Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Federal Policy & Municipal Affairs Director

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute$120K — $150K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Public Policy, Public Health, Political Science, Government, Law, or related field; Master's degree preferred.
  • 8+ years in federal policy, government relations, or public affairs, with healthcare focus.
  • Experience analyzing legislative and regulatory impacts on organizations.
  • Proficient in developing policy recommendations and institutional responses.
  • Skilled in drafting policy documents and strategic communications.

Responsibilities

  • Lead analysis of federal policy and institutional response development for health-related regulations.
  • Direct analysis of municipal affairs specifically for City of Boston.
  • Coordinate policy review across various departments to establish responses to legislation.
  • Draft a range of policy materials and advocacy documents for diverse stakeholders.
  • Manage relationships with external policy advisors and oversee their deliverables.
  • Establish tracking processes for policy developments and potential impacts on the organization.

Benefits

  • Professional development opportunities and continuing education support.
  • Collaborative work environment with cross-functional teams.
  • Engagement with senior leadership in strategic policy discussions.
  • Networking opportunities with government officials and industry stakeholders.
  • Flexible work arrangements to promote work-life balance.
Full Job Description
The Director, Federal Policy & Municipal Affairs leads analysis, planning, and coordination related to federal policy and municipal affairs matters affecting Dana-Farber's research, patient care, reimbursement, public health, innovation, and operations. The role evaluates legislative, regulatory, administrative, and budget developments; determines organizational impact; and develops recommendations for institutional leaders. The Director coordinates cross-functional development of institutional positions and responses to federal policy proposals and selected municipal matters, with particular focus on the City of Boston. The role also works with internal and external stakeholders to prepare policy materials, manage issue tracking, and align advocacy and public policy activity across jurisdictions.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
  • Lead federal policy analysis and institutional response development.
    Monitor and evaluate federal legislative, regulatory, administrative, and budget actions affecting research, clinical care, reimbursement, innovation, and enterprise operations. Determine institutional implications and develop recommendations, response options, and policy positions for senior leadership.
  • Direct municipal affairs analysis and coordination for City of Boston matters.
    Analyze municipal legislative, regulatory, budgetary, and administrative developments affecting institutional operations, growth, and external engagement in Boston. Develop issue analyses, prepare briefings, and coordinate follow-up with relevant city offices, departments, and stakeholders.
  • Coordinate cross-functional policy review and position setting.
    Convene and align subject matter experts and leaders across Government Relations, Regulatory Affairs, Community Health, Legal, Compliance, Finance, Clinical, and operational areas to evaluate policy developments and define institutional responses. Integrate legal, regulatory, operational, financial, and reputational considerations into recommendations.
  • Develop written policy and advocacy materials.
    Draft comment letters, testimony, policy memoranda, briefing documents, talking points, correspondence, presentations, and meeting materials for internal and external use. Prepare strategic briefings for senior leaders engaging with federal officials, municipal officials, regulators, coalition partners, and community stakeholders.
  • Manage external policy engagement and selected advisor relationships.
    Coordinate policy-related interactions with congressional offices, federal agencies, national associations, coalitions, consultants, and other external partners within established institutional priorities and leadership direction. Oversee deliverables from external consultants or advisors engaged for policy analysis, advocacy strategy, or stakeholder engagement.
  • Maintain policy tracking processes and identify emerging issues.
    Establish and manage processes for tracking policy developments, deadlines, institutional positions, deliverables, and follow-up actions across federal, state, and local matters. Identify trends, risks, and advocacy opportunities and elevate issues requiring institutional attention or cross-jurisdictional alignment.


Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
  • Knowledge of the federal legislative, regulatory, and administrative policy process, including the role of agencies such as NIH, CMS, FDA, and HHS.
  • Ability to analyze complex policy issues and translate them into organizational implications, strategic options, and actionable recommendations.
  • Ability to develop institutional policy positions and coordinate responses across multiple operational and functional areas.
  • Skill in drafting policy analyses, comment letters, testimony, executive briefings, talking points, and formal correspondence.
  • Ability to advise senior leaders on policy developments, risks, and decision options.
  • Knowledge of municipal and local government processes relevant to healthcare and nonprofit institutions.
  • Ability to build alignment and manage work across a matrixed environment without direct supervisory authority.
  • Skill in organizing and tracking multiple policy issues, deadlines, deliverables, and follow-up actions across jurisdictions.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with executive leaders, clinicians, researchers, regulators, policymakers, consultants, and community stakeholders.


Minimum Job Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree in Public policy, public health, political science, government, law, healthcare administration, or a related field 5 years of work experience required. Master's degree preferred.
  • Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in federal policy, government relations, public policy, healthcare policy, legislative affairs, regulatory policy, or public affairs. Required experience must include:
  • Analyzing legislative, regulatory, and administrative developments and determining organizational impact;
  • Developing policy recommendations, institutional positions, and written policy materials for senior leaders;
  • Coordinating work across multiple functional areas in a complex organization; and
  • Engaging with federal policymakers, federal agencies, and/or national policy associations.


License/Certification/Registration Required: N/A

Supervisory Responsibilities: N/A

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).

-

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 Education, Government & Non-Profit Jobs

Find similar Federal Policy & Municipal Affairs Director jobs: