Senior Researcher, Medicaid Quality Measures

American Institutes for Research•Sacramento, CA

17h•Remote

About The Position

Join AIR as a Senior Researcher, Medicaid Quality Measures with our Healthcare Innovations team. Our team works collaboratively to unravel the intertwined challenges of health care quality, costs, and access. Our 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 Senior Researcher leads and executes applied research and analytic work end-to-end—designing rigorous studies and analytic approaches, managing teams and budgets, overseeing data collection and analysis, contributing to proposals, and communicating actionable findings as a trusted partner to clients and stakeholders. In this role, you will apply that leadership specifically to Medicaid quality measurement—supporting measure strategy, specification review/refinement, annual updates, computation, performance interpretation, and reporting that informs program monitoring and performance-based payment approaches. This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations (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 related field (e.g., Health Services Research, Economics, Public Policy, Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, or related discipline) with 3+ years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
Demonstrated experience contributing to quality measurement work (e.g., measure specification review, measure refinement/updates, computation, benchmarking/scoring, and/or interpretation for monitoring/performance).
Experience analyzing claims and other large or complex datasets and producing accurate, well-documented analytic outputs.
Experience leading project tasks and/or managing teams on research, evaluation, analytics, implementation support, or monitoring projects.
Experience translating complex technical concepts into actionable work plans, timelines, and client-ready deliverables.
Experience supporting business development efforts, including proposal writing for federal and/or state clients.
Experience with qualitative data collection methodologies (e.g., structured interviews, focus groups, observations, survey research) and qualitative analytic tools (e.g., NVivo) and/or quantitative analysis using tools such as Stata, R, Python, or Access.
Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, including the ability to produce concise, high-level summaries and briefings for technical and non-technical audiences.
Strong client partnership skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners.
Excellent written communication skills with strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy and clarity.
Ability to collaborate effectively in a virtual work environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in contract research and/or evaluation organizations preferred, but not required.

Responsibilities

Lead or co-lead the construction, interpretation, and computation of quality measures relevant to Medicaid programs and models, including work that supports program monitoring and performance-based payment approaches.
Support measure strategy activities such as annual review and refinement of measure sets, assessment of specification changes and updates from measure stewards, and quantitative/qualitative evaluation of measure performance—bringing a Medicaid lens to feasibility and burden considerations.
Provide guidance to clients and partners on measure use and implications of updates for feasibility, administrative burden, interoperability, and alignment with broader quality frameworks.
Manage day-to-day project operations in roles such as principal investigator, project director, or task lead, ensuring deliverables are completed on time, within budget, and to a high standard. Lead collaborative project teams by developing timelines and coordinating staff assignments.
Identify research problems and design rigorous applied studies, including aligned research questions, methodologies, and analytic plans.
Apply subject-matter expertise to design and implement relevant, responsive, and impactful research projects.
Lead and contribute to research proposals for federal, state, foundation, and other clients.
Devise and implement innovative solutions to practical challenges in applied research.
Lead data collection and analysis efforts, including the design of qualitative and/or quantitative data collection tools (e.g., interview protocols, focus group guides, surveys).
Supervise field-based data collection activities, including interviews, observations, focus groups, and document reviews.
Conduct or oversee data analysis using appropriate tools and techniques for various data types.
Communicate study progress and findings clearly and effectively through reports, briefs, visualizations, and other materials.
Represent the organization professionally in client interactions and manage client and stakeholder relationships with awareness of the broader policy and practice landscape.
Communicate effectively with clients, partners, and stakeholders, and foster positive, collaborative working relationships.
Contribute thoughtfully and creatively to project teams.