DescriptionWhy RTI RTI International is an independent, scientific research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world's most critical problems with technical and science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approachโone that integrates expertise across social, statistical, data, and laboratory sciences, engineering, and other technical disciplines to solve the worldโs most challenging problems. We believe in the promise of science and technical solutions, and we push ourselves every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities, and businesses in the US and around the world. If you are looking for the opportunity to make a real difference, RTI is the place for you. About the Hiring Group RTI Internationalโs Health Practice Area has an opening for a Research Economist in the Division of Health Care Payment and Quality to serve as a task and project leader for implementation, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis of Medicare Advantage and Affordable Care Act individual and small group health insurance markets. As a Research Economist, you will provide cutting-edge analyses that will influence healthcare policy and healthcare system innovation, particularly within the Medicare Advantage market and the ACA individual and small group markets. Using large healthcare datasets, you will design, evaluate, and support policies related to healthcare insurance, payment, and delivery models; managed care; healthcare financing, costs, utilization, and quality; health insurance coverage and access; prescription drugs; and risk and case-mix adjustment through statistical analysis. You will lead analytic projects as an integral part of a team, apply an in-depth understanding of critical health policy issues and methods, contribute to and lead proposals to funding entities, and publish and present on findings for scientific audiences. Candidates may choose to work remotely within the United States or out of the Research Triangle Park, NC office. What You'll Do Lead and/or contribute to quantitative and qualitative research activities on a broad range of health policy and health services research topics. Conduct research on emerging approaches to risk adjustment including social risk factors, functional status, and condition severity. Apply advanced statistical and econometric methods (e.g., hierarchical modeling, machine learning, causal inference) to improve predictive accuracy and fairness of risk models. Understand market dynamics and simulate impacts of new or potential policies on health insurance markets. Specify and supervise descriptive and statistical analyses of large, complex datasets. Succinctly present results for a diverse technical and policy audience. Author technical reports, memoranda, articles, documentation, regulations, and contract proposals. Design and document analytic data files, including health care claims and enrollment data. Ensure high quality and accuracy of work products. Supervise and manage research staff in completing project tasks. Lead and/or contribute to contract proposals including methodological design, management plans, and project budgets. Collaborate with teams of mixed levels of technical skills and experience. Develop expertise in several health care policy, research methods, and healthcare data areas. What You'll Need Minimum Qualifications: PhD or PhD candidate (who can begin working in 2025 or early 2026) in health economics, health services research, health policy, actuarial science, operations research, finance or related quantitative field; or a Masterโs degree in the same fields with at least 6 years of relevant experience. Completed coursework and experience with quantitative research. Experience with domestic (United States) health policy research, particularly the Medicare Advantage program or the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplaces. Experience with and skills in quantitative, financial, actuarial, or statistical analysis. Ability to communicate (both written and verbal) complex ideas and information clearly and precisely to diverse audiences. Ability to support multiple projects simultaneously and manage competing deadlines with close attention to detail to ensure high quality work. Ability to collaborate effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team. Ability to analyze quantitative data with R, Python, SQL, SAS, SPSS, and/or Stata. Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require, now or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B visa status, etc.). Preferred Qualifications: Experience with risk adjustment and/or predictive modeling of healthcare expenditures or health insurance market microsimulation. Experience with large healthcare claims datasets, especially Medicare Advantage or ACA marketplace data. Experience working with clinicians, and an understanding of medical conditions and their treatment patterns, and diagnostic, procedure, and drug coding systems. Experience with fairness and bias evaluation in predictive models (e.g., calibration, subgroup performance, disparate impact metrics). EEO & Pay Equity Statements For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is available here. RTI accepts applications to our job openings from candidates with criminal histories or conviction records in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. For Applicants in Massachusetts Only: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below. Our pay ranges represent national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States. RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including, for example: established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. Further, salary is merely one element to our offer. At RTI, we demonstrate our commitment to rewarding individual and team achievement through a total rewards package. This package includes (among other things) a competitive base salary, a generous paid time off policy, merit based annual increases, bonus opportunities and a robust recognition program. Other benefits include a competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability), access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan, paid parental leave for all parents, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance. Equal Pay Act Minimum/Range $113,000 - $138,000
ResponsibilitiesLead and/or contribute to quantitative and qualitative research activities on a broad range of health policy and health services research topics. Conduct research on emerging approaches to risk adjustment including social risk factors, functional status, and condition severity. Apply advanced statistical and econometric methods (e.g., hierarchical modeling, machine learning, causal inference) to improve predictive accuracy and fairness of risk models. Understand market dynamics and simulate impacts of new or potential policies on health insurance markets. Specify and supervise descriptive and statistical analyses of large, complex datasets. Succinctly present results for a diverse technical and policy audience. Author technical reports, memoranda, articles, documentation, regulations, and contract proposals. Design and document analytic data files, including health care claims and enrollment data. Ensure high quality and accuracy of work products. Supervise and manage research staff in completing project tasks. Lead and/or contribute to contract proposals including methodological design, management plans, and project budgets. Collaborate with teams of mixed levels of technical skills and experience. Develop expertise in several health care policy, research methods, and healthcare data areas
QualificationMinimum Qualifications: PhD or PhD candidate (who can begin working in 2025 or early 2026) in health economics, health services research, health policy, actuarial science, operations research, finance or related quantitative field; or a Masterโs degree in the same fields with at least 6 years of relevant experience. Completed coursework and experience with quantitative research. Experience with domestic (United States) health policy research, particularly the Medicare Advantage program or the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplaces. Experience with and skills in quantitative, financial, actuarial, or statistical analysis. Ability to communicate (both written and verbal) complex ideas and information clearly and precisely to diverse audiences. Ability to support multiple projects simultaneously and manage competing deadlines with close attention to detail to ensure high quality work. Ability to collaborate effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team. Ability to analyze quantitative data with R, Python, SQL, SAS, SPSS, and/or Stata. Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). To qualify, applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and should not require, now or in the future, sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B visa status, etc.). Preferred Qualifications: Experience with risk adjustment and/or predictive modeling of healthcare expenditures or health insurance market microsimulation. Experience with large healthcare claims datasets, especially Medicare Advantage or ACA marketplace data. Experience working with clinicians, and an understanding of medical conditions and their treatment patterns, and diagnostic, procedure, and drug coding systems. Experience with fairness and bias evaluation in predictive models (e.g., calibration, subgroup performance, disparate impact metrics)