Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers do research, produce reports and manage health-care policies and programs.
People in this occupation work for:
- Government departments and agencies
- Consulting companies
- Universities and other educational institutions
- Research institutions
- Hospitals
- Community agencies
- Professional associations
- Non-governmental organizations
- International organizations
Job Titles
Duties
Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers:
- Help develop government health policy by reviewing related written material, doing interviews, collecting and analysing statistics, and providing advice to senior managers and officials on issues such as health promotion, regulation, standards and financing
- Design and carry out health projects or programs
- Maintain, update and manage health information databases
- Collect and analyse statistics provided by private and public health-care institutions and organizations and produce reports
- Monitor and evaluate health-care programs operated by government departments and agencies or private organizations
- Assess compliance with health standards and identify remedial action if necessary
- Do assessments of health projects and programs
- Offer consulting services to clients in private establishments or government departments or agencies
- Respond to internal and external program and policy information requests
- Produce newsletters, magazines and other documents to provide information to association or organization members or the general public
- Present the views of an association or organization to politicians, government officials, the media or the general public
Special duties
Health policy researchers, consultants and program officers may specialize in a particular area of health policy development, research or program administration such as addiction research.
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
3,705% Employed Full Time
63%Work takes place in a conventional indoor office setting.
Career Pathways
Progression to managerial positions is possible with experience.
Related Careers
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
- A bachelor's degree or college diploma in health science, public administration, recreation administration or hospital administration, or a bachelor's degree in social science, is required
- A graduate degree in health, social science or an administrative discipline may be required
- Several years of experience in the health field as a health care professional or as a community or social service worker are usually required
Education programs in B.C.
The following program areas are related to this occupation:
- Environmental/Occupational Health
- Health Care Administration
- Health/Medical - General
- Rehabilitation/Therapeutic Services
- Human Kinetics/Kinesiology/Physical Education
- Recreation Leadership Related
Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Understanding how new information could be used to solve current and future problems in making decisions.
Being able to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
3,705Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 135 | 3.6% |
| Kootenay | 60 | 1.6% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 2,155 | 58.2% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 55 | 1.5% |
| Northeast | 25 | 0.7% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 310 | 8.4% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 960 | 25.9% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
1,780Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 90 | 1.3% |
| Kootenay | 20 | 1.0% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 1,070 | 1.9% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 20 | 0.4% |
| Northeast | Not available | Not available |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 170 | 1.6% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 410 | 1.3% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,030 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 260 |
| Public Administration | 220 |
| Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 110 |
| Educational Services | 80 |
Resources
Resource information is currently not available.