Work at Breast Cancer Action

Thank you for your interest in working at Breast Cancer Action! See current opportunities below.

For our current internship opportunities, learn more here. 

About Breast Cancer Action

Breast Cancer Action is not your average breast cancer organization. BCAction is fiercely independent and refuses corporate funding from any company that profits from or contributes to breast cancer, which means they can always put women’s health first.

BCAction is focused on achieving health justice for all women living with and at risk of breast cancer. Radical and compassionate, BCAction never shies away from the hard truths. They tell it like it is about breast cancer: 40,000 women die of this devastating disease every year, and we don’t have nearly enough to show for the billions of dollars raised in the name of breast cancer.

BCAction was founded in 1990 by a handful of women who were living with and dying from breast cancer and who demanded answers about their disease. Today, BCAction is a national grassroots organization with 50,000 members across the country. Together they are challenging the status quo and working to address and end the breast cancer epidemic.

Among the endless sea of lucrative breast cancer charities, corporate donors, and pharmaceutical-funded research agendas, the independent voice that defines BCAction has never been more urgently needed, and the organization’s relevance as an activist watchdog organization is greater than ever. BCAction focuses on systemic interventions that will address the root causes of the disease and produce broad public health benefits.

BCAction believes in:

• Health justice as a human right
• Honesty, fearlessness, and truth-telling about the breast cancer epidemic
• Honoring women’s diverse voices and lived experiences
• People’s health and well-being over corporate profits
• Transparency and accountability for themselves and others
• Integrity and freedom from conflict of interest
• Collective action that changes the world for the better

Breast Cancer Action is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Breast Cancer Action does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. 

For more information about our work please visit www.bcaction.org. 

Current Opportunities at Breast Cancer Action

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Executive Director
Apply from anywhere in the US: organization is remote/work from home
July 2020

BCAction seeks a dynamic and visionary Executive Director with the passion and experience to lead the effort to address the environmental causes of and disparities in the breast cancer epidemic. This is an incredible opportunity for a social justice leader to envision BCAction’s next phase of national impact.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will provide the overall leadership, strategy, and vision for the organization. BCAction has a budget approaching $1M, a national Board of ten directors, and six remote staff. The organization values a culture of integrity, trust, and respect, where people feel confident working autonomously and as a team.

In 2020, the Board of Directors approved a plan to make BCAction a virtual organization. While previously based in the San Francisco Bay area, BCAction staff all work remotely from home with the organizational support needed (computers, desks, etc.) to accommodate this structure. Therefore, the Executive Director can be based anywhere in the US and will be expected to work from home.

Ideal candidates for the Executive Director will demonstrate alignment with the following core competencies:

Strategic Organizational Oversight and Leadership Skills

• With the staff and Board, create and implement the long-term goals and strategies for BCAction, developing specific strategies to extend BCAction’s national membership and outreach
• Mentor, empower, and develop BCAction’s staff, supporting a culture that is respectful, fast-paced, and mission-driven
• In partnership with the Deputy Director, ensure that the day-to-day operations and programs of BCAction are smoothly and effectively administered; provide appropriate oversight of program staff activities, fundraising and finance, and overall systems and procedures
• Partner closely with the Board of Directors, supporting in continued cohesion and collaboration of the members and facilitating the Board’s alignment with the organizational strategy and governance structure

Fundraising Experience

• In partnership with the Development staff, pursue new and sustainable fundraising opportunities, with the aim of increasing organizational revenue over time
• Strategically engage and steward donors, including individual and institutional funders, in support of BCAction’s work
• Partner with internal stakeholders to elevate BCAction’s national profile, growing the voice of BCAction in order to amplify and extend the reach of the organization
• Act as the lead representative of BCAction at virtual and (when possible) in-person fundraising events throughout the year

Experience Reviewing/Analyzing Scientific Data and Policy

• Research and stay informed about breast cancer issues central to BCAction’s mission and work, including and not limited to the links between environmental toxins (such as pesticides and fossil fuels) and breast cancer, fracking and dangerous drilling, healthcare access, the FDA approval process, breast cancer treatments, and regulatory protections
• Support staff in thoughtfully analyzing and developing the organization’s positions on emerging scientific research regarding the environmental causes of breast cancer, advancing breast cancer treatments, and public health policy (state and federal)
• Bring a systems-minded approach to the work, and continue to build upon the organization’s culture of empowering people with evidence-based information
• Ensure that the full BCAction team continues to be the go-to expert in providing thorough, clear, and unbiased information about the causes of breast cancer and treatment options

Compelling Communicator and Spokesperson

• Speak prominently, passionately, and boldly about the causes of breast cancer, the impact of over-screening and over-treatment from the patient’s perspective, and on the need for BCAction’s continued advocacy for better policies, prevention, treatments, and risk reduction; As the chief spokesperson for BCAction, the Executive Director should be a dynamic and persuasive communicator
• Maintain positive relations with other advocates for public health, environmental justice, cancer research, funders, political and policy thought-leaders, and other constituencies that can influence and support BCAction positions
• Be willing and able to represent BCAction in confronting corporate polluters, questioning researchers and medical providers, and advocating for improved public health policies
• Support in the content creation and revision of BCAction’s formal communications, including on the website, on social media channels, and in membership resources

Demonstrated Knowledge of Relevant Fields of Work

• Bring experience in values-aligned organizations within relevant fields, such as public health, health justice, environmental justice, breast cancer, women’s issues, and social justice issues
• Understand and value grassroots, advocacy-oriented work, with the capacity to oversee organizing and building movements in communities on the ground
• Demonstrate an ability to assess and discuss intersectional racial justice issues with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders

Alignment with the BCAction Mission and Approach

• Foster a shared commitment to BCAction’s mission and values, ensuring that BCAction continues to build on its strong reputation as an activist watchdog organization and an independent voice and resource for people with and at risk of breast cancer
• Hold deeply the social justice values of the organization, recognizing that the breast cancer epidemic is a social justice issue, and the vital role the organization plays in building solidarity with communities who currently and/or traditionally have had limited access to power, information, and resources
• Be able to discern appropriate partners to collaborate with BCAction
• Believe in and further develop the organization’s grassroots membership model, and continue to cultivate an internal culture that is collaborative, flexible, and operates with a high degree of integrity and trust

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate will have the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and characteristics:

• A leader with experience reviewing and analyzing research and policy in relevant fields such as public health, health justice, environmental justice, breast cancer, women’s issues, or social justice issues
• Compelling oral and written communication skills, including significant experience with the media
• Proven managerial skills and financial oversight experience, preferably through work in a nonprofit that has advocacy as its mission; ability to manage remotely and to support a positive staff culture
• A successful track record of attracting financial support from individuals and foundations; comfort with grassroots fundraising and personal interaction with and cultivation of donors
• A demonstrated ability to develop and strengthen relationships with a broad range of people such as policy makers, the media, conservation organizations, politicians, government representatives, medical personnel, scientists, activists, and others; an ability to work across diverse cultures and communities and in different economic and operating environments
• Deep personal commitment to addressing the environmental causes of and disparities in the breast cancer epidemic; ability to inspire others to share BCAction’s core values

Compensation & Benefits

The annual salary for this role will start at $120,000. Breast Cancer Action also offers a comprehensive benefits package, including healthcare, vacation, and sabbatical.

To apply, please visit https://koyapartners.com/search/breast-cancer-action-ed/.