Description

Who We Are: The Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Inc. (LBCA) has transitioned from being a small, all volunteer-led, fiscally sponsored project to a high-impact, independent charitable organization with a small but mighty team. LBCA focuses on advocacy and desperately needed funding for invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) cancer research and attaining a vision of a world in which lobular breast cancer is eradicated permanently. Communication and outreach activity is core to the LBCA mission and vision of raising awareness of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC), (also known as lobular breast cancer) and promoting more ILC research.

LBCA Mission and Vision

As the only organization in the US dedicated to Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer (ILC), LBCA’s mission is: to make all who are touched by ILC aware of its unique characteristics and the critical need for more ILC research, to be the go-to source for information on ILC studies, clinical trials and educational tools, to foster partnerships among patients, scientists, clinicians and breast cancer organizations to increase dialogue about ILC and research advocacy, and to fund vital ILC research.

LBCA’s Vision is: a world in which lobular breast cancer is found early, treated effectively, and eradicated permanently.

BACKGROUND ON LOBULAR BREAST CANCER AND LBCA

ILC – the troubling, understudied breast cancer type

Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) or “Lobular Breast Cancer” is 15% of all breast cancers diagnosed in the US each year (estimated to be over 46,000 women in 2024). Until 2015, ILC was not typically thought to be different from the more common invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), particularly among treating clinicians. Many individuals with this breast cancer subtype were not necessarily told about it because there are not yet any different treatments for ILC. Many recent studies have demonstrated that ILC has some distinct biological characteristics that require much more study to be better understood and for which specific, targeted treatments are needed.

ILC is referred to as the “sneaky breast cancer” because the tumors typically do not form as lumps making them extremely hard to detect through routine screening mammograms, and as a result a disproportionate number of lobular tumors are not found until they are larger, are at later stages or in some cases, have already metastasized. It is also harder to surgically find and remove all of the tumor cells. More than one lumpectomy is often needed to do so;
ILC can metastasize to different locations from those where breast cancer of no special type tumors metastasize, and
There is evidence ILC will recur much later than breast cancer of no special type in some cases, though it is not clear yet why and no one can predict which cases. Some studies have suggested a poorer long-term prognosis for individuals diagnosed with ILC.

The Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA)

LBCA engages patients, clinicians, and researchers to increase knowledge of lobular breast disease and promote lobular breast cancer research. Working with the guidance of an international, expert scientific advisory board of breast cancer researchers and clinicians, and through growing collaborations with other breast cancer advocacy organizations in the US and internationally, LBCA provides a platform for ILC research, maintains a library of current lobular breast cancer studies, and identifies clinical trials and research advocacy opportunities with a focus on lobular breast disease. Educational materials include documents for patients translated into 15 languages, and a growing library of video recordings of educational webinars about ILC, research findings and patient advocacy.

LBCA provides and disseminates widely, basic, current educational information about ILC including early stage and metastatic lobular breast cancer, to enhance understanding about how lobular is different from other breast cancer subtypes, and to share any new knowledge gleaned from recent research. LBCA aims to empower patients to be more informed partners in their self-care and treatment and help clinicians to be more informed and confident in the treatment plans they promote. LBCA also fosters dialogue among clinicians and researchers to address challenges of detecting and treating ILC, discuss groundbreaking findings, and identify new ILC research priorities and opportunities for collaboration.

Until 2020 LBCA was all volunteer run. LBCA incorporated and began operating as 501(c)(3) tax exempt public charity in January 2022. LBCA now has a small, paid staff from around the country who work remotely, and a growing number of volunteers who are patients with ILC or their loved ones who work with LBCA on new initiatives and on increasing advocacy for spreading the word about ILC and promoting more research. LBCA has a current 6-person board of directors. For the past couple of years LBCA has raised sufficient funds to be able to provide ILC research grants to ILC investigators and aims to sustain this activity.

LBCA has over 5,500 subscribers to the monthly e-newsletter, and new subscribers and volunteers are signing up every day from all over the US and the world. In addition to its comprehensive website, LBCA maintains a Facebook page, a LinkedIn account, and an Instagram account. LBCA’s staff all work from their own homes and meetings are virtual.

Who You Are

You are good-natured, highly organized, exceptionally detail-oriented, mission driven, collaborative, and calm under pressure. Working both collaboratively and independently, you enable the organization and staff to function at the highest level. You thrive in a fluid, fast-paced and entrepreneurial environment. You know your way around managing projects and people and the schedule and demands that come with working in a small but growing national organization. You inspire confidence with your discretion, excellent time management, executive functioning, and communication skills. You are proficient with the Google office products including gmail, sheets, docs, presentations, etc. and have experience with programs such as Zoom, Bloomerang, Canva, and social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube or are willing and able to learn them as well as other new technology. You can effectively manage up and are comfortable making phone calls on the organization’s behalf.

Role Overview

This is a fully remote, 20 hour/week salaried position at the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance (LBCA). The position will report jointly to the executive team at LBCA, which includes the Executive DIrector, Chief Operating Officer, and the Director of Communications. This role will support the administrative functioning of the organization and have opportunity for growth and learning in this small team environment.

Key Responsibilities & Essential Functions

Provide high-level administrative support to the Executive Director and the Chief Operating Officer including meeting scheduling for groups from 4 to 40 individuals, meeting and special events planning, logistics, and day of support, and organizational calendar management.
Communicate effectively with various committees, including advisory boards of scientists and patient advocates.
Manage meeting scheduling; take minutes during meetings; manage access to meeting documents and notes via shared drive and via email.
Assist with coordination and scheduling for special virtual donor events.
Work with the COO and staff to schedule, organize and facilitate weekly staff meetings.
Maintain contact with stakeholders, all staff, donors, and vendors when directed.
Maintain and manage volunteer database, volunteer documentation, and volunteer appreciation activities.
Manage the LBCA Travel Scholarship Grant program administration, including application process, grantee communication, document tracking vendor relationships and handle invoicing and reimbursement processes for all vendors, staff and fellows.
Provide financial reporting support to the COO and outside accounting firm.
Assist with research projects. These might include web research to gather contacts at medical centers across US for outreach activities; maintaining list of breast cancer partner organizations for outreach; researching international breast cancer organizations for international outreach activities; and some grant/foundation research.
Support the Communications Director with social media scheduling.
Support development activities under the supervision of the Executive Director.
Provide project coordination and/or administrative support on other projects as they arise.

Experience And Qualifications

Requires a bachelor’s degree and 3-to-5 years of operations, administrative and project management experience in a nonprofit, corporate, business or law firm environment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Must be highly organized and extremely detail oriented. Outstanding prioritization and time management skills.

Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
Ability to set priorities, work independently, multi-task with regular interruptions, problem solve, maintain confidentiality, and coordinate projects successfully.
Comfortable with the ambiguity that sometimes occurs in a fast-paced organization, and flexible enough to meet changing demands.
Schedule may occasionally include some evening or weekend hours, as needed.

Desired Skills

Google Suite (including experience drafting and editing Google Docs and Sheets).
Calendar management tools including Google Calendar, Doodle, or others.
Zoom meeting coordination and hosting.
Experience with event management software.
Additional tools: Canva, Project management software, social media management tools.

Salary: This salary range is based on a part-time (20 hrs/week) work schedule.

Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Inc.

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