AIR’s Employment & Economic Opportunity Program is seeking a Quantitative Researcher to work on research projects to improve education, training, and workforce opportunities for youth and adults. This position will support a portfolio of federally, state, and philanthropically funded research and evaluation projects focused on education, workforce development, and economic opportunity, including large‑scale studies, evaluations, and analytic initiatives serving federal agencies, states, and national partners. 

The Researcher will play a key role in the design, execution, data analysis, and dissemination of rigorous applied research. The role is well‑suited for a collaborative researcher who combines strong analytic skills with the ability to translate complex findings into clear, actionable products for diverse audiences.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories. 

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Join AIR as a Quantitative Researcher with our Healthcare Innovations team. Our team works collaboratively to unravel the intertwined challenges of health care quality, costs, and access. Our team of experts – nurses, physicians, psychologists, economists, sociologists, data scientists, and public health experts – advance evidence and save lives by leading rigorous research and evaluation; results-driven technical assistance and training; and leading-edge data science and technology tools.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories. 

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

The Principal Researcher in Child Welfare will lead business pursuits related to federal, state, and local child welfare policy and program research and evaluation. We seek a dynamic business development leader contributing to the expansion and management of a robust portfolio of contract and grant-funded policy, research and evaluation projects in child welfare. Areas of expertise by the candidate may include child welfare data system integration, cross-system data use, adoption, permanency, kinship care, foster parents, prevention, and other child welfare content, program, or policy areas. The chosen candidate will be a leader in AIR’s Children and Families portfolio of business pursuits and projects, which also includes early childhood education and care, and maternal and child health. The candidate will be proactively thinking ahead about opportunities. The candidate will have content, technical and management expertise, with the ability to build and nurture relationships with clients and leaders in the child welfare field. 

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories. 

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities for the position include

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience 

• Doctoral degree in child development, developmental psychology, human development, education, public or social policy, economics, social welfare or a related field, with  minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience managing and conducting research, or Master’s degree and at least 11 years of relevant experience. 
• 10 or more years of project leadership experience, including proposal writing, project management, staff supervision, report writing, and external relationship management. 
• National and positive reputation for expertise in child welfare and well-connected in the field. 
• Knowledge of family supports, social services and/or early childhood research. 
• Proven record of accomplishment leading proposals and winning competitive contracts/grants from various funding organizations (e.g., Federal, state, and local government; foundations). 
• Familiarity with federal and state procurement and contract opportunities. 
• Experience effectively leading and mentoring diverse teams working on research-focused projects and/or tasks within large/complex projects, including team oriented to ensure project excellence, timeliness, and on-budget execution. 

Skills 

• Strong quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method design and analysis skills to serve as a senior team leader on proposals and projects. 
• Demonstrated strong writing skills to effectively communicate findings and policy implications from technical research for policymakers and practitioners.
• Demonstrated clear oral communication skills, including the capacity to collaborate professionally with clients, federal or foundation project officers, implementing partners, consultants, program leadership staff, and other stakeholders.
• Proven ability to develop staff capacity in research and evaluation design and methods, project management, client relationships, research publication and business development. 
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines independently while contributing to a collaborative team environment. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with attention to accuracy and research best practices. 

Disclosures: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment. 

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.orgor call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer: AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out torecruitment@air.org. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) atReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.

#LI-AS1 #LI-REMOTE

Join AIR as a Principal Researcher with our Healthcare Innovations team. Our team works collaboratively to unravel the intertwined challenges of health care quality, costs, and access. Our team of experts – nurses, physicians, psychologists, economists, sociologists, data scientists, and public health experts – advance evidence and save lives by leading rigorous research and evaluation; results-driven technical assistance and training; and leading-edge data science and technology tools.

The Principal Researcher is a senior technical expert in quality measure development and implementation for largescale federal programs, particularly Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CMS Innovation Center (CMMI). This role will contribute to quality strategy, measure refinement, annual measure updates, and analytic work that supports performance based payment and monitoring.

This role emphasizes quality measures expertise, methodological rigor, and the ability to lead large projects or tasks, contribute to thought leadership, project execution, and business development in AIR’s large and growing implementation and monitoring portfolio. 

Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories.   

