Research Scientist, USC Schaeffer Center

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The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics is one of the nation’s premier health policy research centers.  Housed jointly in the School of Pharmacy and Price School of Public Policy at the University of Southern California (USC), its mission is to measurably improve value in health care through evidence-based policy solutions, research excellence, and private and public sector engagement.  A communications team supports a sophisticated dissemination strategy to ensure Schaeffer Center research informs health policy.  In addition to assisting in the publication of policy-relevant, peer-reviewed journals, the team produces white papers, issue briefs, opinion pieces, e-newsletters, and creative data visualizations and graphics.  Center experts are frequently cited by the media, White House, Congress, the Congressional Budget Office, the Federal Reserve Board, and other agencies.

A diverse staff of 40+ work alongside 60+ fellows to ensure the Center’s activities are rigorous, independent, and policy-relevant.  This includes research staff (directors, administrators, and specialists), a finance team, and media and communications experts.  The Center also supports a microsimulation group and a programmer core with access to models, methods, and an extensive data library.

Job Summary

The Schaeffer Center is seeking multiple Research Scientists in the fields of health economics, health services research, or health policy analysis to join its team.  A Research Scientist plans, designs and conducts highly specialized, technical and complex research projects independently.  They analyze and evaluate research data and provide interpretations requiring significant knowledge of a specialized area of research and may contribute to the development of advanced new concepts, techniques and standards.  Research Scientists develop solutions to complex research problems, which require a high degree of ingenuity, creativity and innovativeness.  The position requires excellent analytical skills, demonstrated ability to develop and execute creative approaches to analytical problems, strong written and oral communication skills, experience in both technology and health policy analysis, experience working on externally funded grants, a willingness to attract external funding, the ability to lead projects and proposals, work as a member of a multi-disciplinary team, and a commitment to affecting change through empirical research. This is a full-time, 2-year (renewable) fixed term position.

Successful candidates would have demonstrated leadership in developing new ideas and ability to publish in appropriate academic and practitioner outlets, excellence in managing the execution of multiple complex health care research undertakings simultaneously, worked successfully with research partners and thought leaders, demonstrated ability to successfully develop and organize a strategic research agenda, execute and manage projects on a tight timeline, and provide measurable outcomes to document the success of the research agenda.  They will have demonstrated independent thinking and leadership in scholarly writing according to such criteria as: first authored publications, conceptual leadership in the development of publications generated alone or with others, writing of first drafts of publications and/or single authored publications.

Qualifications

• PhD in Health Economics, Health Policy Analysis, Health Services Research, or related applied field.
• Demonstrated research skills, preferably in the form of peer reviewed publications.
• Demonstrated success initiating and leading research projects and grant proposals.
• Experience with health data, including administrative healthcare (medical, pharmacy, plan benefit/enrollment, etc.) claims from Medicare, Medicaid, or commercial health insurance plans, and electronic medical/health records.
• Experience with SAS statistical programming language and Stata econometrics software.

Compensation

Competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Position is 100% FTE on a 2-year (renewable) fixed term.

Job Location: Los Angeles, CA 

The annual base salary range for this position is $00,973 - $139,689. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

The University of Southern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer that Values Diversity.

Minimum Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate Minimum Experience: 5 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Directly related education and experience in research specialization with highly advanced knowledge of equipment, procedures, analysis methods, principles, theories and concepts. Demonstrated leadership in developing new ideas and ability to publish in appropriate academic and practitioner outlets. Demonstrated independent thinking and leadership in scholarly writing according to such criteria as: first authored publications, conceptual leadership in the development of publications generated alone or with others, writing of first drafts of publications and/or single authored publications.