The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is seeking a dynamic and experienced leader to serve as the Director of the Massachusetts Cancer Registry (MCR) within the Office of Population Health (OPH). This essential role will be responsible for steering the MCR’s initiatives and ensuring the delivery of high-quality and timely population-level cancer data, which is critical for cancer prevention, control planning, evaluation, and research. The Director will oversee a talented team of certified tumor registrars, epidemiologists, and other operations staff, ensuring the effective capture, management, reporting, and surveillance of all cancer cases diagnosed and treated in Massachusetts. This position offers a unique opportunity to influence public health policies and programs, significantly contributing to reducing health inequities across the Commonwealth.

In addition to managing the daily operations of the MCR, the Director will lead strategic initiatives aimed at modernizing the registry’s operations through the adoption of advanced electronic data exchange and informatics methods. This role involves developing and implementing innovative policies and procedures to enhance the efficiency and productivity of the MCR. The Director will also represent the MCR on various committees and workgroups, participating in state, national, and international cancer surveillance and registry modernization efforts. By fostering collaborations with reporting facilities and key stakeholders, the Director will ensure the MCR remains at the forefront of cancer data collection and research, ultimately contributing to the broader mission of achieving health equity for all residents of Massachusetts.

Duties and Responsibilities (these duties are a general summary and are not all inclusive):

• Develop, oversee, manage, and execute major grant proposals, including the CDC cooperative agreement for the National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR).
• Supervise a staff of certified tumor registrars, epidemiologists, and operations professionals responsible for data capture, management, reporting, and cancer surveillance across Massachusetts.
• Maintain legislative authority for cancer case collection and ensure all policies, procedures, and systems are current.
• Oversee data collection activities by hospitals, treatment centers, ambulatory surgery centers, laboratories, and physicians to ensure data completeness, timeliness, and quality, as well as meets national standards.
• Lead strategic planning for modernizing MCR operations through electronic data exchange and emerging informatics methods.
• Develop and expand policies and procedures to enhance MCR productivity and efficiency, including cancer reporting from new sources.
• Communicate with reporting facilities regarding reporting requirements and changes in cancer registration.
• Direct the development, customization, and maintenance of internal software programs and facility reporting software products.
• Improve the efficiency of statewide cancer reporting, expanding surveillance data to include molecular diagnostics, structured treatment information, disease response measures, and patient outcomes.
• Represent the MCR on various national and state committees and workgroups, such as NAACCR, and the American College of Surgeons' Commission.
• Support special projects like the DPH Data Modernization Initiative and the Equity-Centered Data Strategic Plan.
• Develop materials and presentations for meetings and conferences and serve as a liaison for cancer data-related work with state, federal, and interagency task forces.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience as a leader and manager at a senior level with experience supervising diverse teams of professionals.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of management, including planning, organizing, directing, motivating, controlling, and decision-making.
• Extensive experience in public health surveillance, cancer registry operations, or a related area.
• Strong understanding of cancer epidemiology, surveillance, and research methodologies.
• Proficiency in data management and analysis software, such as SAS, R, or SQL.
• Experience with health-related electronic data exchange and management and informatics.
• Familiarity and experience in program planning, development, integration, coordination, cross-functioning linkage, and policy setting.
• Awareness of the national cancer data standards and guidelines, such as those from NPCR and NAACCR.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively convey complex information to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage grant and contract proposals.
• Strong project management skills, with experience leading strategic planning and implementation initiatives.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Teams.

About the Department of Public Health:

The mission of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is to prevent illness, injury, and premature death, to assure access to high quality public health and health care services, and to promote wellness and health equity for all people in the Commonwealth.

We envision a Commonwealth in which all people enjoy optimal health. Massachusetts ranks among the healthiest of states according to comparative analyses, but we face numerous challenges, including chronic and infectious disease, substance abuse, violence, preventable hospitalizations, and health disparities.

DPH coordinates programs and policies to address specific diseases and conditions and offer services to address the needs of vulnerable populations. We also develop, implement, promote, and enforce regulations and policies to assure that the conditions under which people live are most conducive to health and enable people to make healthy choices for themselves and their families. We license health professionals, healthcare facilities and a variety of businesses that impact public health. We operate the state laboratory and four public health hospitals. We monitor health status and manage vital records including births, marriages and deaths. We educate people about public health issues and work closely with local boards of health and community partners to identify and solve public health problems.

More information can be found at: MA Department of Public Health

Pre-Hire Process:

A tax & background check will be completed on the recommended candidate as required by the regulations set forth by the Human Resources Division prior to the candidate being hired.

Education, licensure and certifications will be verified in accordance with the Human Resources Division’s Hiring Guidelines.

Education and license/certification information provided by the selected candidate(s) is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law and may be published on the Commonwealth’s website.

If you require assistance with the application/interview process and would like to request an ADA accommodation, please click on the link and complete the Reasonable Accommodation Online Request Form

For questions regarding this requisition, please contact Executive Office of Health and Human Services Human Resources at 1-800- 510- 4122 Ext. #4.

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants must have at least (A) six (6) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in a particular specialty (i.e. scientific, professional, or technical) and must possess current license and/or registration requirements established for the performance of the position, of which (B) at least two (2) years must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.

Substitutions:

I. A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.

II. A Bachelor’s degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.

III. A Graduate degree or higher in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required (A) experience.

IV. A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required (A) experience.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!

An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.