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities for the position include:

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• Ph.D. in Economics, Health Services Research, or a related field with a minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience managing and conducting research or related work or Master’s degree and at least 11 years of relevant experience. 
• Minimum of 5 years project leadership experience or large task leadership experience on complex implementation, analytics, research, or evaluation projects. 
• Direct experience with CMS/CMMI quality measurement, including alternative payment models or model evaluation.
• Deep familiarity with quality measure specifications, measure stewardship, certification processes, and use of measure repositories/tools.
• Experience with Medicare and Medicaid quality measures, including claims‑based, practice‑based, patient‑reported, and state‑based measures.
• Proven track record of winning or contributing to winning new business with CMS or other HHS agencies. 

Skills

• Advanced technical expertise in quality measurement (development, refinement, specification review, testing, validation). 
• Strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills appropriate for a senior level researcher. 
• Extensive experience in conceptualizing, analyzing, and contributing to large‑scale federally funded projects. 
• Excellent written communication skills with a commitment to accuracy, clarity, and evidence based messaging. 
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners. 
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to see the broader context of complex research and implementation projects. 

Disclosures: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment. 

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.orgor call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer: AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out torecruitment@air.org. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) atReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.

#LI-AS1 #LI-REMOTE

Join AIR as a Researcher focused on Medicaid policy and programs with our Healthcare Innovations team. Our team works collaboratively to address complex challenges related to Medicaid coverage, care delivery, cost containment, and health equity, supporting federal and state partners in improving outcomes for low‑income and medically vulnerable populations. 

Our multidisciplinary team—including economists, data scientists, public health experts, clinicians, and policy researchers—advances evidence through rigorous research and evaluation, results‑driven technical assistance, and applied analytics. This role will contribute directly to studies that inform Medicaid policy design, program evaluation, and system transformation. 

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories. 

About AIR: 

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Disclosures: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment. 

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.orgor call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer: AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out torecruitment@air.org. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) atReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.

#LI-AS1 #LI-REMOTE

Join AIR as a Senior Researcher with our Healthcare Innovations team. Our team works collaboratively to unravel the intertwined challenges of health care quality, costs, and access. Our team of experts – nurses, physicians, psychologists, economists, sociologists, data scientists, and public health experts – advance evidence and save lives by leading rigorous research and evaluation; results-driven technical assistance and training; and leading-edge data science and technology tools.

The Senior Researcher leads and executes applied research projects end to end—designing rigorous studies, managing teams and budgets, overseeing data collection and analysis, developing proposals, and communicating actionable findings while serving as a trusted partner to clients and stakeholders.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories. 

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

• Manage day-to-day project operations in roles such as principal investigator, project director, or task lead, ensuring deliverables are completed on time, within budget, and to a high standard.
• Lead collaborative project teams by developing timelines and coordinating staff assignments.
• Identify research problems and design rigorous applied studies, including aligned research questions, methodologies, and analytic plans.
• Apply subject-matter expertise to design and implement relevant, responsive, and impactful research projects.
• Lead and contribute to research proposals for federal, state, foundation, and other clients.
• Devise and implement innovative solutions to practical challenges in applied research.
• Lead data collection and analysis efforts, including the design of qualitative and/or quantitative data collection tools (e.g., interview protocols, focus group guides, surveys).
• Supervise field-based data collection activities, including interviews, observations, focus groups, and document reviews.
• Conduct or oversee data analysis using appropriate tools and techniques for various data types.
• Communicate study progress and findings clearly and effectively through reports, briefs, visualizations, and other materials.
• Represent the organization professionally in client interactions and manage client and stakeholder relationships with awareness of the broader policy and practice landscape.
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with clients, partners, and stakeholders, and foster positive, collaborative working relationships.
• Contribute thoughtfully and creatively to project teams.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• PhD in a related field (e.g., Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Public Policy, or a related discipline) with 3+ years of relevant experience, or a master’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex ideas into actionable work plans and timelines.
• Experience with qualitative data collection methodologies (e.g., structured interviews, observations, survey research) and analytic software (e.g., NVivo), and/or quantitative analysis using tools such as Stata, R, Python, or Access.
• Experience managing project and/or task teams on research and evaluation projects.
• Experience building and maintaining strong client and partner relationships.
• Experience supporting business development efforts, including grant and proposal writing.
• Experience analyzing claims and other large or complex data sets.
• Experience working in contract research and/or evaluation organizations.

 Skills

• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills including strong communication skills with the ability to produce concise, high-level summaries and briefings.
• Strong negotiator and communicator, with excellent client management skills.
• Strong presentation, professional development delivery, and facilitation skills.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when writing. 
• Can collaborate effectively in a virtual work environment. 

