Under the general direction of the Deputy Administrator (Division 2 Lead), the Economist Senior serves as a technical modeling and quantitative research lead responsible for engineering the labor market intelligence, data structures, and predictive frameworks powering the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) and Rural Innovation Learning Network (RILN) dashboards.
Operating within the Modeling and Forecasting Division, this position develops in-demand healthcare occupational selection algorithms, regional training-to-jobs models, and longitudinal outcome metrics to support healthcare workforce recruitment, training capacity expansion, and rural retention. This position performs fully programmatic research and modeling and does not perform grant administration, fiscal oversight, procurement, compliance monitoring, or administrative cost pool functions.
This position may offer the ability to work remotely, within Arizona, based upon the department's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures.
The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.
Rural Education and Training Expansion Modeling: Develop econometric models, threshold methodologies, and quantitative criteria to evaluate rural training capacity, clinical placement availability, and regional healthcare workforce shortages. Engineer supply and demand models for nursing and allied health occupations to identify regional educator gaps and inform training cohort expansion. Build data pipelines integrating educational completion records, credentialing data, and licensure information to track student progression through rural healthcare pipelines.
Provider Upskilling and Retention Analytics: Design statistical indicators and predictive frameworks to identify opportunities for provider upskilling, residency expansion, and preceptor network development. Formulate longitudinal evaluation models that link participant training rosters to UI wage records to analyze employment entry, wage growth, and retention within rural health settings. Evaluate regional labor market frictions (such as commute sheds, wage competitiveness, and turnover) to support provider retention modeling in designated shortage areas.
Financial Incentive and Shortage Alignment Modeling: Construct composite indices and scoring models that map local healthcare shortage severity against approved financial recruitment and retention incentives. Deliver data-driven inputs and quantitative scoring frameworks to help workforce boards and healthcare partners align financial resources with high-need rural occupations. Measure the statistical impact of workforce incentives on participant completion rates, rural employment placement, and long-term career advancement.
RILN Intelligence Infrastructure and Dashboard Data Integration: Engineer and maintain back-end database architectures, data dictionaries, and automated output tables that power public-facing RILN dashboards and career pathway tools. Develop structured data feeds and API connections to ensure dashboard visualizations accurately display real-time labor market trends and regional workforce profiles. Formulate transparent documentation and methodology white papers detailing the quantitative logic underlying RHTP dashboard metrics.
Technical Collaboration and Division Modeling Support: Collaborate dynamically with Division 1 (Applied Analysis) economists to ensure complex predictive outputs and econometric models are accurately formatted for stakeholder tools. Contribute to core Division 2 technical initiatives, including WIOA in-demand methodologies, long-term occupational projections, and training provider predictive evaluation models.
Other duties as assigned as related to the position.
Knowledge of:
Skill in:
Ability to:
If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.
All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).
The State of Arizona offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:
plans, and supplemental life insurance
By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.
Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page
*NOTE - Enrollment eligibility in ASRS will become effective after 27 weeks of employment.
