Overview
Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Lead policy analysis and briefing development for federal and City of Boston priorities.
Analyze policy issues affecting institutional strategy, operations, and external engagement. Prepare recommendations, decision-support materials, and briefings for senior leadership on federal advocacy matters and City of Boston policy and municipal affairs issues.
Lead analysis of federal policy developments and response planning.
Monitor and evaluate federal legislative, regulatory, administrative, and budget actions affecting research, clinical care, reimbursement, innovation, and operations. Identify institutional implications and develop response options, policy positions, and recommendations.
Coordinate municipal affairs analysis and activities related to City of Boston matters.
Analyze legislative, regulatory, budgetary, administrative, and stakeholder developments involving the City of Boston that affect institutional operations, growth, and community presence. Prepare issue analyses, meeting materials, and follow-up actions for engagement with relevant city offices, departments, and external stakeholders.
Coordinate cross-functional review and development of institutional policy positions.
Convene and align leaders and subject matter experts across Government Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Community Health, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Clinical, and operational areas to assess policy developments and define institutional responses. Incorporate legal, operational, financial, regulatory, and reputational considerations into recommendations and materials.
Develop written policy, advocacy, and executive briefing materials.
Draft policy analyses, comment letters, testimony, briefing memoranda, talking points, correspondence, presentations, and meeting materials for internal and external use. Prepare materials for senior leaders engaging with federal officials, municipal officials, regulators, community stakeholders, coalition partners, and other external audiences.
Coordinate selected external policy engagement and advisor relationships.
Manage day-to-day coordination with congressional offices, federal agencies, national associations, coalitions, municipal stakeholders, consultants, and other external partners within established institutional priorities. Oversee work products and deliverables from external consultants or advisors supporting policy analysis, advocacy strategy, or stakeholder engagement.
Maintain policy tracking processes and identify emerging issues across jurisdictions.
Manage processes for tracking policy developments, deadlines, institutional positions, deliverables, and follow-up actions across federal, state, and local matters. Identify trends, risks, and advocacy opportunities and coordinate across teams to support alignment where issues intersect.
Minimum Job Qualifications
Education Required
Bachelor’s degree required in public policy, public health, political science, government, law, healthcare administration, or a related field.
Experience Required
Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in federal policy, government relations, public policy, healthcare policy, legislative affairs, regulatory policy, or public affairs.
Required experience must include:
analysis of legislative, regulatory, administrative, and budget developments and assessment of organizational impact;
development of policy recommendations, institutional positions, and written materials for senior leaders;
coordination of work across multiple functional areas in a complex organization;
engagement with federal policymakers, federal agencies, national associations, or similar external stakeholders; and
work involving municipal or local government policy, advocacy, or external affairs matters.
License/Certification/Registration Required
None required.
Preferred Qualifications
Advanced degree in public policy, public health, public administration, law, business, or a related field, such as MPP, MPH, MPA, JD, or MBA.
Experience in healthcare, academic medicine, biomedical research, life sciences, higher education, or another regulated environment with complex operational and stakeholder considerations.
Experience with federal policy issues and governmental processes.
Experience with City of Boston government, municipal policy issues, or stakeholder environments.
Experience with policy issues affecting academic medical centers, cancer care, biomedical research funding, reimbursement, public health, or healthcare innovation.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Deep knowledge of the U.S. healthcare policy environment, including the federal legislative and regulatory process and the role of agencies such as NIH, CMS, FDA, and HHS.
Strong understanding of policy issues affecting academic medicine, cancer care, biomedical research, reimbursement, public health, healthcare delivery, and innovation.
Knowledge of state and local policy processes affecting healthcare organizations, including familiarity with the City of Boston governmental landscape and municipal issues relevant to healthcare, research, and large nonprofit institutions.
Ability to analyze complex policy issues and translate them into institutional implications, strategic options, and actionable recommendations.
Excellent writing skills, including the ability to develop policy analyses, executive briefings, comment letters, testimony, talking points, and formal correspondence.
Strong verbal communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to interact effectively with executive leaders, clinicians, researchers, policymakers, community stakeholders, and coalition partners.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively across a complex, matrixed organization; build alignment among diverse stakeholders; manage multiple priorities and deadlines; and exercise sound judgment, discretion, and strategic problem-solving in sensitive or politically complex matters.
Supervisory Responsibilities
This role does not have direct supervisory responsibility at the time of hire. The Director may lead cross-functional workgroups and oversee the work of external consultants or advisors.
At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are committed to having faculty and staff who offer multifaceted experiences. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and compassionate professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.
Pay Transparency Statement
The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.
For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
$143,700.00 - $158,700.00