Disclosures: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment. 

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.orgor call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer: AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out torecruitment@air.org. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) atReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.

#LI-AS1 #LI-REMOTE

AIR seeks a Senior Researcher for the Human and Community Development program to advance evidence and practice related to suicide prevention in the military, law enforcement, and community with an understanding on broad safety and justice systems. This position will focus on prevention science with emphasis on preventing violence and other forms of harmful behaviors. The Senior Researcher will lead and/or manage complex research and evaluation efforts; collaborate with internal and external partners, including federal, state, and local agencies; and contribute to strategic visioning that strengthens suicide prevention and safety outcomes, and provide mentorship and guidance to teams. This position will also provide oversight on data collection, management, analysis, and visualization for contract and grant research and evaluation projects. The ideal candidate is committed to building out our prevention portfolio, particularly in suicide prevention, and taking a strengths-based perspective. We are especially interested in candidates that have direct experience with suicide prevention, preferably in the military, law enforcement, and justice system context, and who have strong project and people management skills.

Related projects aim to use prevention science to focus around one or more areas, including but not limited to: 

Content areas:

• Suicide prevention
• Public health approach to primary prevention of violence, such as
• community violence
• youth violence
• intimate partner and sexual violence
• child maltreatment and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
• Military communities, readiness, and resilience
• Systems change, including organizational and culture change in community-serving systems and in the military
• Public health workforce competencies and career pipelines
• Data visualization and dissemination

Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories.

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities for the position include:

Project & Portfolio Leadership

• Manage large, complex research projects or a portfolio of smaller studies, ensuring alignment with client expectations and organizational priorities.
• Oversee project planning, design, and implementation, including development of methods, procedures, timelines, and reporting structures.
• Anticipate project risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure timely, high‑quality deliverables.
• Ensure compliance with ethical standards, IRB requirements, and data governance policies.

Methodological & Technical Expertise

• Serve as a methodological authority, advising teams on advanced quantitative, qualitative, and mixed‑methods approaches.
• Develop conceptual frameworks and innovative research methodologies that advance understanding of prevention and evaluation topics.
• Lead the review, analysis, synthesis, and visualization of data using appropriate practices and techniques.
• Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and strong documentation across all analytic workflows.

Strategic & Organizational Contribution

• Contribute to organizational strategy by identifying emerging research needs, funding trends, and opportunities for innovation in public health and prevention science.
• Represent the organization in national working groups, advisory panels, and technical expert meetings.
• Lead internal capacity‑building efforts through trainings, workshops, and knowledge‑sharing initiatives.

Client, Partner & Stakeholder Engagement

• Communicate effectively—both orally and in writing—with clients, partners, funders, and other key stakeholders.
• Translate complex research findings into actionable insights tailored to policymakers, practitioners, and community partners.
• Manage client and stakeholder relationships with professionalism and awareness of the broader policy and practice landscape.
• Curate external relationships by engaging thought leaders, innovators, and implementation partners across the public health arena.

Dissemination & Field Leadership

• Serve as a subject‑matter expert and disseminate findings through peer‑reviewed publications, technical reports, policy briefs, and presentations at conferences and seminars.
• Strengthen the organization’s visibility and influence within the public health and prevention research communities.

Proposal Development & Business Growth

• Lead and contribute to research proposals for federal, state, foundation, and other client opportunities.
• Develop competitive proposal strategies, including conceptual design, methodological plans, staffing, and budgets.
• Identify new business opportunities and cultivate partnerships that advance the organization’s mission.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Manage and mentor staff to build prevention expertise, strengthen technical capacity, and support professional growth.
• Provide thought partnership and coaching to mid‑level researchers on research design, analysis, and dissemination.
• Model inclusive leadership practices and foster a collaborative team environment.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• PhD in related subject area (e.g., Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Public Policy, or related field) with 3+ years of relevant experience or Master’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
• Firm understanding of implementation science.
• Ability to take big ideas and develop work plans and timelines.
• Experience at contract research and/or evaluation organization(s).
• Experience with data collection methodologies (including but not limited to structured interviews, observations, survey research) and analysis activities (including but not limited to experience with quantitative and/or qualitative analytic software packages such as STATA, R, Excel,
  NVivo
  , and Access).
• Experience managing project and/or task teams on research and evaluation projects.
• Experience building and maintaining client and partner relationships.
• Experience with business pursuit (e.g., grant and proposal writing).

