Position Purpose: The Program Associate, Beacon ensures the effective implementation and execution of the AACN Beacon Award Program, ensuring alignment with program and organizational objectives. This role serves as the principal internal authority for inquiries from customers and volunteer reviewers, exercising advanced problem-solving capabilities to resolve complex issues, streamline cross-functional processes, and optimize program workflows to ensure successful strategic outcomes.
Operating with a high level of autonomy, this role evaluates complex program requirements. It suggests initiatives to align with program and organizational goals, ensuring the operational optimization and continuous evaluation of the Beacon Award program. The position applies expertise to exercise discretion in decision-making on business matters affecting Beacon outcomes, focusing on administering program workflows, leading high-level communication, and making independent determinations to interpret guidelines and implement appropriate resolution pathways in varied and complex situations.
Collaborating with internal and external partners, this role implements and evaluates foundational processes, ensuring continuous optimization and alignment with program and organizational objectives. The position applies advanced problem-solving expertise to anticipate challenges and make independent determinations that enhance operational performance and ensure the delivery of positive program outcomes.
Engages in stakeholder engagement and resolution management with customers, subject matter experts, vendors, and business partners; applies analytical expertise to interpret requirements, prioritize requests, and exercise independent decision-making authority in determining appropriate resolution pathways.
Functions as a program authority between volunteer reviewers and AACN staff, supporting annual cycle coordination and operational optimization of the volunteer review activities to ensure successful program outcomes.
Serves as a program representative and cross-functional collaborator for the Beacon Program, driving operational optimization and outcomes through collaboration with Business Development, Strategic Advocacy, Digital, Integrated Marketing, Finance, Customer Care (CCD), and Mail Service and Fulfillment (ATS). This role supports initiatives to ensure the delivery of high-impact program outcomes and seamless operational continuity across the following key accountabilities:
Contributes to Beacon Award activities at the National Teaching Institute & Critical Care Exposition (NTI), including the planning for Beacon Award booth/areas, ensuring operational alignment within established deadlines.
Collaborates with Integrated Marketing to coordinate the development, governance, and approval of communications materials that effectively represent the Beacon Award Program.
Collaborates with Digital to coordinate the resolution of IT systems and integration challenges, ensuring seamless operational continuity and program-level process improvement.
Acts as the principal point of contact when interfacing with CCD and Finance on accounts payable/receivable matters, applying analytical expertise to adjudicate discrepancies and ensure financial resolution and compliance.
Designs, implements, and evaluates program systems to measure the scalable execution of key departmental initiatives; applies analytical expertise to shape programmatic enhancements and contribute to effective decision-making in tracking program successes and opportunities.
Supports budget development and documentation activities for the Beacon Award Program, utilizing historical data and future program objectives. In collaboration with program leadership, supports forecasting, variance analysis, and enterprise-level financial reporting and invoicing for departmental and development projects.
Coordinates multiple high-impact program or organizational initiatives, applying advanced problem-solving capability to identify necessary resources and adjustments as needed that ensure successful program outcomes.
Represents the Beacon Award program when collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders to plan, implement, and evaluate operational enhancements, driving continuous improvement to ensure the delivery of a seamless and high-impact program.
Other duties as assigned.
Ability to lead cross-functional coordination and communication with internal and external stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of strategic initiatives across projects.
Demonstrated independent judgment and problem-solving ability in managing timelines, resolving issues, and overseeing the execution of high-priority programs, including vendor and SME engagement.
Strong analytical and operational skills to oversee budget forecasting, variance analysis, and full-cycle invoicing in support of departmental financial goals.
Proven ability to evaluate, improve, and manage complex systems and workflows, ensuring efficient, scalable support for projects, technology tools, and internal communications.
Ability to manage project planning and execution expertise, with the ability to prioritize, implement, and track progress on concurrent projects aligned with departmental and organizational objectives.
Proficient in current technology to support business functions and efficiency (e.g., email, project tracking, written communication, and presentations). Specifically, proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Google, and Smartsheet.
Bachelor’s degree in a related field preferred.
Minimum 5 years of progressive relevant experience in a project or operations role with increasing responsibility, ideally gained in a healthcare, nonprofit, or mission-focused setting.
Experience working on projects requiring interaction with multiple team members.
Previous customer interaction experience and managing multiple priorities.
Demonstrated success managing multiple complex projects with cross-functional teams, including responsibility for timelines, working with stakeholders at all levels.
In addition to the responsibilities outlined in the job description, the following requirements represent the essential functions of this job, which must be met by an individual to perform successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. Upon request, the company will engage in an interactive process to identify and implement reasonable accommodations.
This position involves frequent sitting, standing, walking, and reaching, along with regular repetitive hand motions such as typing and mouse use. It requires prolonged periods of desk work and extensive use of standard office equipment. Occasional travel will be necessary.
To perform effectively, the individual must have sufficient visual acuity to read printed materials and digital screens, as well as the auditory ability to comprehend spoken communication. The role demands strong mental stamina to manage multiple tasks, solve problems, determine the appropriate course of action when making decisions, and interpret and apply both oral and written instructions. Regular communication and interaction across various platforms are essential, along with the ability to remain alert, focused, and responsive throughout the workday.
This position also requires proficiency in processing information, communicating across diverse platforms, and analyzing data to inform decision-making. The role involves proactive problem-solving and collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders to drive organizational objectives, achieve measurable results, and continuous improvement, with limited direct supervision.
Total Compensation:
The target pay range for this role is $63,088 - $78,860
** We offer a 37.5-hour workweek with 3 different schedule options. In addition to the salary range listed, we offer a wealth of benefits to make working at AACN even more rewarding. Benefits include generous paid time off, low-cost health plans for medical and mental health services, dental, and vision, company-paid life and short-term disability insurance, a variety of other benefits, and a retirement savings program with employer matching and additional company contribution. AACN is committed to a people-centered culture of workplace excellence and belonging, and offers various alternative and flexible work arrangements to support work/life balance for our team members.
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