents, and promote and maintain a positive and cooperative team-oriented work environment with a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Some travel and weekend work required, as well as the ability to be flexible with work schedule in order to accommodate members’ availability.

To learn more about the organization, see a full job description, and/or apply for the position, please visit https://www.aap.org/employment.

The AAP offers an excellent work environment, competitive salary, and a comprehensive benefits package. As a reaffirmation to our employee-focused culture, since 2005 the AAP has been named one of the 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Chicagoland area. Additionally, we are an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities, Females, Individuals with Disabilities, and Veterans that values the strength diversity brings to our workplace.

Reasonable Accommodation: Individuals with a disability in need of a reasonable accommodation regarding the job application process may call 630-626-6297. Please note, only those inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will receive a response. ?