Senior Director of Professional Training and Readiness

American Psychological Association•Washington, DC

11d•$165,000 - $259,000•Remote

About The Position

The Senior Director of Professional Training and Readiness leads and helps shape APA’s portfolio focused on preparing individuals for entry into and effective practice within the psychology profession. The role advances pathway programs, supervised training quality, postdoctoral and early-career support, and practice-focused resources that strengthen readiness across psychology roles and sectors. This role represents education and is part of the Psychology Team. The Psychology Team is APA’s in-house source of disciplinary expertise. It advances, communicates, and applies psychological science to benefit society and improve lives, while helping to strengthen a more unified, coordinated field of psychology in service of the human condition.

Requirements

Doctoral degree in health service psychology required
Mid-career scholar with a minimum of 12-15 years postdoctoral experience
At least five years’ experience in psychology education, training, or professional preparation
Experience serving as a program director within health service psychology
Management skills including strategic planning, fiscal, administrative, and personnel management
Demonstrated leadership skills and public speaking skills
Evidence of national recognition and reputation within psychology education, training, supervised practice, or professional readiness communities
Strong statistical and data analysis skills, with the ability to interpret and use data to inform strategy, program development, and decision-making
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; excellent interpersonal skills; excellent policy analysis skills
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft office, email programs, and virtual meetings

Nice To Haves

a background in neuropsychology is preferred
Openness to using AI tools to support work efficiently and thoughtfully is preferred

Responsibilities

Provides leadership and oversight of APA’s professional training and readiness portfolio, with a focus on preparing individuals for entry into and effective functioning within the psychology profession across roles and sectors.
Designs and helps shape the vision, scope, and priorities of the portfolio, including identifying what programs, partnerships, and supports are needed to advance professional training and readiness. Leads programs and projects that strengthen pathway programs to and through graduate education, bridge-to-career programs, applied and practice readiness, postdoctoral experience and support, and preparation for careers in health, education, industry, policy, and research translation.
Represents education in psychology in policy and program development venues (meetings, conferences, workshops, ) and to other professionals consistent with APA activities and policies (e.g., other education organizations, higher education organizations, federal agency personnel, members of Congress). Prepares presentations, comments and reports.
Curates and disseminates information about promising practices and national trends in professional training and readiness, including pathway programs to and through graduate education, bridge-to-career programs, supervised training quality, practice and internship alignment, postdoctoral programs and support, competency frameworks, workforce entry, and early-career transitions. Translates research into practice and develops practice-focused resources, guidance, and tools that help programs, trainees, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career psychologists apply psychology effectively in real-world contexts.
Serves as APA’s lead contact and liaison to key groups connected to professional training, supervised education and training, postdoctoral programs and support, and early-career development, including graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, early-career psychologists, and assigned training associations.
Serves as the doctoral consultant to APA governance groups, including the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) and the Committee on Early Career Psychologists (CECP), providing subject matter expertise and staff support related to doctoral education, training, and professional readiness.
Lead or serve on teams convened in support of advancing APA’s strategic priorities for education.
Responsible for administrative tasks, personnel management, and development, management, and monitoring of the portfolio budget.
Other Duties as Assigned: To be determined by supervisor