Application Guide

How to Apply for National Council for Mental Wellbeing Membership & Business Operations Specialist

at Positively Partners

🏢 About Positively Partners

The National Council for Mental Wellbeing is a leading membership organization that drives policy and social change for over 3,200 mental health and substance use treatment organizations. Working here means contributing to a mission that impacts more than 15 million people annually, with a focus on advocacy, capacity building, and promoting mental wellbeing as a core component of health. The remote-first culture and collaborative team environment offer flexibility while making a tangible difference.

About This Role

This role is the operational backbone of the Business & Strategy portfolio, supporting proposal management, membership operations, and senior leadership coordination. You'll ensure smooth execution of multiple simultaneous projects, maintain CRM data integrity, and help the organization scale its impact by streamlining processes. Your work directly enables the National Council to advocate effectively and build capacity for mental health providers nationwide.

💡 A Day in the Life

You might start your day by checking emails and responding to member inquiries via CRM. Mid-morning, you'd update an Excel dashboard tracking proposal deadlines and coordinate with team members on document formatting. After lunch, you could support a senior leader by scheduling meetings and preparing reports, then spend the afternoon cleaning CRM data or building a new template for an upcoming grant submission.

🎯 Who Positively Partners Is Looking For

  • A self-starter with 3-5 years of experience in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization, comfortable working independently and managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
  • Highly proficient in Excel (e.g., pivot tables, VLOOKUPs) and experienced with CRM platforms (Microsoft Dynamics preferred) for data management and reporting.
  • Detail-oriented and organized, with a track record of coordinating cross-team projects, tracking deliverables, and maintaining dashboards.
  • Excellent communicator who can serve as a responsive point of contact for member inquiries and support senior leadership with scheduling and documentation.

📝 Tips for Applying to Positively Partners

1

Tailor your resume to highlight specific examples of managing multiple projects simultaneously, especially in a nonprofit or health setting. Use numbers to quantify impact (e.g., 'Managed 10+ concurrent proposals with 95% on-time delivery').

2

In your cover letter, explicitly mention your proficiency with Excel and CRM platforms, and provide an example of how you used data to improve a process or report.

3

Research the National Council's current policy priorities (e.g., mental health parity, workforce development) and reference them to show genuine interest in their mission.

4

Since the role is remote, emphasize your experience with virtual collaboration tools (Teams, Zoom) and your ability to stay productive without direct supervision.

5

Prepare a brief portfolio or example of a dashboard or template you've created (if possible) to demonstrate your organizational and technical skills.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your passion for mental health advocacy and alignment with the National Council's mission to support treatment organizations.", "Concrete examples of how you've supported proposal management, membership operations, or executive coordination in past roles.", "Your technical skills in Excel and CRM, with an emphasis on how you've used them to improve efficiency or reporting.", 'Your ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a remote environment, with specific examples of successful multitasking.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • Review the National Council's website, especially their policy agenda and recent advocacy wins (e.g., 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, mental health parity enforcement).
  • Read their latest annual report to understand their membership growth, programs, and financial health.
  • Familiarize yourself with their member resources and training programs (e.g., Mental Health First Aid, trauma-informed care initiatives).
  • Look up recent news articles or press releases about the National Council to understand current challenges and opportunities in mental health policy.
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe a time you managed multiple proposals or projects simultaneously. How did you prioritize and ensure deadlines were met?
2 How have you used CRM data to generate reports or inform decision-making? Walk us through a specific example.
3 This role supports senior leadership. How do you handle scheduling and communication with busy executives?
4 What experience do you have with membership organizations? How would you handle a frustrated member inquiry?
5 How do you stay organized and productive while working remotely? What tools or systems do you use?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't submit a generic cover letter that doesn't reference the National Council's specific mission or this role's dual focus on proposals and membership operations.
  • Avoid downplaying your Excel skills; this role requires high proficiency, so be honest and prepared to demonstrate if asked.
  • Don't neglect to mention remote work experience or your home office setup; the hiring manager needs to trust you can be productive independently.

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Positively Partners!