 Skills

• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills including strong communication skills with the ability to produce concise, high-level summaries and briefings.
• Strong negotiator and communicator, with excellent client management skills.
• Strong presentation, professional development delivery, and facilitation skills.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when writing. 
• Can collaborate effectively in a virtual work environment. 

Disclosures: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment. 

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.orgor call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer: AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out torecruitment@air.org. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) atReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.

#LI-AS1 #LI-REMOTE

Join AIR as a Principal Researcher with our Healthcare Innovations team. Our team works collaboratively to unravel the intertwined challenges of health care quality, costs, and access. Our team of experts – nurses, physicians, psychologists, economists, sociologists, data scientists, and public health experts – advance evidence and save lives by leading rigorous research and evaluation; results-driven technical assistance and training; and leading-edge data science and technology tools.

This Principal Researcher will contribute to large-scale implementation and monitoring initiatives for federal health agencies. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in monitoring frameworks, analytic design, alternative payment models, and federal program operations—particularly Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CMS Innovation Center (CMMI). 

This role emphasizes monitoring expertise, methodological rigor, and the ability to lead large projects or tasks, contribute to thought leadership, project execution, and business development in AIR’s large and growing implementation and monitoring portfolio. 

Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories.

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities for the position include:

Thought Leadership & Technical Expertise 

• Serve as a subject matter and methodological expert in the implementation and monitoring of federal health programs, especially alternative payment models, and value-based care initiatives. 
• Provide leadership in designing monitoring frameworks, performance metrics, data collection plans, and analytic strategies for implementation and monitoring contracts. 
• Contribute to AIR’s technical vision for CMS and CMMI work, helping shape approaches that meet federal expectations for rigor, transparency, and accuracy. 

Project Execution & Oversight 

• Direct large, complex implementation and monitoring or evaluation projects—or a portfolio of smaller projects—ensuring alignment with federal requirements and high quality delivery, on time and on budget. 
• Oversee the planning, design, and implementation of project procedures, including monitoring plans, analytic plans, research protocols, monitoring reports, risk summaries, and stakeholder engagement strategies. 
• Serve as a senior contributor to model testing, monitoring, and evaluation tasks, including real-time monitoring, operational assessments, and rapid cycle learning. 
• Collaborate with data and analytic teams to connect monitoring indicators to underlying data sources (claims, administrative, practice‑based, state‑based).
• Guide development of data protocols, dashboard requirements, and reporting structures for monitoring deliverables.

CMS Facing Expertise & Business Development 

• Serve as a thought partner to AIR leadership on work conducted for CMS/CMMI, interpreting federal priorities, model goals, and policy developments. 
• Lead or significantly contribute to proposal development involving monitoring, implementation, and operational oversight including designing methodological approaches, reviewing narratives for soundness, and leading staffing and budgeting decisions. 
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with federal clients and partners, helping position AIR for future CMS and HHS opportunities. 

Team Leadership, Mentorship & Collaboration 

• Coach, mentor, and support junior and midcareer staff, setting developmental goals and modeling high quality technical and analytic work. 
• Collaborate with colleagues across research, analytics, communications, TA, and operations teams to ensure integrated, high quality products. 
• Contribute to a collaborative environment that values and respects a wide range of perspectives, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• Ph.D. in Economics, Health Services Research, or a related field with a minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience managing and conducting research or related work or Master’s degree and at least 11 years of relevant experience. 
• Minimum of 5 years project leadership experience or large task leadership experience on complex implementation, analytics, research, or evaluation projects. 
• Direct experience working on CMS implementation, monitoring, evaluation, or operational support. 
• Proven track record of winning or contributing to winning new business with CMS or other HHS agencies. 
• Extensive knowledge of Medicare payment policy, Medicaid and/or Medicare Advantage. 
• Experience working with Medicare or Medicaid claims, and other publicly available datasets.

Skills

• Demonstrated monitoring expertise, including developing monitoring plans, indicators, protocols, and analysis to support federal program oversight. 
• Strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills appropriate for a senior‑level researcher. 
• Extensive experience in conceptualizing, analyzing, and contributing to large‑scale federally funded projects. 
• Excellent written communication skills with a commitment to accuracy, clarity, and evidence‑based messaging. 
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners. 
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to see the broader context of complex research and implementation projects.

Disclosures: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment. 

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.orgor call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer: AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out torecruitment@air.org. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) atReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.

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