Proton Therapy Program Director

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 139,000 - 163,000; Full time

Job summary

Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute in Boston seeks a Program Director to provide strategic and operational leadership for the Proton Therapy Program, guiding development, daily operations, and long‑term growth while delivering exceptional patient‑centered care.

You will collaborate with physicians, nursing, research, and administrative leaders to integrate proton services across the oncology continuum, manage budgets, ensure compliance, and drive quality, safety, and innovative program expansion.

Qualifications

• Eight years of experience in Radiation Oncology with clinical and technical expertise.
• Two years of dedicated experience in quality and safety.
• Experience in operational integration, expansion, or operational transformation in healthcare.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for all aspects of the proton therapy program, overseeing development, daily operations, and long‑term growth.
• Ensure safe, high‑quality, patient‑centered proton therapy services with regulatory, quality, and safety compliance.
• Develop and optimize clinical workflows, quality programs, and performance improvement initiatives.
• Partner with leadership across Dana-Farber and affiliated hospitals to integrate proton therapy services.
• Drive program growth by cultivating internal and external partnerships, advancing innovation and community engagement.
• Direct budgets, KPIs, resource utilization, and DoN data collection to ensure fiscal stewardship and operational excellence.

Skills

Radiation oncology operations

Leadership

Strategic planning

Quality management

Financial management

Team development

Stakeholder collaboration

EHR proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Radiation Therapy

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

The Proton Therapy Program Director provides strategic, operational, and administrative leadership for the Proton Therapy Program, ensuring the delivery of exceptional, patient-centered care while advancing the organization's clinical, academic, and research mission. This role is responsible for the planning, implementation, optimization, and ongoing management of proton therapy services, partnering closely with physician, nursing, operational, and research leaders to establish a world-class program.

The Program Director oversees all aspects of program operations, including clinical workflow optimization, quality and safety, financial stewardship, workforce planning, regulatory compliance, and operational performance. This leader develops and executes strategic initiatives that support program growth, enhance the patient and provider experience, and integrate proton therapy services across the oncology continuum.

Working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams, the Program Director cultivates strong internal and external partnerships, advances innovation and continuous improvement, and ensures compliance with all applicable regulatory and accreditation standards. The incumbent serves as a key advisor to executive leadership on operational strategy, resource planning, and program development while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, excellence, and continuous learning.

The Program Director champions Dana‑Farber's commitment to clinical excellence, research, education, diversity, equity, inclusion, and patient-centered care and is a unique opportunity to shape a new and transformative service line within a world-class academic medical center.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School‑affiliated hospitals.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for all aspects of the proton therapy program, overseeing program development, implementation, daily operations, and long‑term growth to ensure exceptional clinical, operational, and patient care outcomes.
• Ensure the delivery of safe, high-quality, patient‑centered proton therapy services by establishing and maintaining compliance with regulatory, accreditation, quality, and safety standards while promoting evidence‑based practice.
• Develop, implement, and continuously optimize clinical workflows, operational processes, quality assurance programs, and performance improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, patient experience, and treatment outcomes.
• Partner with physician, clinical, research, and administrative leadership across Dana‑Farber, including the Jimmy Fund Clinic and Boston Children’s Hospital, to integrate proton therapy services across the oncology continuum, ensuring seamless coordination of care and alignment with institutional priorities.
• Drive program growth and strategic initiatives by cultivating strong relationships with internal stakeholders, referring providers, academic partners, and external organizations while advancing innovation, research, and community engagement.
• Direct financial and operational performance by developing and managing budgets, monitoring key performance indicators, optimizing resource utilization, and implementing strategies that promote fiscal stewardship and operational excellence, including the collection of data to meet the requirements of our Determination of Need (DoN).
• Champion a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, innovation, diversity, equity, and inclusion while serving as an organizational leader and advocate for exceptional patient care, employee engagement, and organizational success.
• Supervisestaff.Hire,develop,andmanagestafftoachieveorganizationalgoals.Setclear expectations,deliverfeedback,andmonitorperformanceforquality,efficiency,andcompliance withpoliciesandprocedures.Mentorstaff,fostercareergrowth,andcultivateapositiveand
• productive work environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of radiation oncology operations, proton therapy, clinical workflows, regulatory requirements, accreditation standards, and emerging technologies within an academic healthcare environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in leading complex clinical programs, operational integration, and multidisciplinary initiatives from planning through implementation, optimization, and sustained performance.
• Advanced knowledge of quality management, patient safety, process improvement methodologies, change management, and performance measurement to drive operational excellence and exceptional patient outcomes.
• Strong strategic planning, financial management, and business acumen with the ability to develop budgets, optimize resource utilization, analyze operational and financial metrics, and support long‑term program growth.
• Proven ability to build collaborative partnerships and influence across multidisciplinary teams, physicians, researchers, executives, referring providers, and external stakeholders to achieve shared organizational goals.
• Exceptional leadership, communication, and talent development skills with the ability to recruit, mentor, engage, and develop high‑performing teams while fostering accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Ability to navigate complex organizational environments by balancing competing priorities, exercising sound judgment, and leading organizational change with resilience, adaptability, and a focus on results.
• Proficiency with electronic health records, oncology information systems, data analytics and reporting tools, project management platforms, and other technologies that support clinical operations, quality improvement, and strategic decision‑making.

Minimum Job Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Radiation Therapy required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Eight (8) years of experience working in the Radiation Oncology field with clinical and technical expertise required.
• Two (2) years of dedicated experience in quality and safety required. May include quality improvement (QI) and/or risk management committee experience.
• Experience in operational integration, expansion, or operational transformation in a healthcare environment preferred.

License/Certification/Registration Required: None

Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes

• Directly supervises 1-2 project managers as well as administrative staff.

Patient Contact: No

Special Working Conditions

• Occasional evening or weekend work may be necessary during key operational periods.

Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

EEO Poster

Pay Transparency Statement

The hiring range is based on market pay structures, with individual salaries determined by factors such as business needs, market conditions, internal equity, and based on the candidate’s relevant experience, skills and qualifications.

For union positions, the pay range is determined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

$139,000.00 - $163,200.00