Associate Director - Cancer Registry

As Associate Director of the Cancer Registry at MD Anderson, you’ll provide strategic and operational leadership for an essential institutional program that supports cancer surveillance, regulatory compliance, accreditation, and data-driven decision-making. You’ll oversee the collection, validation, analysis, and reporting of comprehensive oncology data, helping ensure the institution meets critical reporting requirements while advancing its mission in patient care, research, education, and cancer prevention.

What’s in it for you? This is an opportunity to lead a highly specialized program with institution-wide visibility and impact. You’ll shape the strategic direction of Cancer Registry operations, oversee financial and staffing resources, and ensure complete, accurate, and timely cancer data submissions to the Texas Cancer Registry and the National Cancer Database. You’ll also guide compliance with state and federal reporting requirements and Commission on Cancer accreditation standards, partnering with multidisciplinary teams to support accreditation readiness and ongoing program excellence.

You’ll have a key role in connecting cancer data with the systems and people who depend on it. Working across clinical, research, administrative, and information technology teams, you’ll oversee the integration of Cancer Registry data and workflows with institutional platforms, including the electronic health record, OneConnect, and FIRE. You’ll also help advance system interfaces and workflows that improve data accessibility and completeness, including MyChart integration to support patient follow-up.

In addition, you’ll consult with clinicians, executives, researchers, and other professionals on data requests and study design, providing expert guidance on the appropriate use of Cancer Registry data to support research, quality improvement, institutional planning, and population health initiatives.

As the institutional subject matter expert for Cancer Registry standards, data governance, and cancer surveillance, you’ll represent MD Anderson through professional organizations, conferences, and external partnerships, including service as an advisory committee member to the Texas Cancer Registry. This role is ideal for a strategic leader who combines expertise in cancer data and regulatory standards with strong operational, financial, and relationship-building skills.

MD Anderson offers competitive pay, an annual merit increase program, annual incentive opportunities, an employer-funded pension contribution, medical, dental and vision coverage, generous paid time off, and opportunities for professional growth and development.

Bring your leadership and cancer data expertise to MD Anderson and help strengthen the data infrastructure that supports institutional excellence, advances cancer research, and improves the quality of cancer care.

**This is a fully remote position but still may require occasional onsite presence in Houston, Texas. Anyone hired not located in Houston will be responsible for travel related costs to attend any onsite requirements.**

Directs strategic planning, financial management and operations management of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Cancer Registry Program.

Impacts the overall operation of the institutional Cancer Registry program and mandatory reporting. Directs the strategic, operational, financial, and regulatory oversight of the MD Anderson Cancer Center - Cancer Registry Program, ensuring compliance with state and federal cancer reporting requirements and accreditation standards. Provides enterprise-wide leadership for cancer data management, registry operations, and integration of Cancer Registry functions across clinical, research, administrative, and information technology platforms.

Oversee the collection, validation, analysis, and reporting of comprehensive oncology data to support institutional decision-making, quality improvement, regulatory compliance, accreditation, research initiatives, and population health efforts. Serves as the institutional authority and subject matter expert on Cancer Registry standards, data governance, and cancer surveillance, while fostering collaboration with internal stakeholders and external organizations to advance MD Anderson’s mission in patient care, research, education, and cancer prevention.

Cancer Registry Operations

Directs strategic planning, financial management and operations management of the MD Anderson Cancer Center Cancer Registry Program. Leads the development and implementation of the Cancer Registry initiatives throughout the institution. Ensures that the Cancer Registry system is in alignment with institutional implementation and usage of other critical systems (OneConnect/FIRE) by feeding and obtaining information to these systems.

Plans data need and staffing of the Registry to ensure compliance with state and federal mandatory reporting. Provides leadership and oversight for the Cancer Registry's role in maintaining Commission on Cancer (CoC) accreditation by ensuring compliance with all applicable Cancer Registry standards. Coordinates and supports the organization's CoC accreditation activities by collaborating with multidisciplinary teams and assisting in the preparation for accreditation surveys.

Cancer Registry Data Submissions

Ensures compliance with state law of reporting complete, accurate, and timely cancer data reporting to the Texas Cancer Registry. Supports institutional accreditation of Commission on Cancer by reporting complete, accurate and timely cancer data to the National Cancer Database.

Data Utilization

Oversees data utilization of the Cancer Registry data in compliance with the Commission on Cancer, by ensuring the availability of the data in FIRE and OneConnect. Consults with and assists clinicians, executives, researchers and professionals in designing studies and completing data requests for clinical, financial, demographic, statistical, and institutional information. Acts as interface to provide expert guidance for users of Cancer Registry data.

Integration of Cancer Registry and the EHR Ensures data elements critical to the registry's reporting requirements have been integrated throughout various institutional applications, including the Electronic Health System. Works closely with the various systems to maintain the registry requirements. Oversee the development and maintenance of system interfaces and workflows that support registry operations, including MyChart integration to facilitate patient follow-up and improve the completeness and timeliness of follow-up data.

Cancer Registry Subject Matter Expert

Represents MD Anderson as a subject matter expert on Cancer Registry activities at local, national and international meetings, conferences and symposia. Serves as an Advisory Committee Member to the Texas Cancer Registry. Evaluates, develops and implements relationships with external organizations of benefit to MD Anderson regarding Cancer Registry

Education

Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Informatics, Business Administration, Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, or related field

Preferred

• Master's Degree in Informatics, Epidemiology, or related field

Work Experience

Required

• 6 years of healthcare or business management experience, to include three years of project management
• Successful completion of the LEADing Self Accelerate and/or LEADing Self Discover programs may substitute for one year of required supervisory or management experience. Completion of both programs can be substituted for a maximum of two years of supervisory or management experience.

Licenses and Certifications

Required (upon hire)

• CTR – Certified Tumor Registrar

Other Requirements

• Must pass pre-employment skills test as required and administered by Human Resources.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, paid time off, retirement, tuition benefits, educational opportunities, and individual and team recognition.

This position may be responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of critical infrastructure, as defined in Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code and therefore may require routine reviews and screening. The ability to satisfy and maintain all requirements necessary to ensure the continued security and integrity of such infrastructure is a condition of hire and continued employment.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state, or local laws unless such distinction is required by law.http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html