Statistical Analyst/Research Programmer

Job Summary:

The Department of Health Policy and Management (HPM) at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health seeks a highly motivated Statistical Analyst / Research Programmer to support a portfolio of multidisciplinary health policy and health services research projects. This position is embedded in an academic research environment and is focused on the analysis of large-scale Medicare and Medicaid administrative claims and assessment data, often exceeding one million beneficiaries across multiple years.

The successful candidate will work closely with faculty investigators, statisticians, and research staff to prepare, manage, and analyze complex health care data to inform peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, and funded research initiatives. This role is well suited for individuals with strong quantitative and statistical programming skills who are interested in applied health policy research rather than software or product development.

Project topics include, but are not limited to:

• Evaluating the impact of Medicaid Managed Care adoption on medical care utilization, long-term services and supports (LTSS), and beneficiary outcomes
• Identifying populations likely eligible for exemptions to Medicaid work requirements using claims and eligibility data
• Assessing the effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency on medical and LTSS outcomes, including variation by state policy responses
• Examining the role of Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services expansions on Medicare and Medicaid costs and quality outcomes
• Developing predictive analytic models to identify individuals with disabilities and older adults likely to use LTSS or transition across care settings
• Developing and implementing analytic approaches to measure health disparities experienced by people with disabilities across the health care system

This position is ideal for candidates seeking hands-on experience in health services and health policy research prior to pursuing advanced graduate training (e.g., PhD, DrPH, MD). A core component of the HPM mission is to train the next generation of health policy and health system leaders, and faculty are committed to providing mentorship and professional development aligned with the successful candidate’s long-term goals.

Learn more about the Department of Health Policy and Management here: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/health-policy-and-management/

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

The Statistical Analyst/Research Programmer will collaborate with faculty and research team members on a range of analytic and data management tasks, including but not limited to:

•  Managing, organizing, and documenting large, longitudinal Medicare and Medicaid claims and assessment datasets, often spanning multiple years and data sources
• Designing and maintaining analytic datasets, including complex data linkage, merging, and transformation workflows
• Conducting statistical analyses using STATA as the primary analytic tool, with SAS and/or R used as complementary tools when appropriate
• Working with restricted-access federal data sources, including CMS Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC) and T-MSIS Analytic Files (TAF)
• Supporting analyses involving regression modeling, quasi-experimental methods, longitudinal and hierarchical models, and survey-weighted analyses
• Collaborating with faculty and statisticians to translate research questions into analytic plans and reproducible code
• Preparing tables, figures, and analytic summaries for manuscripts, grant applications, and presentations
• Maintaining clear and reproducible documentation of data management and analytic workflows
• Coordinating with remote collaborators and contributing to team-based research efforts
• Performing other duties as assigned

PLEASE NOTE: This position has a term appointment of one year from date of hire, with the possibility of extension based on funding and performance.

PLEASE NOTE: Shortlisted candidates will be required to submit a writing sample and may be asked to complete a statistical programming skills assessment.