Policy Director, Cornell Health Policy Center - Brooks School of Public Policy

About the Brooks School of Public Policy
The Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy harnesses the Universitys broad disciplinary excellence in public policy along with its innovative teaching research and engagement programs to solve pressing global challenges. The schools prestigious faculty apply an interdisciplinary and problem-oriented focus to wide-ranging public policy issues as they explore how government choices intersect with peoples lives. The schools initial areas of focus are in data science and technology policy; environmental and sustainability policy; health policy; human security; inequality and social policy; the politics and economics of development; and race racism and public policy.

The Opportunity
The Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy is seeking a collaborative creative and entrepreneurial professional to serve as the Policy Director of the newly established Cornell Health Policy Center a cross-campus collaboration with the Weill Cornell Medical College beginning in fall 2024. The newly launched Health Policy Center will serve as a locally and nationally known source of rigorous and relevant health policy evidence influence and advocacy as the locus of health policy impact research and training at Cornell. The inaugural Policy Director for the Cornell Health Policy Center will play an integral role in strategically developing leading and executing the Centers purpose-driven priorities and objectives to use data-driven evidence to impact advancing effective health policies and practices at the federal state and local organization and community levels.

Position Overview

The Policy Director will partner with CHPC Co-Directors and Associate Directors to develop the strategic direction for health policy program development and research translation shepherd the scaling of the Centers policy impact initiatives and lead external engagement with public and private partners advisory groups and coalitions including federal state and local policymakers journalists and interest groups to achieve impactful objectives. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in the policy field deep knowledge of contemporary health policy issues and expertise in building communicating and mobilizing around health policy. Reporting to the Centers founding co-directors (the Dean of the Brooks School who co-directs the Center with the Chief of the Division of Health Policy and Economics at Weill Cornell Medicine) the Policy Director will lead the Centers policy dissemination and engagement work and coordinate the Centers communications efforts in collaboration with colleagues on both campuses.

Other key responsibilities include: execute on a health policy portfolio of engagement and impact projects; identify and build strategic partnerships between the Center and other institutes and stakeholders in the health policy field; organize and execute events such as panels and symposia that facilitate engagement between health policy scholars at Cornell and policy audiences; create and disseminate collaborative policy research briefs and other content; design and carry out research translation activities; build and maintain a vibrant network of community-based policy partnerships with external collaborators; coordinate with communications teams on both campuses day-to-day communications work including website social media and media relations.

While position responsibilities vary every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative collaborative open and welcoming; showing respect compassion and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

Position Responsibilities/Essential Functions:

Policy Dissemination & Engagement 50%

• Collaborate with the CHPC leadership to develop strategic priorities for policy impact

• Develop content for dissemination (e.g. plain language evidence briefs)

• Develop and execute dissemination plan for content above targeted dissemination to relevant advocacy or interest groups state/federal legislators and staffers with relevant interests etc.

• Build strengthen and expand effective relationships with CHPC faculty and federal/state legislators and agencies other stakeholders and key policy partners (e.g. advocacy groups think tanks) with joint efforts with Cornell government relations when it makes sense to collaborate.

  • Content dissemination (e.g. send a brief to a staffer)

  • Facilitate and help to represent CHPC in meetings and other engagements (e.g. legislative testimony) between faculty and key partners

  • Organize events like legislative briefings policy academy/staffer series new legislator-focused engagements

• Evaluate metrics to track CHPC impact and reach manage reporting of impact to internal and external stakeholders

Communication 30%

• Partner with the communication team to direct design and implement effective marketing and communication efforts for CHPC and work closely with co-Directors to reinforce CHPC reputation and brand

• Communicate and advance the Centers work internally on both campuses and externally with key stakeholders and policymakers

• Coordinate development and management of the Centers website and other electronic communication social media; develop and post content for the Center

• Serve as chief liaison to Brooks/University/Weill Cornell Medical College media relations contacts to disseminate new content such as papers expert panel results; develop journalist series

• Partner with School/College/University communications teams to ensure compliance and alignment with branding policies and processes

Event Planning and Management 15%

• Plan and execute frequent academic and policy events and conferences that will showcase contributions from our research community and external researchers and invite key stakeholders from media government and the nonprofit sectors.

• Support CHPC leadership and faculty in the strategic aspects of event planning audiences to prioritize formats products that would be most useful to generate from events etc.

• Run point on managing event logistics i.e. work with admin staff and faculty to execute event logistics ranging from space to food to logistics

Other position-related responsibilities 5%

• Participate in projects or other duties as assigned with occasional work responsibility falling above or below current classification.

• Completion of any university required compliance trainings.

What We Need

A resume and cover letter are required to be submitted with your application.

Required Qualifications:

• Masters degree and 5 to 7 years relevant experience or equivalent combination

• Relevant experience in public policy health policy policy analysis or public health and knowledge of health policy issue areas and an understanding of the legislative landscape at the federal state and local levels with a proven track record of influencing health policymaking and advancing health policy initiatives

• Attention to detail and a willingness to participate in a start-up atmosphere

• Demonstrated success in management leadership and organizational strategy

• Demonstrated success in building networks and creating partnerships and alliances

• Strong policy writing skills and experience

• Proven experience connecting inclusion belonging and wellbeing practices to business goals.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in related discipline particularly one that influences policy health or social factors that influence population health

• Network of professional contacts including policymakers advisory groups researchers and community-based organizations

• Prior experience working in higher education

Rewards and Benefits
Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health wellbeing and sustainability.

• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options generous retirement contributions access to wellness programs and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits:Understand Your Benefits Working at Cornell.

• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King Jr. Day Memorial Day Juneteenth Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving and the day after and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions:Holiday and Accrued Time Off Working at Cornell

• Cornells impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program tuition aid for external education and Cornell Childrens Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits:Education Benefits Working at Cornell

• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell:Total Rewards Working at Cornell.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Relocation assistance will not be provided for this position.

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