Research Data Scientist

The Leonard

D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics is seeking a Research Data Scientist (HR title: Research Programmer II) to support cutting‑edge health policy and economics research through advanced analytics, data infrastructure development, and project leadership. This role is part of a state‑of‑the‑art data core and collaborates closely with principal investigators and a multidisciplinary research team. This is a full‑time, one‑year fixed term position (renewable) with a hybrid work arrangement.

The mission of the Schaeffer Center is to measurably improve value in health through evidence‑based policy solutions, research excellence, transformative education, and private‑ and public‑sector engagement. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to work that has a meaningful impact on the transformation of health care and to apply advanced analytics to real‑world policy questions using large‑scale health care data.

• Lead and execute complex data analyses using large‑scale health care data (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, commercial claims)

• Design and build data pipelines, research tools, and analytic infrastructure

• Ensure data quality and reproducibility through rigorous quality assurance processes

• Manage projects, including timelines, deliverables, and coordination with cross‑functional team members

• Supervise and mentor junior staff

• Translate complex data into actionable insights to support policy‑relevant research

• MA/MS in statistics, data science, economics, applied mathematics, or related quantitative field (or equivalent combined education and work experience)

• 5+ years of experience with statistical programming (e.g., SAS, R, Python)

• Experience with administrative health care claims data (Medicare, Medicaid, or commercial)

• Experience with SQL, data warehouses (e.g., Snowflake), and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS)

• Demonstrated experience leading analytic efforts and contributing to research projects

• Strong problem‑solving skills, with the ability to develop innovative solutions for complex data challenges

• Eligibility to work in the U.S. (no visa sponsorship available)

• Experience in health economics, health policy, public health, or similar discipline

• 7+ years of experience with statistical programming

• Experience with CMS secure environments (e.g., VRDC, IDR) and NIA LINKAGE.

• Experience leveraging AI‑assisted tools to enhance coding, data analysis, and workflow efficiency, including iterative or semi‑automated workflows

Master’s Degree

The annual base salary range for this position is $ - $125,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Position is 100% FTE

Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Cover letter

Resume/CV

Since its establishment in 2009, the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics has served as an intellectual hub for health policy and health economics research  Schaeffer Center’s mission is to measurably improve value in health through evidence‑based policy solutions, research excellence, and private and public sector engagement. The Center ranks 4th in the world in health economics, and is a trusted resource for…