Managing Director, Healthcare Systems

American Institutes for Research•Sacramento, CA

3d•Remote

About The Position

Join AIR as a Managing Director – Healthcare Systems with our Healthcare Innovations team. Our team works collaboratively to unravel the intertwined challenges of health care quality, costs, and access. Our team of experts – nurses, physicians, psychologists, economists, sociologists, data scientists, and public health experts – advance evidence and save lives by leading rigorous research and evaluation; results-driven technical assistance and training; and leading-edge data science and technology tools. The Managing Director will lead complex implementation, monitoring, and technical assistance (TA) initiatives for federal health agencies. This position will manage multi‑year projects involving operational oversight, implementation planning, monitoring frameworks, stakeholder engagement, data collection, TA delivery, and performance reporting. This role is ideally suited for candidates who have successfully led major federal health projects and can serve as strong director on implementation and monitoring contracts. This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories. About AIR: Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Requirements

Master’s degree or higher in Statistics, Data Science, Public Health, Epidemiology, Economics, or a related quantitative discipline or equivalent work experience.
Minimum of 11 years of progressive experience in programming health data, with demonstrated impact in health research or evaluation.
Demonstrated experience using Medicare and Medicaid enrollment and claims/encounter data within CMS environments (e.g., IDR, CCW, VRDC).
Demonstrated experience designing complex data systems drawing from multiple data sources.
Proven track record of leading large-scale, multi-disciplinary data projects and teams.
Deep experience with secure computing environments, data privacy regulations (e.g., HIPAA), and governance frameworks.
Experience working with or for CMS or similar federal health agencies.
Demonstrated success leading federal proposal development and contributing to winning bids.
Working knowledge of CMS program structures, policy priorities, and expectations related to implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
Strong communication skills for federal audiences and the ability to manage complex, multi‑stakeholder relationships.
Experience overseeing large budgets, managing risks, developing staffing plans, and implementing operational systems consistent with federal contracting standards.
Proven ability to lead large‑scale research or implementation projects, write reports, and present findings.
Demonstrated ability to lead mission‑driven teams, including staff, subcontractors, and consultants.
Strategic thinker with the ability to structure complex initiatives and maintain a long‑term view of project and portfolio needs.
Collaborative leadership style and commitment to mentorship and staff development.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with experience leading multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

Serve as the principal architect for designing data systems to support AIR’s health research projects, ensuring scalability, efficiency, and reproducibility.
Lead cross-functional teams in the development of innovative data solutions, using tools such as Databricks; R (the R statistical programming language); Python; Stata; SAS (Statistical Analysis System); and Git within Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) environments, including the Integrated Data Repository (IDR), Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse (CCW), and Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC).
Provide strategic oversight of data management and analytics pipelines, including governance, automation, and quality assurance.
Design and implement advanced statistical programming methodologies for complex longitudinal, hierarchical, and multi-source datasets.
Act as a senior advisor to project directors, statisticians, and clients on data strategy, analytic design, and technical feasibility.
Spearhead the development of enterprise-wide programming standards, reusable assets, and documentation practices.
Mentor and coach senior programmers and analysts, fostering a culture of technical excellence and continuous learning.
Lead technical contributions to proposals, including conceptualizing analytic frameworks, developing budgets, and writing compelling technical narratives.
Represent AIR in high-level client engagements, conferences, and professional forums, showcasing AIR’s capabilities and thought leadership.
Monitor emerging technologies and trends in data science and health analytics, recommending strategic investments and innovations.
Working with AIR’s program area leadership and functional leadership to create business development strategy for established areas and specific new areas of growth identify new opportunities, including:
Coordinating pursuit plans and pipelines for federal opportunities.
Supporting bid/no‑bid decisions and ensuring alignment with AIR capabilities and priorities.
Leading or contributing to proposal pursuits: conceptualizing bid strategies, developing research and monitoring approaches, drafting proposal content, and conducting technical reviews.
Cultivating and maintaining relationships with potential partners, funders, and federal clients.
Monitoring ongoing projects to understand client expectations, anticipate needs, and identify opportunities and challenges across the portfolio.
Assessing staff capacity and helping align resources to support both project delivery and new business pursuits.
Foster cross‑functional collaboration across analytics, communications, data management, TA, and operations teams to ensure integrated, high‑quality project delivery.
Provide coaching and support to rising project leaders in effective project management, quality assurance, client communication, and staff supervision.
Contribute to a collaborative environment that values and respects a wide range of perspectives, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences.
Represent AIR in federal stakeholder meetings, technical discussions, and conferences.
Collaborate with AIR’s communications teams to translate implementation and monitoring insights into publications, briefs, and presentations.
Contribute to AIR’s visibility and reputation in federal health program implementation, monitoring, and TA.