JOB DESCRIPTION

TITLE:                         Cancer Prevention Officer (Community Health Promotion), Irish Cancer Society

REPORTS TO:            Community Programmes Manager

DEPARTMENT:           Cancer Prevention

LOCATION:                 Based in Dublin

HOURS:                       Full Time (35 hours/week) flexibility required.

CONTRACT TYPE:      Fixed Term Contract  

The Cancer Prevention department is responsible for the delivery of evidence based, high-impact cancer risk reduction programmes, all informed by the European Code against Cancer. We communicate these messages to the Irish public using a combination of national programmes, information development, and community based cancer prevention interventions.

Overall Responsibility:         

Cancer Prevention Officer (CPO), will work as part of the community prevention team, to implement the Irish Cancer Society’s strategic goals to reduce the risk of cancer and to improve lives. The programmes are designed to mobilise individuals, organisations and communities around healthy living, cancer, chronic disease prevention; and to foster partnerships at national, regional and local level to tackle health inequalities and equal access to quality services. Working in partnership, the CPO will further enhance the capacity of community organisations with a health and social remit, to deliver evidence based programmes, such as the Irish Cancer Society’s Fit for Work and Life (FFWL) programme, in community settings. The aim of the FFWL programme is to increase peoples’ knowledge and awareness of health and wellbeing and to up-skill and motivate them to make healthy choices, in their family and working life.

Responsibilities:

• Work as part of a team to build the Irish Cancer Society’s capacity to work with voluntary and statutory agencies to develop and provide innovative, evidenced-based cancer prevention and health and wellbeing programmes to a range of underserved population groups in their local setting.
• In conjunction with national, regional and local partners, co-ordinate the further development of Fit for Work and Life delivery model in five regions to bring programmes to benefit unemployed and low income participants.
• Support the promotion and dissemination of a recent external FFWL pilot project evaluation, to promote discussion and the key recommendations of the report, including the accreditation of future participant programmes through the Education and Training Board.
• Work with community partners to recruit and train new FFWL community facilitators (CF’s), to deliver Fit For Work and Life community programmes in their region; and set up appropriate systems to ensure that CF’s are given ongoing peer mentoring and support.
• Work with Community Programmes Manager to draft annual budget, monitor approved budget spend on a bi monthly basis and keep appropriate back up documentation for invoicing.
• Liaise with department administrator set up appropriate systems to manage community grants, shared promotion props and resources, systems for the review and updating of programme materials, to ensure smooth programme delivery in each region.
• Work with CRM team to establish and maintain a database of Community Facilitators, to record training and refresher activities and the frequency of their programme delivery.
• In conjunction with the Web Services and Communications Department, develop our educational resource materials on line and develop a recruitment and marketing strategy to engage with our key target groups and communicate the purpose of the FFWL programme.
• Using the Society’s impact monitoring framework, report on agreed performance indicators using tools provided, keep records of reach of the programme to participants and support any process evaluations on the impact of the Fit for Work and life programme at community level.
• Represent the organisation at relevant Irish Cancer Society events to improve information provision in relation to cancer prevention and early detection, and build strong external links with HI Healthy County initiatives and other cross sectoral health working groups with partners at community level, to achieve the organisation’s objectives.
• Any other duties as required by manager.

Essential Requirements:

• A degree or professional qualification in Health Promotion or related field;
• A minimum of three years’ relevant work experience;
• Excellent interpersonal, and verbal and written communication skills;
• Strong facilitation and training skills;
• Skills in needs assessment, project planning, evaluation and report writing;
• An excellent understanding of community settings based approaches to health promotion, and the strategies required to address social and health inequalities at practice and policy level;
• A good understanding of the research and policy issues relating to cancer and chronic disease prevention, and health equity at both regional and national level;
• Excellent organisational, administration and co-ordination skills;
• Excellent ICT skills, with a good working knowledge of data base management;
• Ability to work effectively with co-workers and collaborate with community organisations, to maintain and build partnerships, to maximise the impact of joint resources;
• Proactive and flexible in approach;
• Full clean driving licence.

Desirable:

• Postgraduate Diploma/Masters in Health Promotion or other relevant discipline;
• Experience of working in the community development or community education sector;
• A good working knowledge of digital media platforms for marketing and campaigning;
• Grants;
• Experience of working with different population groups including disadvantaged groups.

General:

• The Irish Cancer Society operates a no-smoking policy and the post holder must not smoke in the office or when on Society business outside the office;
• Have access to a vehicle and be willing and able to travel provincially, and be willing to work outside of normal working hours;
• All employees are required to be aware of their responsibilities towards health and safety and to adhere to fire regulations;
• This job description is not exhaustive; it merely acts as a guide and may be amended to meet the changing requirements of the Society at any time after discussion with the post holder.

HOW TO APPLY: If you are interested in applying for this position, please send curriculum vitae and cover letter including current remuneration package to:  Nicola Cosgrove, HR Administrator, Irish Cancer Society, 43/45 Northumberland Rd., Dublin 4 Email: recruitment@irishcancer.ie.  

The closing date for applications is Wednesday 10^th October 2018.

 The Irish Cancer Society is an equal opportunities employer.

We do not require the assistance of agencies at this time.