Community Health Educator II - Indigenous Populations

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 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. 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 an Internal Advisory Council of leaders and faculty from the Consortium.

The OCOE is seeking a Community Health Educator for Indigenous Populations who shares our mission to address cancer health disparities by using bidirectional, community-engaged approaches in outreach, programming and research. The position is based at the Fred Hutch office in Seattle with the Indigenous Cancer Health Excellence Initiative (ICHE-i). The CHE for Indigenous Populations collaborates closely with faculty and staff to achieve the OCOE's scientific and programmatic objectives and the U19 CANOE Partnership specific aims. 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.

Job Summary

The Community Health Educator (CHE) works in community-based partnerships to implement evidence-informed practices to address the cancer burden among American Indian and Alaska Native (Indigenous) populations in our WA State catchment area. The CHE will serve as a critical link between Consortium researchers and staff and tribal communities in WA State. The CHE must have a thorough understanding of and experience in working with Tribes and/or urban Indian communities, and Tribal organizations with demonstrated knowledge of Tribal Sovereignty, governance, and community norms. The CHE conducts community outreach and engagement, program implementation, and health education using appropriate strategies and methods to facilitate health promotion and disease prevention.

The CHE for Indigenous Populations will report to the Project Manager for ICHE-i. The CHE for Indigenous Populations will support Consortium work that addresses the cancer burden in the area that we serve. This includes work to address cancer health disparities that disproportionately affect Indigenous populations and ensuring that the community voice is heard and brought to the OCOE on a regular and continuing basis. The CHE will facilitate partnerships among Consortium researchers, OCOE staff, and Tribes and/or urban Indian communities on collaborative projects related to addressing cancer health disparities. The job will require local and regional travel throughout Eastern WA, occasionally to Western WA, and out of state for conferences. The time spent on the following duties may vary depending on the time of year and local priorities.

Essential Duties

1. Partnership Engagement (45%)

Practice community-based participatory research principles in community engagement and interactions.
• Develop, facilitate, and maintain academic, research, tribal and urban Indian community partnerships to implement cancer control strategies as a representative of the OCOE and Cancer Consortium.
• Coordinate, plan, and participate in events, including community workshops, OCOE signature events, and health fairs.
• Lead and participate in external committees and coalitions related to addressing cancer health outcomes among Indigenous communities.
• Travel for events and meetings with partner organizations.

2. Community Outreach & Education (45%)

• Create content for culturally appropriate materials and products (i.e., study brochures, curricula, and educational materials) based on principles and methods of health education and promotion.
• Coordinate projects with academic, research, community, local government, regional, and tribal 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.
• Recruit underrepresented populations in Consortium research and conduct qualitative interviews and reports.

3. Knowledge & Communications (10%)

• Practice and demonstrate cultural humility with diverse populations that OCOE and ICHE-i engages with.
• Demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills for development of materials and presentations.
• Develop training materials with OCOE team for inreach and outreach.
• Facilitate and participate in regular staff meetings.
• Report progress on education and engagement work in OCOE database.
• Oversee the work of volunteers and interns as needed.

4. Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree with major study in public health, community health education, or closely allied field, OR Bachelor's degree with at least two years of professional experience in public health, disease prevention, and/or health promotion.
  
• Valid WA State driver's license.
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience working with rural communities.
  
• Working knowledge of healthcare resources and networks in rural counties of WA State.
  
• Experience conducting trainings and/or making group presentations.
  
• 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 working in collaborative public health initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
  
• Experience with community engagement.
  
• Experience with relationship and coalition building.
  
• Understanding and proven ability to work with communities experiencing health inequity.
  
• Must be culturally aware, demonstrate cultural humility, and sensitive to diverse populations in the Consortium's catchment area.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• CHES Certification
• Demonstrated experience working with communities who face significant barriers to achieving good health.
• Knowledge and demonstrated experience working with Tribes and urban Indian communities.
• Understanding of provision of tribal health services, including Indian Health Service, Contracted Health Services, and urban Indian clinical services.
• In-depth knowledge of health and social issues facing Indigenous populations.
• Ability to manage relationships effectively and build collaborative partnerships.
• Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to communicate clearly and professionally in both verbal and written form.
• Ability to communicate information in a culturally appropriate, respectful manner to a variety of audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Knowledge with principles and methods of health education/promotion, program planning and evaluation.
• Demonstrated experience working in collaborative public health initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrated high level of service delivery to internal and external partners.
• Fluency in Microsoft Office applications (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, etc.)

The hourly pay range for this position is from $31.26 to $44.51 and pay offered will be based on experience and qualifications.

This position is not eligible for H-1B sponsorship at this time.

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).