Job Description

AIR is seeking a Principal Researcher specializing in survey methodology to join our Healthcare Transformation team. The Principal Researcher would lead and contribute to the design, collection, and analysis of survey data used in health program evaluations and other projects. Activities include survey design, the development of questionnaires and test items, processing and cleaning data, analysis of data, creating research data files and data documentation, and producing statistical reports.

AIR’s Healthcare Transformation team partners with Medicare, Medicaid, foundations, and private organizations to advance evidence-based policies that improve healthcare quality, patient experience, and affordability. The team blends policy expertise with advanced analytics and technology to address real-world implementation challenges and drive innovative, high-impact solutions.

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.

Responsibilities:

This position will work on teams that conduct work on all aspects of survey methods and operations, quality management, and data analysis. Responsibilities will include:

• Support the development and execution of theoretically sound, practical approaches to achieve the statistical objectives of a study or project, including:

  • Developing and evaluating sampling frames
  • Selecting samples based on complex designs
  • Constructing weights for studies with complex designs
  • Assessing the potential to supplement, improve, or replace survey data with administrative or other extant data
  • Applying appropriate procedures to produce point and variance estimates, including from samples with complex designs

• Conduct technical reviews of data collection and data processing plans and specifications (e.g., sampling plans, weighting plans, editing and imputation specifications, non-response bias analyses) for accuracy, completeness, and technical soundness
• Author technical reports, memoranda, and documentation
• Clearly communicate methods, findings, and implications to technical and non-technical policy audiences
• Develop and manage budgets (in collaboration with a Project Manager) and communicate timelines, scope, and resources with clients
• Ensure the quality, accuracy, and consistency of all work products through appropriate QA/QC processes
• Supervise and mentor research staff in completing project tasks and supporting professional development
• Work effectively in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment and contribute to and lead proposal development
• Contribute thoughtfully and creatively to project teams
• Assist with conducting disclosure risk analyses on restricted- and public-use data files to ensure the protection of measured entities

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• Ph.D. in such fields as survey methodology, economics, psychology, sociology, statistics, computer science, public policy, public health, or other social science related fields plus 8 or more years of relevant experience
• Demonstrated understanding of survey methodology and survey operations (e.g., questionnaire design, cognitive interviews, survey administration, weighting, non-response bias, and data analysis)
• Experience with clinical quality measure development
• Experience with statistical software packages such as Stata, SAS, WPS, R, Python
• Proficient understanding of basic descriptive and inferential statistics (e.g. cross-tabulations, t-tests, and chi-square tests) and methodological concepts
• Experience leading, developing, and writing proposals for federal agencies.
• Experience leading projects
• Direct experience with CMS is strongly preferred, but not required

Skills:

• Effective communicator about survey methods, results, and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to rigorous quality control
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work as part of a team and support multiple tasks
• Comfortable working in a virtual/dispersed work environment

Disclosures:Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law, including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braid, locks, and twists), creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition (e.g., cancer), sex, gender, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, civil union status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, genetic information, or military or veteran status. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.org or call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer: AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out to recruitment@air.org. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.

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AIR’s Total Rewards Program, is designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our critical mission. This position offers the anticipated annual salary as listed. Salary offers are made based on internal equity within the institution and external equity with competitive markets. Please note this is the annual salary range for candidates that are based in the United States.

Anticipated Annual Salary Range $155,000—$190,000 USD