Senior Researcher, Quality Measures

AIR is seeking a Senior Researcher, Quality Measures to join AIR's Health Transformation Team. We work to advance equitable, high-quality, affordable, patient-centered care through rigorous research, evaluation, and technical assistance focused on what matters most to patients, families, clinicians, and the broader healthcare community.

We have a strong focus on quality measurement to help ensure patients receive safe, equitable care. We also translate research evidence to promote understanding and adoption of best practices among patients, families, caregivers, physicians, nurses, insurers, health system leaders, and policymakers. In addition, our expertise includes promoting evidence-based care for a range of clinical conditions, improving patient safety, and engaging patients and family members in the delivery of care.

The Senior Researcher will serve as a task and project leader on a broad portfolio of health policy work, with a primary focus on quality measurement. In this role, the Senior Researcher will lead the development, testing, implementation, and maintenance of quality measures; oversee analytic workflows and quality assurance processes; and support performance reporting and quality-based payment adjustments for Alternative Payment Models (APMs), including scoring, benchmarking, and the application of quality results to payment.

The ideal candidate will bring knowledge and experience working with federal agencies, particularly the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), among others.

Candidates hired for this position may work remotely within the United States or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories.

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not‑for‑profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data‑driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

• Lead and support the development, adaptation, and implementation of quality measures.
• Support the development and documentation of measure specifications.
• Specify, oversee, and interpret descriptive and statistical analyses of large, complex datasets.
• Interpret relevant health policy and regulations.
• Design and oversee methodologies for scoring Alternative Payment Model (APM) participants and adjusting payments using quality measures, including the development of benchmarks.
• Clearly communicate methods, findings, and implications to both technical and nontechnical policy audiences.
• Author technical reports, memoranda, and supporting documentation.
• Design and oversee the development of dashboards and other data visualizations to present quality performance and related data.
• Develop and manage project budgets, in collaboration with a Project Manager, and communicate timelines, scope, and resource needs to clients.
• Ensure the quality, accuracy, and consistency of all work products through appropriate quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) processes.
• Supervise and mentor research staff in project task completion and professional development.
• Work effectively in a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment with staff of varied technical skills and expertise.
• Contribute to and lead proposal development activities.

• PhD in Economics, Finance, Public Policy, Public Administration, Public Health, or a related quantitative field with 3+ years of relevant experience or Master's degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience applying a range of statistical inference methods.
• Experience developing and writing proposals for federal agencies.
• Experience developing, implementing, and/or adapting quality measures for federal programs.
• Experience with large program and administrative, patient reported outcome, survey measure datasets.
• Ability to review and assess analytic code written in R, Python, SQL, and/or Stata, and to analyze quantitative data.
• Direct experience working with CMS is strongly preferred, but not required.

• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to lead and collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to learn quickly, take direction, and work independently in a fast‑paced environment.
• Strong presentation, professional development delivery, and facilitation skills.
• Comfortable working in a virtual/dispersed work environment.

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full‑time basis. Employment‑based visa sponsorship (including H‑1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment…