[Hiring] Principal Qualitative Researcher @Commence

Role Description

The Principal Qualitative Researcher, Alternative Payment Model Implementation and Evaluation plays a pivotal role in the implementation and operation of healthcare programs and initiatives, the generation of actionable insights that inform decision-making for federal agencies such as the CMS Innovation Center (CMMI), and Commence’s growth in federal health research.

• Lead the design and execution of implementation, operations, and evaluation tasks for CMS/CMMI alternative payment models (APMs).
• Work closely with Commence’s data science and technology teams to bring advanced analytics to model implementation and evaluation.
• Drive greater efficiency and deeper insights.
• Translate model design documents and policy goals into operational methodologies and specifications using various data sources.
• Lead the development, refinement, and implementation of value-based care methodologies.
• Design and execute evaluations to estimate impact on healthcare spending, utilization, and quality.
• Partner with economists, data scientists, and engineers to conduct research and apply ML-based methods.
• Write methodology documents, evaluation reports, and briefings for CMMI model teams.
• Mentor junior researchers and analysts.
• Effectively manage teams, set priorities, coordinate tasks, and ensure high-quality reports and products are delivered on time and within budget.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in economics, health services research, health policy, public health, or a related field with 9+ years of relevant experience; or a Master’s degree with 13+ years.
• Hands-on experience implementing and/or evaluating CMS/CMMI alternative payment models; experience with both is preferred.
• Working knowledge of at least two of the following: participant screening and monitoring, beneficiary attribution, payments and financial incentive design, quality measurement, comparison group design, quasi-experimental evaluation methods.
• Experience with Medicare and/or Medicaid administrative and claims data.
• Clear and concise writing for federal audiences; proposal-writing experience.
• Experience leading main tasks or projects and managing and mentoring staff.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S. and able to obtain and maintain a CMS-required background investigation (public trust).

Requirements

• Experience with Databricks or other cloud analytics platforms and with Power BI, Tableau, or similar.
• Proficiency in SAS, R, Python, or SQL.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

• This is a remote position with occasional travel to the Baltimore/Washington, DC area for client meetings, orals, and team events.
• Regularly works in a climate-controlled environment.
• Must be able to sit, read, work on a computer, and watch a computer screen for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally required to stand, walk, use hands and fingers, kneel or crouch.
• Extended hours may be needed around proposal deadlines and key deliverables.