Director, Science and Health Policy

Under the leadership of the AACR Chief Policy Officer, and Vice President, Science Policy and Government Affairs, the Director, Science and Health Policy, will provide specialized expertise and support to AACR leaders, including the Science Policy and Government Affairs Committee, its relevant subcommittees, and the broader advocacy community on science and health policy issues and activities to further the goals of AACR’s policy priorities.

The Director, Science and Health Policy, plays a central role in the success of AACR’s work in this important area and guides AACR science and health policy activities to a productive conclusion. Such activities are designed to create and strengthen the dialogue between policymakers, scientists, and advocates, as well as support policies to advance cancer research and improve patient care. This person provides specialized expertise and support to science policy issues that are important to AACR leadership.

He/she takes initiative, has excellent written and oral communication skills, and has experience in project management, committee management, and consensus building. Responsibilities include monitoring, researching, and analyzing science and health policy initiatives in AACR priority areas; developing policy statements; compiling background information; attending and summarizing policy meetings and events; supporting science and health policy-related committees; partnering and collaborating with outside entities;

and providing support to the AACR Chief Policy Officer, and Vice President, Science Policy and Government Affairs, on a wide array of tasks and assignments.

The Director, Science and Health Policy, is expected to manage a team of employees, work on a number of science and health policy issues, identify opportunities to disseminate the information to a broader audience, and collaborate with many of our external partners in the cancer research advocacy community. The Director, Science and Health Policy, will also work collaboratively with others in the AACR D.C. office, such as the Director, Regulatory Science and Policy, the Director, Government Affairs, and the Director, Strategic Patient Advocacy and Engagement, particularly on the numerous policy-related issues that are cross-cutting and currently being addressed by many of them.

The list of issues and activities includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Leading and participating in innovative initiatives that advocate for federal funding for cancer research and biomedical science, such as through the annual AACR Cancer Progress Report, as well as one-pagers and letters to Capitol Hill.
• Advancing science and health policy measures that will accelerate discoveries into cures through a variety of innovative initiatives, including enhancing biomarker discovery, supporting innovative translational and clinical research proposals, increasing the number of patients participating in clinical trials, and facilitating clinical data sharing among multiple stakeholders while balancing patient privacy.
• Advocating for and implementing tobacco control measures and other broader cancer prevention and public health-related issues to advance public health, such as improved cancer screening and early detection and using evidence-based measures to ameliorate cancer health disparities.
• Advocating for and implementing innovative policy changes that improve the care that cancer survivors receive from diagnosis onward.
• Working in collaboration with others in the AACR D.C. office to ensure the rapid implementation of research discoveries to improved patient care through a learning health care system and integrated health information technology systems.
• Working on broader policy issues such as nurturing a strong cancer workforce for the future, and decreasing the global burden of cancer.
• Formulating forward-thinking policy recommendations/policy statements/white papers for policy makers on Capitol Hill and within federal agencies, most specifically in regard to the NIH and FDA on particularly important science and health policy-related topics, such as e-cigarettes, the “common rule” for human subject protection…