Community Health Educator II - OCOE

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit organization providing adult cancer treatment and groundbreaking research focused on cancer and infectious diseases. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington.

With a track record of global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and COVID-19 vaccines, Fred Hutch has earned a reputation as one of the world's leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and network affiliations with hospitals in five states. Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures to the world's deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

At Fred Hutch we value collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity and respect. Our mission is directly tied to the humanity, dignity and inherent value of each employee, patient, community member and supporter. Our commitment to learning across our differences and similarities make us stronger. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems.

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center (Fred Hutch)/University of Washington (UW)/Seattle Children's Cancer Consortium (Consortium) is a research collaboration comprising Fred Hutch and its strong collaborators, the UW and Seattle Children's. The Consortium is recognized as a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Comprehensive Cancer Center through its dedication to developing research programs, faculty, and facilities that will lead to better approaches to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer.

The Office of Community Outreach & Engagement (OCOE) is an integral component of the Consortium. It is housed at Fred Hutch in Seattle with field offices in Sunnyside and Spokane. The mission of the OCOE is better outcomes for everybody through promoting health equity throughout the cancer care and research continuum. Using a qualitative and quantitative data-driven approach, the OCOE centers authentic engagement, community-based participatory research (CBPR), and education driven by community need. The OCOE works in partnership with local Community Action Boards and leaders and faculty from the Consortium.

The OCOE is seeking a Community Health Educator who shares our mission to achieve cancer health equity by using bidirectional community-engaged approaches in outreach, programming, and research. The position is based at the Fred Hutch office in Sunnyside. The CHE will collaborate closely with faculty and staff to achieve OCOE's scientific and programmatic objectives. The CHE will support and advance the community outreach and engagement work of the Consortium to help create communities where the residents of our catchment area suffer less from cancer and related diseases.

This is a hybrid position.

The Community Health Educator (CHE) is based in the Fred Hutch OCOE office in Sunnyside, WA and nurtures community-based partnerships to implement evidence-informed practices to address the cancer burden in our WA State catchment area. The CHE serves as a critical link between Consortium researchers and staff and WA State communities. This role specifically focuses on populations in the Yakima Valley and Central WA, which includes underrepresented populations including racially and ethnically diverse communities and rural communities. The CHE must have a thorough understanding of and experience working with these populations experiencing health inequities. The CHE will use appropriate strategies and methods to facilitate health promotion and disease prevention. The CHE may also assist with research projects; including recruiting and consenting participants, conducting educational interventions, and facilitating focus groups, interviews, and surveys.

The CHE works under general supervision of the Community Project Manager to address the cancer burden in our catchment area of WA State. This includes work to address cancer health disparities that disproportionately affect Central WA, which may include rural populations, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, those who identify as LGBTQIA+, or those who are low income, lack health insurance, are medically underserved, or new to health education topics - regardless of ethnic and racial background. The job will require local and regional travel throughout Central Washington, and occasionally to Western Washington and out of state for conferences.

1. Partnership/Community Engagement (40%)

Develop, facilitate, and steward academic and community partnerships as a representative of Fred Hutch and the OCOE.
• Recruit underrepresented populations in Consortium research and conduct qualitative interviews and reports.
• Coordinate, plan, and participate in events, including community workshops, OCOE signature events, and health fairs.
• Lead and participate in Community Action Coalition groups.

2. Health Education (30%)

• Create content for culturally appropriate brochures, curricula, and educational materials.
• Develop and continually maintain a culturally relevant health education resource bank for community and Consortium partners.
• Conduct community-based education and outreach on cancer and related health topics.
• Present and disseminate cancer-related messages, materials, and research opportunities in oral and written formats, including podcasts, social media, and newsletters.

3. Program Coordination and Evaluation (30%)

• Coordinate projects with academic, research, community, local government, and regional partners to implement cancer control and education strategies.
• Conduct regular needs assessments, interviews, program evaluations, strategic plans, qualitative and quantitative evaluations, and reports to recommend improvements and demonstrate best practices for OCOE programming.
• Facilitate and participate in regular staff meetings and trainings.
• Oversee the work of volunteers and interns as needed.

4. Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• This position requires a high school diploma or equivalent with 4 years of experience in similar position in public health, disease prevention, and/or health promotion OR Associate degree with 2 years of experience OR Bachelor degree with major study in public health, community health education, health administration, or closely related field.
• Valid WA State driver's license.
• Bilingual in English & Spanish with ability to communicate clearly and professionally in Spanish in both verbal and written form.
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience with community engagement, especially working with rural communities.
• Experience with relationship- and coalition-building. Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain working relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience with principles and methods of health education/promotion, program coordination and evaluation.
• Experience in planning, developing and implementing public health interventions (i.e. public awareness and social marketing campaigns).
• Experience conducting trainings and/or making group presentations.
• Demonstrated experience working in collaborative public health initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of healthcare resources and networks in Central WA.
• Understanding and proven ability to work with communities experiencing health inequity. Must be culturally aware and demonstrate cultural humility and sensitivity to diverse populations in the Consortium's catchment area.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally in English in both oral and written form.
• Ability to communicate health-related information in a culturally appropriate, respectful manner to a variety of audiences.
• Proven ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Demonstrated high level of service delivery to internal and external partners.
• Fluency in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, etc.)

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Knowledge of and demonstrated experience working with Tribes, Tribal Nations, and urban Indian communities.
• Experience working in an academic or scientific research environment.
• Experience with Salesforce.
• Experience in the effective use of social media and podcasts as a health messaging and interactive tool.
• Experience working in an academic or scientific research environment.
• Experience working in public health, community health, health equity and/or health disparities research.

HOURS: Full-time. Schedule is typically Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM, but flexibility for evening and/or weekend events required.

TRAVEL: This position requires regular travel throughout the region, typically within Washington State, to support meetings, community engagement activities, and organizational events. Access to a reliable vehicle is required. Mileage and other approved travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with organizational policies and applicable reimbursement rates.

To be considered, please submit a Cover Letter with your application.

As a condition of employment, finalists for this Clinical Research Coordinator position must successfully complete a post-offer language-proficiency assessment. Any offer of employment is contingent on achieving the level of proficiency required to perform the position's essential communication duties.

The annual base salary range for this position is from $29.07 to $41.38, and pay offered will be based on experience and qualifications.

Although Fred Hutch is not sponsoring most H-1B visas at this time, candidates who already hold an H-1B sponsored by another organization and are currently in the U.S. may be eligible for this position.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers employees a comprehensive benefits package designed to enhance health, well-being, and financial security. Benefits include medical/vision, dental, flexible spending accounts, life, disability, retirement, family life support, employee assistance program, onsite health clinic, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation (12-22 days per year), paid sick leave (12-25 days per year), paid holidays (13 days per year), and paid parental leave (up to 4 weeks).