Senior Research Analyst, Health Services Policy and Research Unit

The Hilltop Institute at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is a nationally recognized research center dedicated to improving the health and social outcomes of vulnerable populations. Formed in 1994 in a unique collaboration with the Maryland Medicaid program, Hilltop has grown to address issues that touch upon not only Medicaid, but also other publicly administered programs such as aging services, public health, Medicare, behavioral health, oral health, state coverage initiatives, and federally funded AIDS initiatives. Hilltop conducts research, analysis, and evaluation not only for Maryland state agencies, but also for other states that currently include New Mexico, Rhode Island, and New Jersey, the federal government, national philanthropic foundations, and non-profit organizations. Hilltop has nationally renowned expertise in Medicaid and in improving publicly funded health care systems. Hilltop's interdisciplinary team of professionals includes clinicians, economists, attorneys, financial analysts, social scientists, and SAS programmers. Hilltop staff members have extensive experience in health services delivery, data systems design, and public policy analysis. Hilltop is committed to addressing complex issues through informed, objective, and innovative research and analytics.

This position is in the Medicaid Policy Studies Section within Hilltop’s Health Services Policy and Research Unit. This unit collaborates with Maryland and other states to expand health care coverage and improve health care for vulnerable populations through research, policy analysis, program development and implementation, and evaluation.

The incumbent primarily will be responsible for conducting analyses on health policy issues under the direction of the Director of the Medicaid Policy Studies Section, with a particular focus on publicly funded or publicly subsidized state-level health care delivery systems. The incumbent also will manage project teams under the direction of the Director of the Medicaid Policy Studies Section. Specific duties will include:

• Identifying data, literature, studies, and other primary information to address projects assigned by clients and sponsors
• Leading the effort to gather and synthesize those materials, often directing junior staff
• Coordinating multi-disciplinary teams that may include Hilltop staff, external collaborators, and subcontractors
• Conducting primary writing tasks to present  research results
• Editing writing performed by junior staff
• Disseminating research findings through various means, ranging from informal memos to issue briefs to articles published in peer-reviewed journals
• Making presentations to public and professional audiences (the work may include developing specifications for qualitative and quantitative data collection, analyses, and reporting)
• Performing other duties as assigned

Education/Experience/Skills: The position requires a Master's degree in health policy, health services research, public health, economics, or related discipline; well-honed client relations and problem solving skills; demonstrated ability to write for public and professional audiences, a record of publication and presentation of policy-relevant research preferred; project management skills, including demonstrated ability to set and implement work plans, oversee the work of others, and manage the production of deliverable and deadlines; being highly organized and flexible in a fast-paced environment; excellent interpersonal skills, capable of being a team member as well as a team leader; verifiable proficiency in Internet searches and in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and commitment to health policy research and healthcare system improvement.

A working knowledge of Medicare and Medicaid; demonstrated experience and skill in research and analysis; and extensive skill in utilizing quantitative analysis produced by computer programmers who use SAS, STATA, or SPSS to write code and run queries against large data sets, as directed by the candidate.

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience. Full financial support to pursue a PhD at UMBC is available through Hilltop, should the candidate not hold such a degree.The position is full-time and includes the full university benefits package. Note: This position is grant-funded, wherein employment is contingent upon the renewal of Hilltop’s grant support and carries no layoff or reinstatement rights.

Note: If submitting materials electronically, the cover letter should be included in a separate attachment.
UMBC is an EOE/AA