The Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) team at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute (directed by Dr. Jackilen Shannon) aims to identify and address priority issues related to cancer prevention, early detection and screening, and access to cancer care in Oregon and Southwest Washington through grantmaking, research and community outreach and engagement.
This position requires that the employee live and work in one of the defined Oregon regions. This is defined as:
o Central Oregon: Crook, Deschutes, Jefferson Counties, and/or the Warm Springs Reservation; Jefferson County or Warm Springs highly preferred
o Eastern Oregon: Baker, Malheur, Union, Umatilla or Wallowa Counties
o The Columbia River Gorge: Hood River County, Wasco County, Sherman County, Gilliam County, Klickitat County, and Skamania County
o South Coast: Coos, Curry, or Douglas Counties
Function/Duties of Position
This position plays a critical role within COE implementing evidence-informed strategies and coordinating community-engaged research activities that are aligned with priorities of the Knight Cancer Institute and as outlined in Oregon’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan. This position will work under the direction the Program Manager for the Oregon Cancer Action Initiative’s Specialist Program. This position will be part of the Cancer Outreach Specialist team which supports specialists in up to 6 regions across the state and will work collaboratively with other staff (including the regionally-sitting Community Research Liaisons at OHSU) to coordinate research initiatives and manage project logistics.
The role of the Specialist is to coordinate community-academic research partnerships, disseminate culturally specific education and training, and promote evidence-informed cancer prevention strategies that address cancer-related health disparities in their regional catchment area. Specialists will collaborate with Community Health Workers, clinics and providers as well as community leaders to coordinate community research projects that promote cancer awareness and implementation of prevention strategies. This includes, but is not limited to, providing educational materials and local resources for care as well as working collaboratively with principal investigators and project managers to implement evidence informed cancer prevention strategies.
The Specialist must possess a demonstrated ability to work with community partners and researchers, a willingness to apply a diversity, equity and inclusion lens to all interactions, and ability to coordinate research initiatives.
1.Every Knight Cancer employee is expected to embody our guiding principles:
- We act BOLDLY—Breakthroughs require pushing the boundaries of science, exploring new frontiers, and thinking differently
- We SUPPORT each other—Respect leads to trust, which leads to excellence
- We work as a CONNECTED team — We must leverage our collective brain power to conquer cancer because no one individual can do it alone
2.Community Engagement & Outreach
- Serve as Community Cancer Control Specialist for their region (Eastern Oregon, Central Oregon, the South Coast, and the Columbia River Gorge)
- Develop and leverage relationships with community partners as a representative of the Knight Cancer Institute.
- Work closely with communities to address cancer-related health inequities, particularly among underrepresented populations, including but not limited to Rural, Indigenous, African-American, Black, Hispanic, Latine/x/o, Asian-American, and/or Pacific Islander communities.
- Coordinate and participate in events, including COE events and health fairs.
3.Health Education & Training
- Adapt and implement evidence-based interventions for cancer prevention depending on the priorities of the Knight and OHA.
- Develop culturally responsive educational materials and curricula for community members, community health workers, and other partners.
- Collaborate with community partners to provide education and training on cancer prevention and screening strategies.
- Facilitate connections between community partners and research coordinators for Knight-sitting clinical trials, as appropriate.
4.Research Project Coordination & Evaluation
- Coordinate projects with academic, research, community and government partners to implement cancer prevention and control strategies, including screening protocols.
- Collaborate with other Knight COE teams (e.g., Knight Mobile Outreach) and community-engaged research teams at OHSU (Community Research Liaisons and Practice Enhancement Research Coordinators) on community- and/or researcher-initiated cancer prevention projects.
Required Qualifications
Education & Experience:
- Bachelors in relevant field and 1 year of experience OR
- Equivalent combination of training and experience
Job Related Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Competencies):
- Ability to prioritize multiple tasks at one time
- Excellent communication, analytical and organizational skills: both written and verbal
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team while being collaborative in resolving problems
- Intermediate skills with Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook, Access, Word, and PowerPoint) on Window OS. Ability to accurately type 60wpm
- Must have demonstrated excellent customer service skills both on the phone and in person
- Must possess energy and drive to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously
- Ability to use tact and diplomacy to maintain effective working relationships
Preferred Qualifications
Education:
- Master of Public Health or Master of Social Work
- 4 years of relevant experience
Job Related Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Competencies):
- Experience with implementing and adapting evidence-informed public health interventions (i.e., public awareness and social marketing campaigns)
- Prior experience in culturally responsive and respectful manner with rural and tribal communities
- Knowledge of and/or demonstrated experience working with communities in Oregon. Knowledge of community history, values, and culture
- Experience with group facilitation, conducting trainings, and/or public speaking
- Language fluency in a language of importance to residents of Oregon is highly desirable (e.g., Spanish)