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Health Policy Educator

Part time (32 hrs/week)

The Tobacco Law Center is a public interest law and policy think tank that helps local, state, national and international officials and tobacco control advocates use the power of law to address the greatest health problem of our time—the epidemic of tobacco use.

Position Description:

The Health Policy Educator will serve as an in-house public health policy researcher, educator and resource person.  This is a new, grant-funded position, with a competitive salary and fringe benefits.

The Heath Policy Educator’s initial primary responsibility will be to support a three-year community academic research project to increase access to and promote tobacco cessation services for unionized blue-collar and service workers and families who get their health care benefits via Taft-Hartley Health and Welfare funds.  The center’s partners on this project are the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Laborers, UNITE HERE MN, UFCW Local 789, and the Laborers’ District Council of Minnesota and North Dakota.  To read an executive summary of the project, click here. (PDF, 69 Kb)

Qualifications:

Qualifications include a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) or related degree; excellent research skills, including experience analyzing quantitative and qualitative data; superb writing skills and experience with community partnerships or coalition building. Preference will be given to candidates who have experience working with labor unions; collaborative, community-based research; and NVivo software.

Specific job responsibilities:

Serve as an in-house public health policy researcher, educator and  resource person

  • Develop and maintain current knowledge about public health policy research, advocacy, education and promotion
  • Develop and maintain current knowledge about the relationships between tobacco and other public health concerns

Participate intellectually with Tobacco Law Center attorneys (principal investigators), consultants, and research steering committees in the design and implementation of research projects

  • Contribute to discussions and planning related to research implementation; data organization and analysis; reporting; and publication development and writing
  • Coordinate the writing and promotion of health policies to targeted audiences
  • Coordinate, attend and help facilitate meetings
  • Attend and participate in various project events

Health policy education

  • Develop and maintain current knowledge and skills related to tobacco control and other public health concerns, including the educational and behavioral processes of promoting and implementing interventions
  • Prepare, distribute and present health education informational and promotional materials including newsletters, web-site content, reports, webinars, bulletins, visual aids and other materials
  • Develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with external, targeted audiences, including Taft-Hartley Fund administrators, attorneys, consultants, trustees and labor and management leaders

Design, organize and implement research project databases

  • Design and implement databases that ensure accurate, complete documentation of all research data, project activities, mailing lists, telephone networks, etc.
  • Participate in data entry and maintain databases
  • Troubleshoot databases as necessary

Analyze data

  • Provide advice on analysis of data
  • Assist with coding data
  • Analyze data using standard statistical packages and according to the established research protocol
  • Develop and distribute reports to the PI and collaborating partners
  • Prepare grant-related reports

Conduct key informant interviews

  • Conduct in-person and telephone interviews, following established research protocols
  • Maintain records of interviews

Contact:

For best consideration, applications should be submitted by July 18, 2008.  To apply send cover letter, resume, two writing samples and list of references to:

Human Resources
William Mitchell College of Law
875 Summit Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55105

hr@wmitchell.edu

Fax: (651)290-8645

Members of under-represented groups are encouraged to apply.