Acumen, LLC/The SPHERE Institute seek new and experienced Ph.D. candidates for our Policy Associate position. The ideal candidate will lead as well as support our research staff in data analysis and writing tasks for current and future contracts with government agencies. We are looking for individuals interested in monitoring and improving public health policy by conducting quantitative analyses, interacting with clients, writing reports, and directing statistical programmers. The successful candidate will have opportunities to manage projects, support proposal writing, and manage priorities and staff in a high growth, fast-paced environment. Strong econometric modeling skills and experience with large administrative datasets is preferred.
Acumen LLC/The SPHERE Institute has expertise in topics such as: value-based purchasing, real-time policy monitoring and evaluation, drug safety, drug pricing, expenditure forecasting, comparative effectiveness research, and outcomes measurement for various health and welfare programs.
Under minimal supervision, the Policy Associate performs some combination of the following job functions:
- Develops descriptive statistics
- Conducts literature searches and other independent research and summarizes findings
- Produces draft econometric and statistical analyses of data using statistical software such as SAS and STATA
- With support from more senior employees, coordinates project activities and communications among diverse groups of internal and external clients and team members
- Drafts interpretations of study specifications, research findings, and quantitative analyses for relevant audiences
- With support from more senior employees, prepares research files from large confidential datasets, such as health care claims, enrollment data, and payment data
- Drafts project reports, memos, presentations, and proposals
- Delivers technical assistance and presents findings to clients with support from more senior employees
- Assists in interacting with project officers and other government agency representatives and clients to access data and program information and determine analytical strategy
- Assists with organizing resources to implement a process or achieve an outcome
- Assists with tracking and monitoring budgets
- Trains employees on skills, concepts, and competencies of increasing complexity
- Assists with ensuring work is consistent with established methods, best practices, and policy trends
- Assists with minimizing risk by foreseeing and addressing obstacles proactively and aggressively
- Demonstrates responsibility for the success of the organization as a whole through project activities and interactions with others
- Complies with company policies and with applicable laws and regulations
- Demonstrates professionalism in the workplace
- Performs other duties as assigned
Qualifications Required:
- Ph.D. in a quantitative, public policy, or related field or equivalent relevant experience
- 2 years of relevant work experience (in addition to experience in lieu of degree)
- Excellent quantitative analytical skills
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- Skilled in one or more of the following technical competencies: statistics, programming, policy writing, research methods documentation, or project management
- Experienced in demonstrating initiative, critical thinking, and problem-solving
- Experienced in demonstrating strategic and big-picture thinking
- Experienced at working in a team-oriented environment
- Experienced in prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines in a fast-paced environment
- Familiar with identifying the relationships among projects or tasks
- Familiar with leveraging efficiencies among projects or tasks
- Experienced in at least one relevant policy area
- Demonstrated aptitude and enthusiasm for learning
Qualifications Desired:
- Demonstrated interest in health and social policy
- Able to manage workload of self and others
- Able to apply specialized skills and experience in multiple venues
Please upload your CV, Job Market/Research Paper, and Cover Letter with your application. Applications without a CV and, a Job Market/Research Paper, and a Cover Letter will not be considered.
Required Skills
Required Experience