What are the responsibilities and job description for the Manager, State Advocacy & Engagement position at American Psychological Association?
Note: APA operates on a 37.5-hour work week with one-hour lunch breaks each day. APA sets salaries based on several considerations, including years of relevant experience, level of education, and previous staff and/or governance experience at APA.
The Advocacy Office leads APA’s federal and state advocacy strategy, advancing psychology’s priorities through government relations, public policy engagement, grassroots mobilization, coalition-building, and strategic partnerships to shape policies impacting mental health, healthcare, education, science, and professional practice.
The Manager, State Advocacy & Engagement leads strategic engagement and advocacy support efforts with APA’s 60 State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations (SPTAs). This role advances coordinated state-level advocacy initiatives, strengthens affiliate relationships, and ensures alignment between national and state priorities.
The Manager supports key internal and external advocacy resources, and supports the operational and engagement needs of CESPPA—the Conference of Executive Directors of State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations. The Manager provides administrative oversight for SPTA grant programs, which includes the SPTA Advocacy Grant Program and the SPTA Operations Grant Program.
This position is matrixed to the Deputy Chief of Public Policy & Engagement and plays a central role in fostering strong partnerships, facilitating collaboration across leadership groups, and driving consistent communication to advance shared advocacy goals. The Manager also provides staff support for the annual Practice and SPTA Leaders Conference (PSLC), helping to coordinate programming, logistics, and stakeholder engagement.
Education And Experience Required
Strategic Engagement & Affiliate Relations
The American Psychological Association (APA) represents 146,000 psychologists, students, and affiliates, primarily in the U.S. and Canada but also in other countries around the world. APA is a scientific and professional organization with about 500 employees and is categorized as a 501(c)(3) along with its 501(c)(6) companion organization, APA Services, Inc.
APA offers a generous employee benefits program, including Remote Work/Flexible Scheduling; a 401(k) option with employer match of up to 4%; medical, dental, and vision insurance options and an outpatient mental health benefit; paid personal/vacation time plus 12 paid holidays; Family/Medical Leave; tuition assistance; an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); short- and long-term disability insurance; and more.
Job Location: Remote: APA jobs may be considered for remote work eligibility as defined in APA’s Flexible Work Policy and are subject to approval. Remote work employees may not work from the following states or U.S. territories: Alaska, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, Wyoming.
Application Instructions
Qualified candidates must apply online through APA’s applicant system and attach a resume and cover letter specifying your salary expectations. Applications that are submitted without both documents are considered incomplete and will not be reviewed for consideration. Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. Please make sure to check your Spam folder if you do not receive an email from us.
The American Psychological Association is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected categories covered under local law.
The Advocacy Office leads APA’s federal and state advocacy strategy, advancing psychology’s priorities through government relations, public policy engagement, grassroots mobilization, coalition-building, and strategic partnerships to shape policies impacting mental health, healthcare, education, science, and professional practice.
The Manager, State Advocacy & Engagement leads strategic engagement and advocacy support efforts with APA’s 60 State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations (SPTAs). This role advances coordinated state-level advocacy initiatives, strengthens affiliate relationships, and ensures alignment between national and state priorities.
The Manager supports key internal and external advocacy resources, and supports the operational and engagement needs of CESPPA—the Conference of Executive Directors of State, Provincial, and Territorial Psychological Associations. The Manager provides administrative oversight for SPTA grant programs, which includes the SPTA Advocacy Grant Program and the SPTA Operations Grant Program.
This position is matrixed to the Deputy Chief of Public Policy & Engagement and plays a central role in fostering strong partnerships, facilitating collaboration across leadership groups, and driving consistent communication to advance shared advocacy goals. The Manager also provides staff support for the annual Practice and SPTA Leaders Conference (PSLC), helping to coordinate programming, logistics, and stakeholder engagement.
Education And Experience Required
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- Master’s degree is preferred (psychology, public health, political science, or public policy, or a related field, for example). In lieu of Master’s degree, a minimum of four years of progressively responsible experience is required.
- Three to five years of experience in advocacy, project management, or in a scientific, research, or health-focused organization. Relevant experience acquired as part of academic programs will be considered.
- Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated ability to build relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
- Experience with grant administration or program oversight preferred.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and solutions-focused.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
- High-level competency with virtual meeting technologies (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams).
- Demonstrated expertise in utilizing artificial intelligence tools (e.g., Copilot, ChatGPT) to support workflow optimization and strategic communications.
Strategic Engagement & Affiliate Relations
- In coordination with Deputy Chief of State Advocacy, support coordinated engagement efforts with SPTA leaders to strengthen advocacy capacity and partnership alignment.
- Support relationship-building initiatives that promote collaboration, information-sharing, and strategic alignment across affiliates.
- Facilitate communication between APA staff and SPTA leadership to ensure clarity, responsiveness, and shared understanding of advocacy priorities.
- Provide administrative support for two SPTA grant programs, including application processes, review coordination, tracking, compliance, reporting, and evaluation.
- Manage grant timelines, communications, and documentation to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Manage advocacy-related projects and tools that support SPTAs, including resource hubs, dashboards, and tracking systems.
- Oversee timelines, stakeholder input, implementation, improvement, and evaluation of engagement products.
- Collaborate with internal teams to develop materials that enhance SPTA advocacy infrastructure and effectiveness.
- Provide operational support for the annual Practice and SPTA Leaders Conference, and other Advocacy conferences as needed.
- Provide staff support to the Deputy Chief of Public Policy and Engagement to manage CESPPA including
- Schedule CESPPA Executive Committee and bimonthly virtual meetings
- Respond to CESPPA member inquiries as needed
The American Psychological Association (APA) represents 146,000 psychologists, students, and affiliates, primarily in the U.S. and Canada but also in other countries around the world. APA is a scientific and professional organization with about 500 employees and is categorized as a 501(c)(3) along with its 501(c)(6) companion organization, APA Services, Inc.
APA offers a generous employee benefits program, including Remote Work/Flexible Scheduling; a 401(k) option with employer match of up to 4%; medical, dental, and vision insurance options and an outpatient mental health benefit; paid personal/vacation time plus 12 paid holidays; Family/Medical Leave; tuition assistance; an Employee Assistance Program (EAP); short- and long-term disability insurance; and more.
Job Location: Remote: APA jobs may be considered for remote work eligibility as defined in APA’s Flexible Work Policy and are subject to approval. Remote work employees may not work from the following states or U.S. territories: Alaska, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Montana, Nebraska, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, U.S. Virgin Islands, Washington, Wyoming.
Application Instructions
Qualified candidates must apply online through APA’s applicant system and attach a resume and cover letter specifying your salary expectations. Applications that are submitted without both documents are considered incomplete and will not be reviewed for consideration. Once your application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. Please make sure to check your Spam folder if you do not receive an email from us.
The American Psychological Association is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other protected categories covered under local law.