DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH

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.

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Job Title: Director of Research Department: Research

Reports To: VP, Research

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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, including supporting CSC’s existing Cancer Experience Registry research. 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. 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Research Project Management and Execution:

• Support existing research projects, including CSC’s existing Cancer Experience Registry survey research, as well as impending and cross-departmental mixed-method research initiatives
• Lead projects from conceptualization to dissemination, with ability to support all aspects of research executive (e.g., research design, recruitment, IRB submission, interview guide and survey development, analytic plan, data monitoring and cleaning, analysis, reports and presentations)
• Identify and secure resources and skills needed to execute proposed research projects; communicate project needs to Vice President, Research and other project team members
• Develop project budget and work with Research Coordinator to track progress against statement of work and contract budget

Research Communication, Dissemination, and Support:

• Contribute to and/or lead full execution of scientific manuscripts, abstracts, symposia and other methods of data dissemination
• Collaborate effectively with internal and external advisors, partners, funders, and other stakeholders around research project imagining, design, program implementation, and data dissemination
• Seek out new partners and extend reach for funding, research collaborations, service delivery, and data dissemination; provide scientific support to CSC leadership in meetings with potential study sponsors
• Identify and engage advisory committee members, as necessary for new research initiatives, resourcing considerations, and data dissemination
• Provide research consultation and support to other CSC departments (Program, Education, Policy) as well as Network Partners

• Performs other duties as required by Vice President, Research and Executive Leadership

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• A doctoral degree in social and behavioral sciences, psychology, health economics, social work, public health, or related field
• A minimum of 3 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 and/or Stata (for quantitative analysis) and Nvivo (for qualitative analysis); 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

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Dependent on experience. In addition to a competitive base salary, we offer comprehensive medical, prescription, vision, and dental coverage; paid vacation and sick time; short-term and long-term disability insurance; flex spending accounts: transit, healthcare, and dependent care; life insurance; and optional participation in an employee-contribution retirement plan with employer match.

WORK LOCATION

CSC has offices located in Washington D.C. and offers in-person, hybrid, or fully remote work for this position.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit an original cover letter and resume to careers@cancersupportcommunity.org. In your cover letter, please tell us why you are interested in this opportunity and include your qualifications and potential start date.

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

ABOUT CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY

The Cancer Support Community (CSC) is a global non-profit network of 190 locations, including CSC and Gilda's Club centers, healthcare partnerships, and satellite locations that deliver more than $50 million in free support services to patients and families. In addition, CSC administers a toll-free helpline and produces award-winning educational resources that reach more than one million people each year. We also conduct cutting-edge research on the emotional, psychological, and financial journey of cancer patients and advocate at all levels of government for policies to help individuals whose lives have been disrupted by cancer. For more information, visit www.CancerSupportCommunity.org. 

Cancer Support Community is an Equal Opportunity Employer