Associate Director, Community Outreach and Engagement

Posting Date: 04/05/2025


Closing Date: 04/14/2026


Job Information/Description:

Associate Director, Community Outreach and Engagement

Augusta University

Georgia Cancer Center

Associate Director, Community Outreach and Engagement

The Company

With locations throughout Augusta and at satellite campuses in Athens, Albany, Rome and Savannah, the university’s ten colleges and schools have a truly statewide impact in Georgia.

Home to the Medical College of Georgia, the nation’s eighth largest and 13th-oldest medical school, the university’s Health Sciences Campus is at the forefront of health care innovation. Located in beautiful downtown Augusta and housing the state’s largest College of Nursing, the comprehensive College of Allied Health Sciences, The Graduate School, the School of Public Health and the state’s only dental school, The Dental College of Georgia, the Health Science Campus is also home to the state’s only public academic medical center.

The Georgia Cancer Center (GCC) at Augusta University brings together a team of researchers, clinicians, radiation oncologists, nurse navigators, and patient support staff to create a community fostering innovation and care focused on improving the lives of its patients.

As the official cancer center for the State of Georgia, GCC is focused on a path of rapid growth and development, with the goal of achieving National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. With strong state support, it has been able to invest substantially in developing the physical structure of the Cancer Center and are now ready to invest in programmatic development.

In September 2019, Jorge Eduardo Cortes, MD, took the helm of this dynamic enterprise to serve as its new Director. Under Dr. Cortes’ leadership, research at GCC continues to expand on many fronts, with far- reaching applications – from bench, to bedside, to community, and policy. A critical need for successfully stewarding and building upon this momentum is the recruitment of the Associate Director of Community Outreach and Engagement to join the team.

GCC’s faculty, housed in freestanding clinical and research buildings, continue to collaborate, offering patient- centered approaches utilizing first-in-the-nation treatment protocols, an experimental therapeutics program, and specialized clinics for state-of-the-art drug and immunotherapy clinical trials. Basic and translational research is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) -NCI and includes Georgia’s only minority-focused research program. Education is also an essential part of the mission in training the next generation of physicians and scientists to continue the work that has only just begun.

Our Mission

To reduce the burden of cancer in the State of Georgia and across the globe through superior care, innovation, and education.

Our Vision

To be a global leader in cancer clinical care, discovery, innovation, translational research, professional education, and public awareness.

Reporting Relationship:

Jorge E. Cortes, MD

Director, Georgia Cancer Center

Website: https://www.augusta.edu/cancer/

Purpose of the Position

Georgia’s second oldest and second-largest city, Augusta, is situated on the southern banks of the storied Savannah River. Serving as a halfway point between the Appalachian Mountains to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, Augusta is a thriving community built on a solid foundation of local pride and artistic eccentricity. Read on to find out why we feel so good about our hometown.

The Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) at the Georgia Cancer Center is responsible for leading programs and activities directed at developing and expanding community engagement strategies to promote cancer prevention, early detection, education, and clinical trial participation for all populations severed by Georgia Cancer Center. The Office of COE will be responsible for fostering partnerships with the communities within the cancer center’s catchment area, overseeing educational initiatives, and ensuring alignment with the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) priorities for community outreach and engagement. The successful candidate will lead this vital component of the cancer center’s application for NCI designation.

Georgia Cancer Center’s catchment area includes most of the Southeast part of the state and bordering counties of South Carolina, with a large representation of underserved, rural and minority populations with great needs for cancer prevention, early detection and education; providing a major opportunity for a COE leader interested in improving their cancer needs.

Georgia Cancer Center provides a vibrant work environment with the expectation of travel within the catchment area for community events, partner meetings, and conferences. Occasional evening and weekend commitments for outreach activities and program or research implementation may be required.

Key Responsibilities

Community Outreach and Engagement:

• Develop and coordinate the Community Outreach and Engagement approach that addresses the needs of the community and is aligned with and supports the Georgia Cancer Center’s application for NCI designation.

