Research Assistant or Associate, Health Policy

Overview

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) is a nonpartisan research and policy institute that advances federal and state policies to help build a nation where everyone — regardless of income, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, ZIP code, immigration status, or disability status — has the resources they need to thrive and share in the nation’s prosperity.

CBPP combines rigorous research and analysis, strategic communications, and effective advocacy to shape debates, affect policy, and inform effective implementation both nationally and in states. It works closely with a broad set of national, state, and community organizations to design and advance policies that promote economic justice; improve health; broaden opportunity in areas like housing, health care, employment, and education; and lower structural barriers for people of color and others in communities that continue to face systemic barriers to opportunity. CBPP promotes policies that will build a more equitable nation and fair tax policies that can support these gains over the long term. CBPP also shows the harmful impacts of policies and proposals that would deepen poverty, widen disparities, and worsen health outcomes.

The Health team engages in research and advances policy ideas related to Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces, and other health care issues that affect low- and moderate-income families. We work towards our mission of advancing health justice so that people who face the greatest barriers to health and well-being ― including those with limited financial resources and those marginalized by racism and other forms of discrimination ― have access to the affordable and high-quality health coverage and care they need to thrive. The Health team formulates and promotes policies that expand access to affordable health coverage and care, remove administrative hurdles to getting and keeping coverage, and make it easier for people to get health care and other health-related services.

The Center is seeking a Research Assistant or Associate to support the Health team, especially in its quantitative work and its work to improve benefits access. They will make significant contributions in a wide variety of policy areas, including Medicaid, private health insurance markets, and health care access, affordability, and equity, in order to support the Health team’s mission of advancing health justice and improving the lives of low- and moderate-income families.

The Research Assistant or Associate will collect and analyze survey and administrative data, fulfill technical requests, and develop data and analytical resources to help formulate and provide a rigorous foundation for the policy positions and advocacy efforts of CBPP along with federal and state partners. They will review and summarize research and draft research materials, such as reports and policy memos, to ensure the materials are analytically sound and supported by a strong body of knowledge. They will also provide data and operations support on work that examines ways to improve health care and other benefits access.

The Research Assistant or Associate will report to the Director of Research and Data Analysis but will also work closely with other Health team experts.

Responsibilities:

• Analyze data in Excel and Stata to evaluate the effects of enacted and proposed health policies such as ACA Medicaid expansions and marketplace premium subsidy increases.
• Assist in monitoring trends and changes in health insurance coverage, program enrollment, program costs, and other outcomes. Analyze and compare multiple sources of survey and administrative data to formulate a coherent and nuanced picture of coverage and other trends. Convey this understanding of the current health care environment and how it may change in the future so that the Health team has the background needed to develop appropriate policy priorities and strategies to further its mission.
• Contribute to work that examines improvements to benefits access, including gathering and displaying data and supporting project operations, in order to collect and disseminate information on policies that improve access to health care benefits.
• Produce data visualizations and other graphics for Center papers, blog posts, and presentations in order to graphically convey key points of the written materials in a clear and compelling fashion.
• Contribute to (and potentially author or co-author) analytic papers, policy briefs, blog posts, and memos that inform on or advocate for policies that further the Health team’s mission of advancing health justice.
• Assist with data and research requests from Health team experts, as well as other national and state-level organizations, on a broad array of health care topics to support the Health team’s mission. Examples of potential topics include the impacts of Medicaid and marketplace coverage on health and financial security; variation and trends in health care costs; the affordability of employment-based and other sources of coverage; health care equity; access to medical care; and maternal health, substance use, and behavioral health issues.

Qualifications:

• Research Assistant: Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, statistics, or any field that requires strong quantitative skills.
• Research Associate: Advanced degree in economics, public policy, statistics, or any field that requires strong quantitative skills, or a bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, statistics, or any field that requires strong quantitative skills and two years of full-time relevant experience.
• Strong quantitative and writing skills.
• Significant experience using one or more software packages or programming languages used for data analysis (such as Stata, R, Python). Interest in learning and using Stata is required.
• Demonstrated commitment to accuracy.
• Ability to work well independently and as part of a highly collaborative team, often on a time-sensitive basis.
• Interest in health policy. Experience with or coursework related to health policy or policies affecting people with lower incomes is preferred but not required.
• Commitment to the Center’s mission to improve the well-being of people with low and moderate incomes.
• Commitment to advancing multiple dimensions of equity and inclusion, including racial and gender equity, in policy analysis and advocacy as well as in the Center’s internal and external relationships.

CBPP is operating on a hybrid work schedule of two in-office days (Tuesday and Wednesday) per week, as well as the first Thursday of each month, at our Washington, D.C. office.

This position reports to the Director of Research and Data Analysis.

Terms of Employment: full-time; exempt. This is a two-year term position.

Bargaining Unit Status: this is a bargaining unit position.

Compensation: salary and title commensurate with experience, with the Research Assistant salary beginning at $55,860 and the Research Associate beginning at $58,655; excellent benefits, including three health insurance options, dental and vision care, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement, and generous vacation leave, sick leave, and holiday schedules.

Please upload a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please include a discussion of what draws you to the mission of the Center and your motivation for working on policies that advance equity and economic justice.

Please submit your application here.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and welcomes diversity in the workplace and strongly encourages all qualified persons to apply regardless of race, color, age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, credit information, pregnancy or parental status, family responsibilities, personal appearance, creed, military or veteran status, religion, ancestry or national origin, union activities, disability, or other status protected by applicable law.