Department Overview:
The Center for Health Systems Effectiveness (CHSE) is devoted to transforming health systems through actionable cross-disciplinary and collaborative research. CHSE is committed to providing a welcoming, inclusive work environment that promotes diversity.
The Principal State Evaluation Manager (PSEM) is a highly visible leader for CHSE’s state evaluation programs and requires strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with diverse stakeholders, drawing upon a strong track record of successful strategic stakeholder engagement and deep expertise in quantitative analytics and evaluation across Medicaid and health services research.
The PSEM is accountable for ensuring the execution of high-profile, large-scale, multi-year state policy research and evaluation contracts. The PSEM’s leadership will span five key intersecting domains: evaluation design, project and contract management, excellent final product delivery, quantitative analytics, and external stakeholder relations management.
This person is a skilled quantitative evaluation professional who will develop, design and manage Medicaid waiver and other health policy/program evaluations. This role is accountable for managing state agency relationships, developing scopes of work and research plans, overseeing contract execution, managing project budgets, leading or providing significant contributions to development of evaluation designs and statistical analysis plans, overseeing quantitative analysis, integrating quantitative and qualitative results, synthesizing findings in the context of state and national policy, and ensuring high quality final written reports and presentations.
The PSEM has excellent team leadership, project management and communication skills, in addition to demonstrated ability in the following areas:
- Applying a deep understanding of state Medicaid programs (such as program eligibility, alternative payment methodologies, health-related social needs, 1115 waivers), study design, and the administrative data sources that support program evaluation.
- Leading teams in the use of advanced statistical/econometric methods focusing on estimating treatment effects, including, e.g., differences-in-differences, matching, and regression approaches.
- Collaborating with qualitative research teams on mixed-methods research designs.
- Translating research findings into accessible and action-oriented documents and presentations for policymakers.
- Providing the energy, direction, organization, and quality control needed to keep projects on time and on budget, and to facilitate communication between and across internal and external contributors.
- Contributing to business development by creating technical proposals, drafting project budgets, and leading contract execution.
This position collaborates with and is supported by a talented team of CHSE faculty (Principal Investigators), quantitative and qualitative analysts, a regulatory specialist, a senior communications strategist, and more. Note, this is not a faculty-track position.
The position may supervise staff and functions with a high degree of autonomy and self-direction. The position also serves on the Center’s Strategic Research Governing Team to evolve the Center’s vision, develop and execute annual research objectives & key results (OKRs) for the Center, and make decisions on center-wide financial and resource planning. The PSEM is key to ensuring CHSE’s work informs public policy.
Program Director 1 salary range is $99,341 - $168,854.
Program Director 2 salary range is $114,234 - $194,189.
Function/Duties of Position:
- Evaluation design: Lead or support the development and implementation of state policy evaluation designs, including ongoing consultation, direction and mentorship to quantitative analysts and collaboration with qualitative colleagues.
- Project and contract management: Oversee all aspects of complex research projects, including coordination of qualitative and quantitative teams. Work to establish timelines for project tasks to deliver final products (e.g., reports, briefs, and manuscripts for peer review). Monitor timelines, review output, and work with other staff as needed to revise work or make corrections in order to deliver results on time and meet high standards of quality. Interface with clients (e.g., state or federal government agencies) to understand their needs and adapt timelines and tasks accordingly. Oversee research compliance (e.g., receipt of IRB approval, execution of data use agreements, and subsequent revisions or amendments), data collection and data management, and data analysis.
- Quantitative analytics: Ensure the quality of results through ongoing engagement and QA support throughout quantitative analysis, interpretation and synthesis. Track methodological decisions across time and across evaluation projects, ensuring coherent documentation of approaches for individual projects and Center-wide consistency towards best practices.
- Excellent final products: Contribute to final written reports and presentations through writing, editing, synthesizing, and high-level coordination across team members.
- External stakeholder relations management: Serve as the primary contact for state agency sponsors, fostering positive sponsor relationships and bringing research literacy to decision-making interactions.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
- Masters Degree or higher degree in health services research, public health, health economics, statistics, epidemiology, or related field.
- Minimum of 5 years experience (7 years for a Program Director 2) that includes:
- Demonstrated accountability for designing and leading complex program evaluations using advanced health econometric approaches (e.g., difference-in-differences, interrupted time series, propensity scores), particularly in the field of health policy (e.g., health care reform, Medicaid 1115 waiver evaluations).
- Demonstrated accountability for leading research teams across a project life cycle, including development of a scope of work/analysis plan, project kick-off, analysis, QA, interpretation of results, synthesis, report production, and presentation to clients and key stakeholders.
Job Related Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Competencies):
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; flexibility to lead and manage multiple priorities, sometimes simultaneously, under deadline.
- Proven ability to anticipate analytical issues before they occur, exercise sound judgment in problem-solving, and maintain thorough documentation of decision-making.
- Exemplary communication skills and ability to effectively present research findings to state policymakers and program administrators.
- Demonstrated understanding of, and commitment to, research practices that advance healthcare equity.
Preferred Qualifications:
- PhD with major courses in quantitative evaluation methods and health policy; mixed-methods evaluation training and experience.
- Minimum of 7 years experience (20 years for a Program Director 2) demonstrating:
- Deep knowledge of Medicaid, 1115 waivers, and health care payment reform.
- Qualitative/mixed methods research experience.
- Extensive experience managing and analyzing healthcare claims and other administrative datasets.
- Proficiency coding in R.
- Deep understanding of research regulatory processes, e.g., IRB and DUAs.
- Experience working with diverse populations and in diverse environments.
Additional Details:
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All are welcome: Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or
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