Executive Director, American Society of Health Economists

Job Description

The Executive Director is the Chief Operating Officer of the American Society of Health Economists (ASHEcon). The Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors, and is responsible for the organization’s consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives. The Executive Director is a ex officio non-voting member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee and an ex officio non-voting member of all other ASHEcon committees.

The Executive director is responsible for conference planning, leadership and administration, budget and finance, communications, assisting the board with program development and strategic planning, staff supervision, and overseeing day to day operations.  

Regarding conference planning, the Executive Director will:

1. Attend in-person all ASHEcon-sponsored conferences (except in case of emergency);
2. Work with the ASHEcon Board, officers, and any relevant conference committees to assure high quality conferences;
3. Assist the President-Elect and work with the ASHEcon conference coordinator with conference planning, including identifying possible conference sites, negotiating terms for use of facilities, developing and assembling a conference schedule and program, and identifying and inviting program chairs and plenary speakers for conferences at which ASHEcon is a participant, including but not limited to the ASSA and ASHEcon conferences; and
4. Assist actively in the identification and solicitation of sponsors and contributors to the conference, including writing grant applications (such as R13 applications) if appropriate.

In program development and administration, the Executive Director will:

1. Assist the Board with identification of strategic goals, and development and implementation of a strategic plan, and ensure there is consistent and timely progress toward stated objectives;
2. Work with the President to plan and execute Board meetings;
3. Work on membership recruitment, retention and management, including both individuals and organizations.
4. Attend ASHEcon Board meetings;
5. Oversee board elections and work with the Nominating Committee to implement board recruitment;
6. Manage all committees, including assisting the board with recruitment for those committees as directed by the Board. These include all currently constituted committees of the Board and other committees that may be formed in the future;
7. Promote active and broad participation by volunteers as directed by the Board;
8. Jointly, with the President, Treasurer, and Secretary of the Board of Directors, conduct official correspondence of the organization, and jointly, with designated officers, execute legal documents.
9. Maintain official records and documents, and ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations;
10. Forge and maintain relationships with agencies, organizations, and other scientific societies as directed by the Board, including iHEA, HERO, AEA, APPAM, etc.

 In budget and finance, the Executive Director will:

1. Be responsible for developing and maintaining sound financial practices. 
2. Work with the staff, Treasurer, and the Board in preparing a budget, and see that the organization operates within budget guidelines. 

3. Actively lead efforts to solicit membership fees and obtain organizational sponsors for the association, and work with the board to set rates for the conference and membership.
4. Ensure compliance with all state and federal tax filings, plus ensures audits of financial records.

 In communications, the Executive Director will:

1. Facilitate external communications of ASHEcon, with the President serving as the chief spokesperson;
2. Publicize the activities of the organization, its programs and goals, ensuring that official letters, emails, newsletters, promotional material and web site content meet a high professional standard;  
3. Liaise with the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief on all matters concerning AJHE.

 In relations with staff, the Executive Director will:

1. Be responsible for recommending to the Board of Directors the structure of management and overall operations of ASHEcon; upon approval of that structure, the Executive Director and ASHEcon staff will be responsible for negotiating contracts, and for the recruitment, employment, and release of all full or part-time personnel, both paid and volunteer; 
2. Ensure that job descriptions are developed, that regular performance evaluations are held, and that sound human resource practices are in place; 
3. See that an effective management team, with appropriate provision for succession, is in place;  
4. Encourage staff and volunteer development and education, and assist program staff in relating their specialized work to the total program of the organization; and 
5. Maintain a climate which attracts, keeps, and motivates a diverse staff of top quality people.

The Executive Director will not:

1. Engage in any activity that could be construed as lobbying or political activism on behalf of ASHEcon, although such activism as an individual is permitted.

 

If you are interested, please send a statement of your interest to dcutler@harvard.edu by October 11, along with your CV and a 1 page description of how you would view the position as executive director. If you have questions about the position, please contact me (dcutler@harvard.edu). You may forward this announcement to other interested parties.  We anticipate the payment amount will be up to approximately 20-25% of an average academic salary.

The position can start as soon as possible. We intend to fill the position this fall.