Senior Associate, State Health Solutions

The Government Performance Portfolio within Program    

Pew's Government Performance team provides the nonpartisan research, solutions, and momentum decisionmakers need to ensure our institutions improve the health of people in the United States and enable them to successfully climb the economic ladder.  

Those goals are pursued through a wide range of the portfolio’s policy-focused projects (with explorations into new areas underway)—from ensuring states’ finances are prepared for future volatility, to unlocking gateways to mental health care, to addressing the nation’s lack of attainable housing.    

Pew’s Government Performance team is successful when we:   

• Foresee systemic challenges that could be avoided, mitigated, or resolved before they become insurmountable or politically toxic.   

• Fill information gaps with data, research, and proven models.   

• Hold leaders of institutions accountable to ensure they anticipate future challenges and operate efficiently.   

• Minimize missed opportunities when people intersect with our nation’s institutions.   

We hope policymakers, funding partners, and other stakeholders celebrate when Pew’s Government Performance team enters a new policy space, launches a new effort, or expands an existing project because they recognize we help:   

• Elevate the public profile of a problem  

• Demonstrate that success is possible   

• Bring cohesion to siloed fields  

• Create momentum for broader and lasting change 

State Health Solutions

The state health solutions project works with policymakers to improve health outcomes and reduce health care costs through the better use of data. By creating data-driven partnerships between state public health departments and state Medicaid agencies, the project helps states make targeted improvements to clinical practice by leveraging health information they already have.

To support this work, the project is leading research efforts to inform the development of a policy blueprint for how states can build these partnerships in a sustained way, partnering with select states to implement the blueprint and assess its effectiveness and outcomes, and scaling the partnerships to additional states.

Position Overview

The senior associate, research, State Health Solutions, supports the project’s efforts to develop a policy blueprint for sustained, data-driven partnerships between state Medicaid and public health agencies by conducting research to inform the blueprint development, facilitating its implementation in partner states, and collaborating closely with colleagues working on related Pew initiatives.

The position, based in Pew’s Washington D.C. office, reports to the senior officer, State Health Solutions, and participates in Pew’s hybrid work program with core days in the office and the flexibility to telework the remaining days. Staff also enjoy four telework “flex weeks” per year.

Responsibilities

• Foster a work environment that inspires excellence, values impact, encourages transparency, builds mutual trust and respect, embraces and values diversity, and is collaborative, caring, and compassionate.

• Support the senior officer in the implementation of the project’s research agenda by drafting research and methodology plans, identifying and evaluating potential contractors to support research efforts, conducting literature reviews and policy landscape analyses, and performing quality control and oversight on research conducted by contracted partners.

• Support the senior officer in the development and drafting of the policy blueprint.

• Contribute to the development and execution of expert convenings to inform the project’s research activities and blueprint development.

• Support the senior officer and state campaigns team members in the implementation of the blueprint in states, including supporting efforts to evaluate the impact of blueprint implementation such as development of evaluation metrics and provision of technical assistance to states.

• Prepare written products and presentations to disseminate Pew’s research to external audiences. Collaborate with Pew’s communications department to prepare materials for the project’s website and ensure that they are timely, accurate, and relevant.

• Maintain and develop an understanding of emerging issues by monitoring publications and participating in conferences, seminars, and other professional development activities.

• Participate in activities that support program and Pew-wide objectives.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.

• Generally, four years of experience in health or public health policy research.

• Excellent applied research and analytical skills, including a proven comprehension of policy research and synthesizing large amounts of policy information to identify themes and present summaries to an informed general audience.

• Demonstrated time and project management skills, including meeting multiple deadlines by maintaining a high-level of organization and experience establishing a systematic course of action and coordination with external partners and consultants to ensure project completion.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including demonstrated experience adapting to different writing styles and conveying complex topics to an educated lay audience.  

• Strategic and creative thinking skills, including experience adjusting to changing circumstances, remaining attentive to details, and exercising sound judgment in problem-solving.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, including experience working effectively as a member of a team and building relationships with individuals and organizations with a range of perspectives and positions.

Lobbying Language

Prior to commencing employment with Pew, candidates for this position who were registered to lobby in any jurisdiction must certify termination of previous registration(s) and provide copies of termination notices with said jurisdiction(s) to Pew.

Travel

This position requires occasional domestic travel for meetings and conferences.

Work Authorization

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship.

Salary Range

The salary range represents a reasonable estimate of the annual salary based on Pew’s commitment to provide equitable and market-competitive pay. The actual salary offered will take into consideration many factors including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills and experience, internal pay equity, and business need.

Total Rewards

We offer a competitive salary and benefit program, including: comprehensive, affordable health care through medical, dental, and vision coverage; financial security with life and disability insurance; opportunities to save using health savings and flexible spending accounts; retirement benefits to help prepare for the future; and work/life benefits to maintain a good balance.

Pew is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, or any other protected characteristics.