Program Coordinator - Goal Concordant Care

MISSION STATEMENT 

The mission of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is to eliminate cancer in Texas, the nation, and the world through outstanding programs that integrate patient care, research and prevention, and through education for undergraduate and graduate students, trainees, professionals, employees and the public. 

SUMMARY

The primary focus of the Program Coordinator position is to coordinate administrative and research activities for the Center for Goal Concordant Care Research.  

The ideal candidate for this Program Coordinator role should be highly organized, driven, detail-oriented, and possess exceptional written and verbal communication and project coordination skills. They will have demonstrated experience in research program coordination, including planning and implementing initiatives and processes, managing communications, and organizing meetings and events.  They should have proficiency in financial management, including account reconciliation, tracking and reporting, and resolving discrepancies. The candidate should be capable of interacting with all levels of employees, including senior leadership. A strong drive to succeed, adaptability, problem-solving abilities, willingness to learn new skills and processes, and the capacity to prioritize tasks in a fast-paced, start-up environment are essential for success in this role. This position reports directly to the Administrative Director, Center for Goal Concordant Care Research. The position is primarily remote with occasional required in-person meetings and activities, as needed. 

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR GOAL CONCORDANT CARE RESEARCH

Individuals living with advanced cancer often have to confront complex decisions regarding their treatments, preferred care settings, and care philosophy. Unfortunately, many do not fully grasp the gravity of their illness, leading to treatments that are misaligned with their goals. This often results in frequent emergency room visits, avoidable hospitalizations, and aggressive end-of-life measures.

Goal concordant care, an institutional priority at MD Anderson, aims at improving communication among patients, caregivers and clinicians, enhancing the quality of life of patients with advanced cancer and their families, and delivering high quality end-of-life care. To address these challenges, MD Anderson established the Center for Goal Concordant Care Research in April 2024. The Center aims to bridge existing knowledge gaps by leveraging cutting-edge scientific advancements to tailor appropriate care interventions for the right patient at the right time.

The overarching vision is to establish The Center for Goal Concordant Care Research as the preeminent international research center revolutionizing the science of person-centered, goal-concordant, and value-based care. Achieving this vision necessitates collaboration with global experts and an unwavering commitment to enhancing the clinical practices of oncology professionals through research and education.

The Center for Goal Concordant Care Research seamlessly aligns with MD Anderson's strategic priorities of expanding its Reach, pursuing Breakthroughs, and delivering Value. Initially, the Center will focus on talent acquisition, expert engagement, and the establishment of operational policies and guidelines. The Center for Goal Concordant Care Research is expected to accelerate research in patient-clinician communication and supportive/palliative care, ultimately enhancing care for patients with advanced cancer worldwide. This will benefit not only patients but also caregivers, healthcare professionals, and healthcare systems. 

KEY FUNCTIONS

 Research Center Coordination  

•             Plans, implements, and reviews initiatives that align with the Center’s strategic priorities.

•             Coordinates and performs complex administrative tasks requiring priority and procedure development, professional communication, and creative problem resolution. 

•             Leads small projects or tasks of larger, more complex projects in collaboration with the Center staff as assigned. 

•             Maintains project and operations dashboard for Research Center related activities.

•             Prepares and/or assists with the creation and distribution of communications to ensure information is documented accurately and reports and follows-up with key stakeholders in a timely manner. 

•             Maintains, coordinates, and creates content for the Research Center’s Internal and External Website.

•             Maintains and organizes a centralized SharePoint site that will encompass documents (e.g., policies, procedures, literature, presentations, protocols, grants) related to the Research Center.

•             Prepares agendas, presentations, materials, takes/finalizes minutes, and tracks attendance for Research Center related meetings.

•             Organizes and coordinates the many components of planning in-person and virtual meetings, workshops, Center retreats, Scientific Advisory Board meetings, and other Center related meeting activities.  

•             Timekeeping for the Center.

•             Supplies and inventory management: Oversees equipment and supplies allocation; facilitates inventory review and asset management reporting. 

•             Events management: staffs and coordinates Center related events and materials.

•             Center onboarding coordinator.

•             Department support: Coordinates requests for support from internal departments as needed including IT and facilities.

•             Human Resources & Recruitment: Coordinates hiring new employees including initial department orientation, creates on-boarding materials, and coordinates onboarding activities with HR and IT

•             Other Research Center projects and tasks as assigned. 

Account Reconciliation and Financial Management   

•             Reviews and reconciles designated grant, research and other company/center accounts, on a monthly basis, to verify accuracy and to resolve errors.

•             Compares company/center report expenses with expense documents received for purchases made or services performed.

•             Receives and files expense/supporting documents and company/center reports, in the designated location, as they are received, to ensure that they are accessible when needed. 

•             Accesses the Financial/Purchasing Database to review and verify encumbered/estimated expenses posted and confirm actual expenses incurred. 

•             Notifies the center leadership of any discrepancies and adjustments, as necessary. 

Leadership Support  

•             Independently plans and manages work deadlines and schedule. Maintains both the current year and a long-term year calendar for faculty and Center staff. 

•             Gathers materials on assigned subjects for use in preparation of scientific reports, speeches, or articles.  

•             Formats letters, reports, articles, memorandums, and speeches - usually of medical or related scientific nature; able to compose routine correspondence.  

•             Prepares, along with center faculty, literature research, submission of publications, abstracts, manuscripts, scientific posters, research studies, protocols, and other publications using EndNotes, PowerPoint, and other software.

•             Attends to all travel and travel related follow-up, from requesting travel through appropriate channels to following established procedures for recording absences from clinic through submitting requests for reimbursements. 

•             Accurately tracks the usage of faculty extramural development leave.

•             Maintains the most current information pertaining to the CVs and biosketches for center faculty. 

The above functions require the following abilities and skills: 

•             Must have good analytical and conceptual skills paired with detail orientation, exceptional interpersonal skills, and a demonstrated ability to creatively and innovatively approach problem-solving. 

•             Knowledge of data integrity practices, metric, and outcomes reporting. 

•             Display the ability to work closely with others, communicates clearly, and develops efficient systems to promote a high level of productivity.  Is able to function professionally and effectively and to influence others to do likewise under highly stressful conditions.

•             Assimilate pertinent information to compose written correspondence (must have a strong command of the English language, including spelling, writing, and verbalizing) and be able to communicate well verbally and in writing.

•             Understand and follow verbal and written directions, reads and understands printed and written data, organizes and disseminates information in a clearly understood manner, and is clearly understood by verbal communication in face-to-face encounters and by telephone.

•             Demonstrated project coordination skills, priority setting, excellent organization, and communication skills. 

•             Communication: Possess the communication and interpersonal skills necessary to effectively communicate with all level of personnel including senior leadership. 

•             Project coordination skills: Demonstrated project coordination skills, priority setting, and good decision making.

•             Problem-solving: Ability to recognize, analyze, communicate, and solve a variety of problems. 

 The performance for all expected outcomes is measured by observation by supervisor, reports from study investigators and staff, the accuracy and timeliness of work produced, and demonstration of the ability to effectively work under stress and anticipate needs, to recognize situations requiring assistance and have the ability to refer or perform any necessary tasks, and to comprehend the goal of the Research Center and take the initiative in making decisions and taking actions to further this goal. The ability to deal effectively with a variety of individuals and situations is essential.