Senior Research Scientist - Lead Policy Analysis on Medicare Alternative Payment Models - Remote

Job Description

NORC at the University of Chicago seeks a qualified Senior Research Scientist to provide technical, policy, and analytic support to a federal advisory committee focused on alternative payment models and associated care delivery models. The Senior Research Scientist will lead policy analyses, including qualitative and/or quantitative analyses, and produce substantive client-focused deliverables such as environmental scans and technical reports. Further, this person will conduct and lead research activities, direct staff, and serve as a content knowledge expert on a variety of topics related to alternative payment and care delivery mechanisms. Over time, the Senior Research Scientist may also lead other program and policy projects related to Medicare and Medicaid, including projects involving policy analysis, focus groups, literature reviews, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (e.g., health care providers, insurers, policymakers, and patients), and quantitative analysis.

NORC recognizes that talented and skilled researchers live throughout the U.S. and actively supports remote work arrangements. Occasional trips to client sites or the office may be required. For those interested in hybrid work schedules, our main offices are Bethesda, MD, Chicago, IL, Cambridge, MA, and Atlanta, GA. **

Department**

Health Care Evaluation Research

NORC’s expertise and ongoing work in health care delivery and financing — including access to insurance, payment and delivery-system reform, benefit design, and quality measurement — advance stakeholders’ understanding of policies and programs, facilitate implementation, and contribute to important improvements in cost and quality.

NORC’s expert staff has extensive knowledge of all aspects of health care delivery, from private marketplaces and employer-sponsored insurance to Medicare and Medicaid; from large health care systems to small clinics; and from the needs of children to those of older adults, people with disabilities, and ethnic and racial minorities. Our expert team includes social scientists that acquire, collect, and analyze data from health care organizations and patients; evaluators; health services researchers; health policy analysts; and professionals with first-hand experience running and supporting health care programs. **

Responsibilities**

• Provide consultative policy analysis, evaluation expertise, and technical and operational support for federal clients focused on key domains of health services research, including but not limited to Medicare, Medicaid, payment and delivery system reform, population heath, health care quality, and social determinants of health.
• Lead the development of well-written and accurate research and technical reports, including policy documents and environmental scans.
• Lead, design, and conduct qualitative and quantitative research studies, including environmental scans, evaluations, and semi-structured interviews.
• Manage multiple concurrent work streams and project staff.
• Manage contract work and engage with clients to ensure that contractual requirements (deliverables and timelines) and client expectations are met using the highest standards of quality and collegiality.
• Collaborate effectively with junior and senior staff, and contribute to a positive, team-oriented culture.
• Independently draft and manage contract proposals and grant applications, communicating effectively with clients, consultants, and members of the policy and research community.
• Participate in and contribute to internal discussions and strategic thinking concerning future research opportunities and the implications of ongoing policymaking for NORC.
• Co-author and present research at client and professional meetings and participate in in-person briefings of project findings. Contribute to the development of abstracts and articles for publication in refereed journals.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff.
• Monitor and oversee the financial and administrative aspects of ongoing projects.

Required Skills

• Doctoral or Master’s degree in health services research, public policy, or related fields (training in an array of social science disciplines will be considered). PhD preferred.
• At least 9 years’ experience (with Master’s degree) in positions of increasing responsibility in evaluation research, policy analysis, or related field, including at least 3 years of social science project management. Advanced graduate degrees can substitute for years of experience.
• Knowledge of the Medicare program, including provider payment and delivery system reform, value-based care programs, innovative models of care (CMMI), provider payment, access to care, and beneficiary experience.
• Experience working for the federal government or a federal contractor, ideally with work focusing on the Medicare program.
• Ability to independently write accurate, thorough, and polished research and technical documents. Ability to effectively synthesize and integrate writing contributions of other individuals. Excellent writing skills are essential.
• Ability to effectively manage multi-faceted project work, concurrent workstreams, and multiple staff. Ability to deliver high quality work in a fast-paced environment involving quick response and rapid turnaround of multiple client deliverables.
• Experience with and knowledge of the principles of qualitative and quantitative research design, data collection, and data analysis.
• Experience with estimating project and proposal costs and managing project budgets.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and aptitude in leading and working with project teams, coordinating multiple projects (including those run by others within NORC).
• Experience working with federal or technical advisory committees is a plus.
• Occasional travel for site visits and meetings may be required.

Salary And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $130,000 to $207,268. The budgeted range for this role is: $130,000 to $160,000. **

Benefits**

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC’s comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
• Dental and vision insurance
• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC’s Approach to Equity and Transparency

Pay and benefits transparency helps to reduce wage gaps. As part of our commitment to pay equity and salary transparency, NORC includes a salary range for each job opening along with information about eligible benefit offerings. At NORC, we take a comprehensive approach to setting salary ranges and reviewing raises and promotions, which is overseen by a formal Salary Review Committee (SRC). **

What We Do**

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge. **

Who We Are**

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale. **

Eeo Statement**

NORC is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer that values and actively seeks diversity in the workforce. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity, and other legally protected characteristics.