BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF JOB:

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine is a scientific and professional organization, founded in 1958, composed of more than 8000 scientists whose clinical practice is dedicated to ensuring accuracy, safety and quality in the use of radiation in medical procedures such as medical imaging and radiation therapy. AAPM supports scientists and  and focuses on its mission of advancing medicine through science. 

AAPM is seeking Senior Government Relations Manager to superintend the government affairs tasks for the organization. The Senior Government Relations Manager will play a key role in monitoring and reporting on pertinent state and federal legislation, and creating and leading AAPM's legislative program and strategy. As the Senior Government Relations Manager, you will develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive Government Affairs program for the Association; oversee the program and take leadership role in analyzing the political, legislative, regulatory, and policy environment; develop strategic advocacy priorities, and craft advocacy campaigns. You will also provide recommendations to the appropriate association officers and committees on such courses of action that would best achieve the association’s purpose, goals and policies. You will establish and maintain metrics/methodology for tracking advocacy activities and outcomes, quantifying impact, where possible, and demonstrating value of program to AAPM while creating and maintaining relations with similar professional societies and others in the medical, basic science and science policy communities.

AAPM is requiring new staff to report to the office full time (5 days per week) for the first six months. After six months, position is eligible for remote work up to 2 days per week.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

AAPM FEDERAL AND STATE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM 35%

• Take leadership role in formulation of a strategic legislative plan appropriate to the association’s stated goals and purpose.
• Establish and maintain contact with Members of Congress, Congressional Committees, and any other legislative body, NGO or regulatory agency as may be appropriate to further any stated purpose, goals and positions of the AAPM. Make informational written or oral presentations to staff, committees, individual legislators, and agency administrators on issues of interest to AAPM and its membership.
• Organize medical physics leadership “fly-ins” to Washington, D.C., or any other appropriate location, including the preparation of and presentation of briefings on pertinent issues before Congress, other legislative bodies or regulatory agencies.
• Respond on behalf of AAPM to all appropriate requests by legislators, legislative committees or regulatory agencies for information or assistance on relevant scientific, medical or policy issues. Employee must maintain familiarity and be capable of carrying forward all the activities being performed by the legislative and regulatory affairs program.
• Develop, maintain, and activate when appropriate, a grassroots contact program for the general membership of AAPM.
• Manage the state licensure initiative and maintain primary contact status with contract lobbyist.
• Manage the state regulatory agencies initiative in support of “Qualified Medical Physicist.”
• Monitor and support AAPM activities in the area of patient safety and error reporting and identify best practices in radiation oncology to reduce such errors at the state, federal and international levels.
• Serve as staff liaison to the Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee (GRAC), subcommittees under GRAC, Radiation Oncology Incident Learning System (RO-ILS) Work Group, as well as others as assigned.
• Monitor and review federal and state legislative and regulatory changes for impact on medical physics profession.
• Support the AAPM strategic goals through informational written or oral presentations to staff, committees, individual legislators, and agency administrators on issues of interest to AAPM and its membership as necessary.
   

INFORMATION ANALYSIS 20%

• Monitor and analyze state science or health policy development, and any relevant state legislation, using contacts, web sites, and such other publications as may be appropriate.
• Monitor the policy developments and legislative initiatives associated with patient safety in diagnostic imaging, interventional radiology and radiation therapy. Keep the Executive Director, association officers and committees informed of these activities.
• Analyze any relevant state or federal legislation, using government contacts, government web sites, the Federal Register, Congressional Record and such other publications as appropriate.
• Monitor developments within any domestic or international regulatory agency or NGO relevant to the mission of AAPM including, but not limited to, the CMS, FDA, NRC, NIH, CRCPD and OAS.
• Monitor policy developments and legislative initiatives within associated or allied scientific or medical associations.
• Monitor international policy development and the potential impact on issues of importance to medical physicists.
• Monitor information reported in incident learning systems, such as RO-ILS.
   

REPORTS 15%

• Keep AAPM informed of all relevant developments and provide periodic written updates to the Executive Director, AAPM leadership, including the Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee. Provide a written analysis and appropriate briefings on specific issues.
• Prepare reports, articles and press releases as well as assist in the preparation of correspondence and materials for presentation before legislative and regulatory officials.
• The reporting function may also include execution of such research projects as may be assigned by the AAPM board, Executive Committee or their designee.
   

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER ENTITIES 10%

Establish and maintain relations with NGOs such as the NCRP, CRCPD, OAS, PSO (Patient Safety Organizations) and any similar entity, domestic or international, which AAPM may deem appropriate for its stated goals and purpose.

• Establish and maintain relations with any appropriate professional, scientific, or educational association or policy body including, but not limited to, the American College of Radiology, the American Society of Radiation Oncology, Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, and the Health Physics Society.

• Establish and maintain relations with federal and state regulatory agencies, including but not limited to, the CMS, FDA, NRC, CDC, NCI and NIH.
   

OTHER FUNCTIONS: 10%

• Participate in medical physics meetings including general membership meetings. This may include making presentations regarding issues and AAPM's governmental affairs program. Attend meetings and interact with employees and officials of various international, federal, state and NGOs or committees as may be assigned.
• Develop and maintain a quick response network within the general membership to optimize the information monitoring capability of this Association and dissemination of such information to the responsible leadership and members.

Legal Analysis: 10%

• Researches law and evaluates legal risk factors regarding business decisions or operations. Reviews documents to ensure clarity and optimal benefit for the organization.
   

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree required, graduate degree preferred, with advanced knowledge and experience in both federal and state legislative and regulatory processes and procedures required.
• A science or science policy background preferred. Experience in physics, health physics or medical physics strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working for Congress, an international, federal or state agency or in government relations for an organization or association.
• Ability to communicate with legislative bodies and their members, as well as governmental and non‑governmental regulatory agencies, in an effective manner.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to multi-task and work well under pressure.
• High-level proficiency in MAC environment including Microsoft Office.
• Ability to travel both internationally and domestically as needed for the Association.

What is AAPM?
AAPM is a scientific and professional organization, founded in 1958, composed of more than 8000 scientists whose clinical practice is dedicated to ensuring accuracy, safety and quality in the use of radiation in medical procedures such as medical imaging and radiation therapy. We are generally known as medical physicists and are uniquely positioned across medical specialties due to our responsibility to connect the physician to the patient through the use of radiation producing technology in both diagnosing and treating people. The responsibility of the medical physicist is to assure that the radiation prescribed in imaging and radiation therapy is delivered accurately and safely.

The mission of AAPM is advancing medicine through excellence in the science, education and professional practice of medical physics; a broad-based scientific and professional discipline which encompasses physical principles with applications in biology and medicine. With members in 92 countries, AAPM supports the Medical Physics community with a focus on advancing patient care through education, improving safety and efficacy of radiation oncology and medical imaging procedures through research, and the maintenance of professional standards.

AAPM publishes two scholarly journals Medical Physics, and the Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics (JACMP), as well as an AAPM Report Series. AAPM sponsors three scientific meetings each year, a spring clinical meeting, a main summer annual meeting, and a fall scientific meeting (joint with the Radiological Society of North America).
 

AAPM is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer  
EOE, including disability/Vets

*Interested candidates should submit a resume and a cover letter