Medicaid Researcher, Healthcare Innovations

American Institutes for Research•Sacramento, CA

15h•Remote

About The Position

Join AIR as a Researcher focused on Medicaid policy and programs with our Healthcare Innovations team. Our team works collaboratively to address complex challenges related to Medicaid coverage, care delivery, cost containment, and health equity, supporting federal and state partners in improving outcomes for low‑income and medically vulnerable populations. Our multidisciplinary team—including economists, data scientists, public health experts, clinicians, and policy researchers—advances evidence through rigorous research and evaluation, results‑driven technical assistance, and applied analytics. This role will contribute directly to studies that inform Medicaid policy design, program evaluation, and system transformation. This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s 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

PhD in a relevant field (e.g., Economics, Public Policy, Health Services Research, Statistics, Public Health, Sociology, Political Science, or a related discipline), or a Master’s degree with at least four years of quantitative research experience.
Demonstrated experience conducting applied quantitative research related to Medicaid, public insurance, or safety‑net health programs.
Experience working with large‑scale administrative health data, particularly Medicaid claims, encounters, enrollment, eligibility, or provider files.
Experience interpreting analytic results and contributing to reports, briefs, or presentations that inform Medicaid program or policy decisions.
Experience working on research, evaluation, or technical assistance projects for federal or state Medicaid agencies, CMS, or other public or nonprofit entities.
Experience collaborating with cross‑functional teams, including programmers, analysts, and policy experts.
Strong quantitative and data analysis skills, including experience with statistical and data tools such as SAS, SQL, Stata, R, Python, or similar software.
Ability to document analytic methods, conduct data quality checks, and support reproducible research practices.
Strong understanding of Medicaid data structures, program rules, and policy context, or demonstrated ability to learn them quickly.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex Medicaid‑related findings to technical and non‑technical audiences.
Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines independently while contributing effectively in a collaborative, virtual team environment.
Proven ability to coach and mentor junior staff and foster inclusive team dynamics.
Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to accuracy in data analysis and reporting.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with CMS data sources, Medicaid and Medicare programs, waiver demonstrations (e.g., 1115 waivers), or value‑based payment models preferred, but not required.

Responsibilities

Lead or contribute to the design and execution of Medicaid‑focused research and evaluation projects, including policy analyses, demonstrations, and program evaluations.
Apply appropriate quantitative methods to collect, manage, analyze, and interpret Medicaid administrative data, such as claims, encounters, enrollment, eligibility, and provider data.
Conduct analyses that examine Medicaid utilization, access, quality, cost, and equity outcomes across populations and delivery systems.
Translate complex analytic findings into clear, actionable insights for state and federal Medicaid stakeholders, including client reports, technical memoranda, and presentations.
Support proposal development for Medicaid‑related work by writing technical sections, contributing to analytic approaches, and supporting proposal strategy.
Manage small to mid‑sized project tasks or analytic components, including planning timelines, tracking deliverables, and coordinating with internal teams and external clients.
Collaborate closely with programmers, data scientists, policy staff, and project leadership to ensure analytic rigor and alignment with policy objectives.
Mentor and guide junior staff through feedback, training, and modeling best practices in quantitative and Medicaid policy research.
Engage with Medicaid stakeholders through meetings, briefings, and dissemination activities.
Contribute to a collaborative and inclusive work environment.