(Hybrid) Research Scientist - Health Affairs Institute

The Health Affairs Institute at West Virginia University is currently accepting applications for a (Hybrid) Research Scientist.

About the Opportunity

West Virginia University's Health Affairs Institute (HAI) is seeking candidates for a full-time Research Scientist position. Established in 2017, HAI serves as the University partner for the State-University partnership with the West Virginia Medicaid program, is the only nationally recognized Public Health Institute serving West Virginia (WV) and engages in collaborative activities with the WV Department of Human Services, the WV Department of Health and a variety of other local, state and federal partnering organizations. With office locations in both Morgantown and Charleston, HAI employs over 80 full-time staff and also engages with faculty and staff from other units of the University to fulfill its service mission to the state. HAI capabilities and areas of expertise include, among others, health data analytics, mixed methods research, survey research, large scale program evaluations, and professional project management. See https://healthaffairsinstitute.org for additional organizational information.

The Research Scientist is a key participant in HAI's State-University partnership and interdisciplinary research and evaluation project teams and reports directly to an HAI Portfolio Director. Overarching responsibilities include providing scientific and technical leadership for projects, overseeing study/evaluation design, ensuring methodological rigor, and maintaining supportive client relationships.

We strongly believe in work-life balance and keeping time for things we love outside our work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays (staff holiday calendar)
• 24 annual leave (vacation) days per year (employee leave)
• 18 sick days per year (for when you're ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family's, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
• WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ's.
• Wellness programs

What You'll Do

• Serve as the scientific lead for designated projects and complete task elements of projects under other leadership as needed

• Collaborates with project directors and project managers to create and implement workplans, determine scientific approach and research staffing needs

• Lead development of study protocols, IRB submissions, analytic plans, and evaluation frameworks

• Ensure scientific rigor, validity, and quality of all deliverables

• Oversee research teams in analysis, synthesis, and dissemination of results

• Identify and address complex methodological or implementation challenges

• Coordinate work across a portfolio of projects, ensuring integration of methods, staffing, and deliverables

• Lead proposal development and contribute to the organization's strategic business development goals

• Build and maintain relationships with funders, state agencies, and nonprofit partners

• Participate in internal strategic planning, methodological innovation, and staff development initiatives

• Supervise, mentor and guide the professional development of assigned science team personnel

• Lead hiring or selection processes for project staff as needed

• Ensure that data analytic and research/evaluation activities are compliant with university-level policies for the responsible conduct of research as well as federal, and state policies, laws, and regulations.

• Lead composition of reports as required by the University, the Health Sciences Center administration, and external agencies

• Communicate results of analytic projects and program evaluations with external stakeholders and project sponsors

• Lead the development of publications for peer-reviewed manuscripts and contribute to institutional visibility through conference presentations

• Earned Ph.D. in health-related field.

• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in at least one of the following areas:

• Medicaid/Medicare services, health services research, public health, mental health, substance use, health policy, rural health; as evidenced by publications and/or sustained involvement in a research or evaluation program.

• Experience conducting large scale research/evaluations within the healthcare industry, academic or governmental sectors

• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Extensive knowledge and experience in utilizing various large health databases for research, program evaluation, and policy development; experience in mixed method designs and/or claims data preferred.
• Experience analyzing quantitative and/or qualitative data
• Knowledge in the use of standard statistical analysis packages such as SPSS, SAS, or R or qualitative analysis packages such as Nvivo or Atlas.TI
• Experience designing and overseeing large public health projects, involving the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data
• Consistent record of successfully publishing peer-reviewed manuscripts in the field of public health, health policy, or health services research
• Experience training and/or supervising other individuals
• Creative problem-solving ability and strong organizational skills
• Ability to project and maintain a positive and collaborative attitude.
• Proficient in communicating professionally, orally, and in writing, goals, methods, and results of program initiatives with diverse groups of stakeholders.