Research Associate

Overview

AcademyHealth offers a collegial environment, challenging work that makes an impact, excellent benefits, and a competitive salary. Because we offer remote and hybrid work arrangements, candidates do not need to be physically located in the Washington, DC area.

Us: The professional home and leading national organization for health services researchers, policymakers, and health care practitioners and stakeholders. AcademyHealth – together with its members and partners – increases the understanding of methods and data used in the field, enhances the professional skills of a vibrant and diverse community of researchers and research users, supports the implementation of evidence to improve policy and practice, and advocates for the use of evidence to improve health and health care for all. Our core priorities include supporting the people (through trainings and resources), strengthening the systems (through capacity building and advocacy), and ensuring evidence gets used (through policy and practice implementation). We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment for all and transforming our field to achieve higher impact, more equitable research.

You: An early-to-mid career professional who is kind, self-motivated, curious, highly organized, flexible, a strong writer, and eager to take on new challenges.

We believe that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills. As such, you do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position – applications are welcomed from a broad range of applicants.

How you’ll contribute:
The Research Associate provides research, programmatic, and operational support for AcademyHealth’s programs that advance the use of evidence-based research and promote health equity in health policy and practice. The role conducts research and synthesizes evidence, develops written products that communicate key findings, coordinates project timelines and deliverables, and supports engagement with stakeholder communities and networks.

• Develop and apply substantive knowledge of Medicaid, delivery system reform, population health, quality improvement, and associated health policy topics to produce and/or inform programmatic deliverables.
• Create and track project timelines, deliverables, and day-to-day coordination activities across various workstreams, ensuring project goals are achieved in coordination with senior staff.
• Conduct research, analyze and synthesize findings, and develop products that advance project objectives including environmental scans, literature reviews, semi-structured interviews, and data visualizations.
• Translate research findings into written products that communicate key insights and support informed decision-making including policy briefs, blog posts, meeting summaries, online newsletters, and other Web content.
• Lead coordination of activities related to virtual and in-person meetings, webinars, and other learning or dissemination activities including scheduling, speaker invitations, agenda development, logistics, presenter coordination, event execution, and post-meeting follow-up.
• Cultivate and maintain trusted relationships with diverse partners and stakeholders to strengthen engagement and support project success across program areas.
• Maintain and update websites, online tools, and databases for assigned workstreams.
• Assist with proposal development and business development activities, including drafting concept abstracts, supporting development calls, and contributing to new program design efforts.

 

Desired Qualifications:

• Masters degree in health policy, public policy, public health or related field from accredited college or university, or equivalent experience.
  2-3 years of relevant work experience preferably in a health care policy or research setting, with a professional interest in health policy, collective impact, public health, health equity, social determinants, or other health care and community health issues.
• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to inclusive working and/or learning environments.
• Strong written and oral communications skills.
• Demonstrated project management experience, including demonstrated ability to efficiently plan, organize, and manage complex, multiple projects simultaneously with limited supervision or direction.
• Strong analytic and critical thinking skills.
• A can-do attitude and willingness to pitch in as needed to do what it takes to provide high-quality products and services.
• Mature, detail-oriented individual able to work both independently and in teams.
• Demonstrated experience using the Word suite, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

What you should know:

• AcademyHealth is a hybrid work environment, with options for remote and office work.
• Applicants outside the metropolitan DC area are encouraged to apply.
• We will be conducting our hiring process virtually and conducting interviews via phone or video. We will provide candidates selected for interviews with all the required instructions.

The salary range is $58,000 to $63,000 and is commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Applications:
Qualified applicants should submit a resume and analytic writing sample to Human Resources.