DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH

at  Cancer Support Community

FULL-TIME POSITION

The Cancer Support Community (CSC), an international nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., is seeking an ambitious and detail-oriented psychosocial oncology researcher who is passionate about making a difference in the lives of people impacted by cancer for our Director of Research position.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Director will independently lead multiple psychosocial oncology research projects. Role scope includes conceptualizing, planning, overseeing, and conducting research to better understand and support the patient and caregiver experience of living with cancer. In addition to their research duties, the Director will work with VP, Research to support efforts to fund new research initiatives, including leading funder, sponsor, and advisory meetings and discussions around project scope, approach, and desired outcomes. Following project development, the Director will plan and execute the front-end launch of new projects and direct their execution, including recruitment and careful oversight of data analysis and interpretation. The Director will have robust training and experience in social or behavioral science as a mixed-methodologist, with demonstrable evidence of success in both quantitative/survey and qualitative research. The Director will also play a key role in the dissemination of research findings, such as conference submissions/attendance, manuscript preparation and submission, blogs, articles, webinars, and supporting appropriate amplification plans.
The Director will work cross-departmentally to envision research that advances CSC’s mission to uplift and strengthen people impacted by cancer by providing support, fostering compassionate communities, and breaking down barriers to care. Research priorities include understanding cancer patient and caregiver needs and experiences to develop and improve policy, education, and direct service interventions as well as to demonstrate the impact of these interventions.
The ideal candidate will possess highly effective interpersonal and collaborative skills, excellent writing, and verbal communication skills. Communication skills should include the ability to translate complex concepts to non-methodologically expert audiences and to pitch research projects to potential funders. The candidate should also be able to develop persuasive and scientifically sound grant proposals. This person will collaborate effectively with investigators from other specialties and outside institutions on joint research initiatives, and will engage diverse stakeholders, study sponsors, professional advisory committees, and other departments within the CSC organization. In addition, client management and leadership of technical teams including coordination with other functional teams are vital. This role is a fit for highly organized individuals who have the ability to complete multiple tasks and deliverables within tight timeframes and to plan ahead for periods with competing priorities.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• A doctoral degree in social and behavioral sciences, psychology, health economics, social work, public health, or related field
• A minimum of 5 years of post-graduate experience and interest in behavioral research relevant to cancer and chronic illness, including epidemiology, public health, psychology, psychometrics, and/or other related field
• Related mixed-methods research experience in psychosocial outcomes and/or interventions with chronic illness/cancer; research experience with program effectiveness/outcomes, implementation science, scale development and validation, and/or health economics and outcomes research a plus
• Expertise with SPSS (for quantitative analysis) and Nvivo (for qualitative analysis) required; ability to conceptualize and support advanced analytic plans and statistical modeling
• Ability to lead/support multiple research projects simultaneously, including both funder-driven and internally drive research initiatives, and swiftly realign priorities as new research projects and funds are acquired
• Effective interpersonal as well as written and oral communication skills
• The ability to work independently and collaboratively with multi‐disciplinary teams
• Interest in community‐based research, dissemination, and implementation

To apply, please submit a resume and a cover letter that describes how your experience and skills relate to the above-described responsibilities and qualifications for this position, as well as your salary requirements.

• Applications are accepted and considered on a rolling basis.
• Applications without a cover letter will not be considered