Principal Research Associate - Healthcare Quality - Hybrid

Westat•Bethesda, MD

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Westat is seeking a Principal Research Associate to lead and conduct quantitative and qualitative research for a portfolio of federal health services research projects. The work may focus on healthcare delivery, patient safety, patient experience with care, survey research, advanced statistical analysis and reporting, qualitative data collection and analysis, and program evaluation. The role calls for expertise in quantitative analysis, psychometrics, statistical programming, data reporting, and qualitative and mixed-methods research, along with strong project management skills. The successful candidate will work as part of a multidisciplinary team and may oversee more junior analysts and staff. This is a hybrid role based in Westat’s Bethesda, Maryland office, with work in the office two days per week. The position is U.S.-based, and candidates must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Westat does not offer employment-based visa sponsorship for this role.

Requirements

PhD in social sciences, statistics, health services research, or a related field focused on health, with at least 10 years of research experience; or a master’s degree in one of these fields with at least 15 years of research experience and progressively increasing responsibilities.
Demonstrated experience conducting health services research independently and on multidisciplinary teams.
Demonstrated experience conducting psychometric analysis of survey data, including at least one peer-reviewed, co-authored psychometric analysis publication.
Demonstrated experience using advanced statistical analysis techniques.
Demonstrated experience with quantitative analysis software such as SAS, STATA, R, and/or MPlus.

Nice To Haves

Experience working on federal contracts, especially contracts with the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and/or the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
Ability to summarize or synthesize information for different audiences and purposes.
Ability to work independently and manage time effectively to coordinate completion of projects and tasks.

Responsibilities

Lead and conduct quantitative analyses of health services and survey data using SAS, STATA, R, and/or MPlus.
Prepare data for analysis, including cleaning, manipulation, and variable creation.
Conduct advanced statistical analyses, including regression and other statistical modeling.
Conduct psychometric analyses, such as confirmatory factor analysis, multilevel analyses, and reliability analysis.
Conduct and oversee quality-control checks of data and reports.
Conduct qualitative data collection, including in-depth and cognitive interviews.
Conduct and oversee qualitative data coding and analysis, and prepare reports of findings.
Perform project management tasks, including managing projects, preparing progress reports, and managing budgets and timelines.
Develop and lead research study designs and data analytic plans.
Write reports based on quantitative and qualitative analyses for a variety of audiences.
Write papers for peer-reviewed journals and presentations at professional conferences.
Collaborate with team members with varying levels of experience and subject-matter expertise.
Oversee and coordinate the quantitative and qualitative work of more junior analysts and staff.
Participate in business development and proposal activities.