• Develop and implement strategies to enhance public education, cancer awareness, prevention, and early detection in the cancer center’s catchment area with a focus on underserved and high-risk populations.

• Develop partnerships with community-based organizations, healthcare providers, health systems, public health agencies, and advocacy groups to expand outreach efforts.

• Represent the cancer center at community events, health fairs and other forums to promote engagement, cancer awareness and education, with data collection and tracking to evaluate these efforts.

• Establish and engage a community advisory board that provides feedback and advice to the Georgia Cancer Center regarding community needs and ways we can better serve the community at large.

Confidential Position Specification 4

Education and Program Development:

• Oversee the design and execution of cancer education programs for the whole spectrum of the population in the cancer center’s catchment area.

• Work collaboratively with members of the Georgia Cancer Center and other Departments and Colleges at AU to develop collaborative community-based clinical, translational, and basic research programs that address the needs of the communities they serve.

• Collaborate with faculty and researchers from the Georgia Cancer Center to translate scientific findings into accessible community health education materials.

• Collaborate with community members and leaders, and faculty at the Georgia Cancer Center to develop and present at forums on the specific cancer care needs of the populations they serve.

• Develop and implement training programs for healthcare providers, community health workers, and educators for cancer prevention, education, and treatment for all populations.

• Mentor other faculty and members of the COE program to support their career success and advancement.

• Actively support and facilitate the participation of community members in the research activities and clinical programs of the Georgia Cancer Center.

Research and Data Utilization:

• Implement evidence-based interventions that support the cancer center’s mission to decrease the burden of cancer in Georgia.

• Support community based participatory research initiatives and ensure that outreach efforts are informed by data driven insights.

• Develop relevant metrics that support the impact of the COE program in improving cancer prevention and control outcomes of the population in the cancer center’s catchment area.

• Oversee the collection and analyses of community cancer related health data to assess program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

• Lead and participate in grant proposals that secure funding to support outreach activities.

• Publish and report the activities of the COE program at the Georgia Cancer Center at conferences, in medical journals, and through other relevant outlets.

Leadership and Strategy:

• Establish and lead a team of faculty, outreach coordinators, educators, and volunteers in executing community engagement programs.

• Develop and manage budgets, operational plans, and evaluation metrics for outreach initiatives within the COE program.

• Ensure compliance with NCI guidelines and institutional policies related to community outreach and engagement.

• Adhere to NCI metrics for community outreach and engagement that are required for NCI designation.

Confidential Position Specification 5

The Candidate

Experience and Professional Qualifications

• Doctoral degree (PhD, DrPH, or equivalent) in a relevant field (e.g., public health, health education, social sciences, health economics, implementation science, or other health science related field.)

• Experience in an NCI designated cancer center.

• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in community health outreach, education, or cancer related public health programs.

• Demonstrated experience working with and addressing the needs of all populations served in the catchment area of a cancer center.

• Minimum of 5-7 years of strong leadership, project management, and team management experience (faculty, staff, postdocs, graduate students, or other trainees)

• A good track record of peer reviewed funding and active funding required.

• Excellent communication and relationship building abilities.

• Knowledge of cancer prevention, screening guidelines, and strategies for addressing the health care needs of hard-to-reach populations.

• Experience in implementation science is a plus.

Procedure for Candidacy

Korn Ferry will begin reviewing candidates immediately and will continue until the position is filled. All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Inquiries, nominations, and applications should be submitted electronically in confidence to mailto:[email protected] to ensure full consideration.

Confidential Position Specification 6

Angela Henry

Sector Leader

501.519.5609 mailto:[email protected]

Amber Gornik

Managing Associate

215.656.5354 mailto:[email protected]

Philip Greer

Senior Associate

719.641.6561 mailto:[email protected]

About Korn Ferry

Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. We work with our clients to design optimal organization structures, roles, and responsibilities. We help them hire the right people and advise them on how to reward and motivate their workforce while developing professionals as they navigate and advance their careers. Visit kornferry.com for more information.

To apply, please visit: https://apptrkr.com/6113728

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