Hybrid) Research Scientist - Health Affairs Institute

Overview

West Virginia University’s Health Affairs Institute (HAI) is seeking a full-time Research Scientist (Hybrid). HAI serves as the University partner for the State-University partnership with the West Virginia Medicaid program and engages with a variety of local, state, and federal partners. With offices in Morgantown and Charleston, HAI employs over 80 full-time staff and collaborates with faculty and staff from other units to fulfill its service mission.

HAI capabilities include health data analytics, mixed methods research, survey research, large-scale program evaluations, and professional project management. See (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). for more 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 outside of work. WVU offers generous benefits, including:

• 37.5-hour work week
• 13 paid holidays
• 24 annual leave days per year
• 18 sick days per year
• Health insurance and other benefits
• 401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match
• Wellness programs

• Serve as the scientific lead for designated projects and complete task elements of projects under other leadership as needed
• Collaborate 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 policies and federal/state regulations
• Lead composition of reports as required by the University, 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 a 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
  • Experience conducting large-scale research/evaluations within the healthcare industry, academic or governmental sectors
• All qualifications must be met by the time of employment

• Extensive knowledge and experience in utilizing large health databases for research, program evaluation, and policy development; experience in mixed methods designs and/or claims data preferred
• Experience analyzing quantitative and/or qualitative data
• Proficiency in standard statistical packages (SPSS, SAS, or R) or qualitative analysis packages (NVivo or Atlas.ti)
• Experience designing and overseeing large public health projects, including data collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation
• Record of publishing peer-reviewed manuscripts in public health, health policy, or health services research
• Experience training and/or…