Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Associate Director, Business Strategy

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute$134K — $156K *
Healthcare
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Business or Healthcare required; Master's preferred.
  • 7+ years of experience in healthcare strategy or management consulting.
  • Experience with large datasets and complex initiatives required.
  • Preferred experience in academic medicine/cancer sector and research institutions.
  • Ability to work with clinical leaders as partners and improve patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

  • Lead development of business strategies and long-term planning initiatives.
  • Develop long-term plans tied to organizational goals using data-driven insights.
  • Support leaders in business plan creation for sustainable growth and operational excellence.
  • Transition ownership of strategic initiatives to implementation teams.
  • Coordinate input across various departments, ensuring accountability and timely follow-up.
  • Create change strategies and clear communication plans tailored for executives.
  • Establish governance mechanisms and manage decision-making forums.

Benefits

  • Remote work flexibility with occasional onsite requirements for New England residents.
  • Opportunity to work within a leading institute in cancer research and patient care.
  • Engagement in a mission-driven organization focused on inclusivity and public health.
  • Possibility to collaborate with prestigious partners like Harvard Medical School.
  • Focus on personal and professional growth in a supportive environment.
Full Job Description
This position's work location is fully remote with the ocassional time onsite as needed. The selected candidate may only work remotely from a New England state (ME, VT, NH, MA, CT, RI).

The Associate Director, Business Strategy advances institute-wide priorities by leading strategic and business activities across clinical, research, education and operational domains. Reporting to the VP, Business Strategy, the role partners with senior leaders to translate organizational goals into actionable strategies, evaluate opportunities, and drive outcomes through robust analytics and disciplined planning. Operating in a highly matrixed environment, the position coordinates complex, cross-functional projects, ensures effective governance and decision-making, and aligns stakeholders around timelines, resources, and metrics. The Associate Director ensures rigorous evaluation of strategic options to balance growth, quality, access, and financial sustainability in support of Dana-Farber's mission.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
  • Lead the development of business strategies and long-range planning for strategic initiatives across departments, service lines, disease centers, and business units.
  • Develop long-term strategic plans, including scenario analysis, initiative planning, implementation planning and stakeholder engagement.
  • Guide the strategic planning process at various levels of the organization to ensure plans are data-driven and tied to organizational goals.
  • Support leaders in crafting business plans and business/funding cases that promote sustainable growth, operational excellence and the advancement of research or clinical initiatives aligned with leadership priorities and highest impact science and care. As needed, build rigorous business cases for new programs, partnerships, capacity expansions, and technology investments.
  • Transition ownership of strategic initiatives to implementation leads, maintaining collaboration, oversight, and progress/outcomes monitoring.
  • Coordinate input/leadership across clinical operations, disease centers, research, finance, and external partners. Establish initiative charters, KPIs, and dashboards; manage governance forums and decision checkpoints; ensure timely follow-up and accountability.
  • Develop change strategies and communications plans; create clear presentations and materials tailored to executive and operational audiences.


Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
  • Ability to synthesize complex information, frame options, and recommend actionable strategies; Strong judgment and decision-making.
  • Advanced proficiency in Excel-based modeling (volume forecasts, pro formas, sensitivity/scenario analyses); ability to interpret financial statements and operational data; familiarity with cost accounting.
  • Ability to design and track performance improvement initiatives and KPIs.
  • Extensive financial literacy in healthcare and/or research.
  • Ability to plan and execute change strategies; navigate ambiguity, resistance, and competing priorities while sustaining progress and adoption.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication; skill in presenting complex analyses clearly to executives; strong facilitation and stakeholder management; consensus-building across matrixed teams.
  • Demonstrated success partnering with clinical, research, education, operational, and administrative stakeholders; ability to broker agreements and maintain productive relationships internally and externally.
  • Strong time management, attention to detail, and follow-through; ability to manage confidential information with discretion and integrity.
  • General understanding of healthcare regulatory and payer requirements (e.g., CMS policies) and their strategic/operational implications.


Minimum Job Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Healthcare, or related field required. Master's degree (MHA, MBA, MPH, or related) preferred.
  • At least 7 years of related work experience required in healthcare strategy or management consulting or investment banking, or administrative functions in an academic medical center or cancer center setting, required.
  • Experience working with large datasets required.
  • Experience working across multiple, complex initiatives required.
  • Experience working in a cancer sector/ academic medicine preferred.
  • Experience with research departments/institutions preferred.
  • Experience working with clinical leaders as partners and advisers preferred.
  • Experience in optimizing clinical operations and improving patient care outcomes preferred.


License/Certification/Registration Required: None

Supervisory Responsibilities: No

Patient Contact: No

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).

$134,600.00 - $156,400.00

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a non-profit organization that provides cancer treatment and research services. The institute was founded in 1947 and is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is committed to providing the highest quality care to cancer patients, and is dedicated to finding new treatments and cures for the disease. The institute offers a range of services, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and surgery. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is also involved in a number of research initiatives, and has made significant contributions to the field of cancer research.
Learn more about Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Size
5,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1947

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

More Healthcare Jobs

Find similar Associate Director, Business Strategy jobs: