MCH Lead Applied Researcher

MCH Lead Evaluator and Applied Researcher

The MCH Lead Evaluator and Applied Researcher will be a key player at IHPR, leading and supporting innovative healthcare and policy research initiatives. This position advances the health and well‑being of mothers, infants, and children by coordinating evidence‑informed health services and policy research to improve outcomes for medically underserved and at‑risk populations. Leveraging data‑driven insights, the role will shape the future of MCH services and policies, ensuring every family receives the care and support they need to thrive.

A key component is overseeing the design, development, and provision of technical assistance and evaluation for external and internal reporting required of existing and future MCH‑related grants and contracts.

• Provide leadership and coordination for maternal and child health research and evaluation activities; collaborate with executive leadership and project stakeholders to establish priorities, monitor deliverables, ensure compliance with grant and contract requirements, and support achievement of program goals.
• Lead the analysis and evaluation of large, complex datasets including Medicaid claims, birth certificate data, hospital records, and other health‑related data sources; design and implement evaluation plans, reporting frameworks and performance measures; ensure validity, reliability, accuracy and timeliness of analyses; translate findings into programmatic and policy recommendations and disseminate through reports, presentations and publications.
• Provide technical assistance, training and consultation to funders, community partners, healthcare organizations and governmental agencies; serve on and facilitate committees and work groups; present research findings at meetings, conferences and professional forums; develop and maintain collaborative partnerships that support maternal and child health initiatives and research objectives.
• Supervise research and evaluation staff, assign and review work, manage project timelines and workloads, support training and professional development, and conduct performance evaluations.
• Identify potential funding opportunities and contribute to the development of grant applications, contract proposals, scopes of work and supporting documentation.

• Doctoral (Ph.D.) degree in an area of research specialty and three or more years of job‑related experience.

• Seven or more years of experience conducting evaluation, applied research, or health services research.
• Experience in maternal and child health, public health, healthcare, or a related research environment.
• Three or more years of experience working with Medicaid claims, birth certificate data, hospital records, or other large healthcare datasets.
• Experience designing and implementing program evaluations, performance measurement systems and outcome assessments.
• Experience managing grants, contracts, research studies or complex projects.
• History of leadership roles in health services research settings, preferably in maternal and child health.
• Supervisory or project leadership experience.
• Demonstrated success securing, supporting or managing externally funded grants and contracts.
• Experience preparing technical reports, peer‑reviewed publications, policy briefs, presentations or other dissemination products.
• Experience collaborating with government agencies, healthcare organizations, academic institutions, funders and community partners.

• Understanding of maternal and child health issues, healthcare delivery systems, health policy and population health trends.
• Knowledge of research design, program evaluation methodologies, quality improvement principles, and performance measurement frameworks.
• Extensive knowledge of healthcare and public health data systems, including Medicaid claims, birth certificates, hospital records and population‑based surveys.
• Knowledge and experience with SAS.
• Proficiency in quantitative and qualitative research methods, data analysis, interpretation of complex datasets, and translating research findings into actionable…