Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisor

(12-month contract, 3 positions available. Posted until filled)

The selected advisor(s) will sign a vendor agreement with the Partnership and will operate as an independent contractor. Advisors are not considered Partnership employees.

Division overview

The Strategic Partnerships Division plays a key role in the engagement of partners in Canada’s health system and broader cancer community who are critical to implementing practice and policy changes that deliver on the priorities of the 2019-2029 Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control. The division works with the Partnership’s program teams and system partners to develop work plans, monitor progress, and regularly assess new and evolving work to ensure it aligns with the eight priorities of the Strategy. The division also leads communications activities to support and profile the collaborations that drive towards the outcomes of the Strategy. Strategic Partnerships also oversees a special agenda of working alongside First Nations, Inuit and Métis to advance People-specific priorities and actions, outlined in the Strategy, by co-developing and implementing solutions to improving cancer care for those in these communities.

Who is a Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisor?

Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisors are a dynamic group of patients, family members and caregivers who draw on their diverse perspectives, cultures, ideas and approaches from across Canada to support the Partnership in improving the cancer system. They are keen to share their lived and/or living experience in the cancer care continuum including cancer prevention and screening, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, palliative and end-of-life care, and supportive caregiving. Based on their areas of interest and expertise, aligned with organizational needs, Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisors collaborate with Partnership staff to inform and consult on our work to improve cancer care and drive progress against the priorities of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control.

Core Responsibilities & Activities

The Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisors will work closely with the Partnership to identify responsibilities and activities that best align with their experiences and interests. In alignment with this, and with organizational needs, the advisors may:

• Share healthcare experiences and perspectives (positive and negative) as it relates to the Strategy and Canada’s healthcare system. These stories help ground the Partnership’s work with those affected by cancer.
• Participate in committees and network meetings to identify areas of improvement across the cancer continuum.
• Contribute to meeting planning, including providing input regarding agendas.
• Attend virtual meetings fully prepared to listen, question and contribute.
• Participate in the Partnership’s conferences, focus groups, surveys and other events as requested.
• Assist in the review and development of the Partnership’s knowledge products, such as educational materials and key reports.
• Share conference-related and other learnings with other Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisors.
• Share personal stories to highlight the lived healthcare experiences of patients, families and caregivers who are moving through the cancer system in the Partnership’s knowledge products and other communications activities, such as speaking to the media.
• Engage and communicate effectively with partners, staff and leaders at the Partnership.
• Actively use the Partnership’s Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisor Microsoft Teams space to build a community of support with other Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisors.
• Contribute to the ongoing and annual evaluation of the Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisor program.

Experience and Qualifications

• Experience as a patient, family member or caregiver within the health system and across the cancer continuum.
• Experience navigating palliative care settings in Canada.
• Ability to participate in network discussions among peers, Partnership staff, and external partners. E.g., live discussion during network meetings, sharing pre- and post-meeting reflections.
• High degree of comfort using Microsoft Teams for virtual meetings.
• Comfort using Microsoft applications, including Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Bilingualism in English and French or other languages is considered an asset but not required.
• Lived experience navigating the Canadian health system, particularly as a member of an equity-denied group, is welcomed.

Terms of the Contract

• Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisors may be located anywhere in Canada, as the Partnership is a pan-Canadian organization and operates with a hybrid model.
• The incumbent will be able to commit on average four hours per month, with an understanding that workload will vary depending on the type and phase of the work.
• This is a 12-month contract with the opportunity to extend based on organizational needs.
• This position is compensated. Patient, Family and Caregiver Advisors may select their preferred method of compensation. Further details will be shared in the selection process.
• Able to schedule and attend virtual meetings with the Partnership and partners during core business hours (10:00am – 3:00pm EST). The Partnership will make reasonable efforts to accommodate time zone differences.

The Partnership is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity. We strongly encourage qualified candidates from First Nations, Inuit, Métis, Black and other racialized communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, individuals with disabilities and other members of equity-denied communities to apply for our roles.

Other Information

To apply, please forward a completed letter of interest along with a resume in one file in Word or PDF format to and complete the following Expression of Interest Form. This position is posted until filled.

Should you have any questions about the role, please feel free to contact Heather Lawless, Manager, Partner Experience, by email at Heather.L.