Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Administrative Coordinator

at NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

🏢 About NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization, deeply committed to advocacy, education, and support for individuals affected by mental illness. Working here means contributing to a mission-driven team that directly impacts millions of lives. NAMI's remote-first culture and focus on innovation with AI tools make it a modern, purpose-led workplace.

About This Role

As Senior Administrative Coordinator, you'll be the right hand to the National Director of Information Systems, managing their calendar, priorities, and communications to ensure smooth operations across technical teams. Your work directly enables the IS department to focus on advancing NAMI's technology infrastructure, which supports the organization's broader mental health mission.

💡 A Day in the Life

Your morning starts by reviewing the director's calendar and inbox, flagging urgent items and preparing briefing materials for upcoming meetings. Throughout the day, you'll coordinate with IS team leads to track project statuses, follow up on action items, and draft correspondence. You might use AI tools to summarize meeting notes or draft emails, ensuring the director's office runs efficiently so the team can focus on technology improvements.

🚀 Application Tools

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Is Looking For

  • You thrive on organizing complex calendars and inboxes, exercising sound judgment to prioritize what matters most for a busy director.
  • You have 1–2 years of experience in executive support or project coordination, with a track record of proactive follow-through on action items.
  • You're comfortable with productivity and AI-assisted tools (like Otter, Notion, or ChatGPT) to draft, summarize, and streamline workflows.
  • You handle confidential information with discretion and communicate clearly and professionally in writing.

📝 Tips for Applying to NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

1

Tailor your resume to highlight examples of calendar management, inbox triage, and cross-departmental coordination, not just generic administrative duties.

2

In your cover letter, mention specific AI or productivity tools you've used (e.g., scheduling with Calendly, summarizing with AI) and how they improved efficiency.

3

Since NAMI is a mental health nonprofit, connect your organizational skills to enabling the team to focus on mission-critical work—show you understand the bigger purpose.

4

Use the application to demonstrate your follow-through: if you reference a project, explain how you tracked action items and ensured completion.

5

Research NAMI's current technology initiatives (e.g., their website, data systems) and mention how your support could help advance those efforts.

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your ability to manage competing priorities and keep a director on track, using specific examples from past roles.', "Familiarity with AI-assisted tools and how you've used them to save time or improve accuracy in administrative tasks.", "Your commitment to NAMI's mission and understanding of how operational support contributes to mental health advocacy.", 'Discretion and professionalism when handling sensitive information, especially in a health-focused nonprofit.']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Read NAMI's latest annual report and strategic plan to understand their technology goals and current initiatives.
  • → Explore NAMI's blog or news section for recent updates on their advocacy work and how technology supports it.
  • → Look into the role of the Information Systems department—what systems do they manage (CRM, website, etc.)?
  • → Check NAMI's social media to see how they communicate their mission and any recent events or campaigns.
Visit NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)'s Website →

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How do you prioritize tasks when multiple urgent requests come in from different stakeholders?
2 Describe a time you used a productivity tool or AI to streamline a process. What was the outcome?
3 How would you handle a situation where you need to reschedule a critical meeting for the director?
4 What do you know about NAMI's current technology projects or challenges?
5 How do you ensure confidentiality when working with sensitive information, such as donor data or internal strategy?
Practice Interview Questions →

⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Don't submit a generic cover letter that doesn't mention NAMI's mission or the specific IS director support role.
  • Avoid exaggerating your experience with AI tools if you're not genuinely comfortable—be honest about your skill level.
  • Don't overlook the importance of discretion: avoid sharing confidential examples in a way that could identify individuals or organizations.

📅 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 NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)!

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