Principal Research Scientist - Health Research at NORC in Sacramento, CA

JOB DESCRIPTION:

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a highly experienced Principal Research Scientist with a strong background in health care research and strategic business development to be based in our Sacramento, California office. We are also open to someone working from a different California location. The position will be based in the Health Care Programs Research Department and will work collaboratively across the Health Care, Public Health, and Health Sciences Research Departments at NORC. The main focus of this position will be on providing leadership to California-focused projects and on expanding NORC’s client base in the state.

NORC recognizes that talented and skilled researchers live throughout the U.S. and actively supports remote work arrangements. Post-COVID, occasional trips to client sites or the office may be required. This position will align with our Sacramento, California office administratively.

NORC has been very active in the health communications space in California and we hope to attract candidates with some interest and experience in this area. NORC’s health communication research practice offers a full range of research, planning, and evaluation services to clients. This practice group is comprised of communication researchers who specialize in formative research including media/environmental scans; social media listening and analysis; audience descriptive and segmentation studies; concept development research; message and materials testing; and web usability research. This group also has expertise in the development of evidence-based communication strategies as well as campaign measurement, evaluation, and effectiveness studies.

Candidates need not be health communications specialists, however. We are open to candidates with backgrounds in other types of health research related to health care delivery and financing — including access to insurance, payment and delivery-system reform, benefit design, and quality measurement that advance stakeholders’ understanding of policies and programs, facilitate implementation, and contribute to important improvements in cost, utilization, and quality for consumers.

NORC’s expert staff has extensive knowledge of all aspects of health care delivery, from private marketplaces and employer-sponsored insurance to Medicare and Medicaid; from large health care systems to small clinics; and from the needs of children to those of older adults, people with disabilities, and ethnic and racial minorities. Our expert team includes social scientists that acquire, collect, and analyze data from health care organizations and consumers; program evaluators; health services researchers; health-policy analysts; and professionals with first-hand experience running and supporting health care programs.

DEPARTMENT: Health Care Programs

NORC’s expertise and ongoing work in health care delivery and financing — including access to insurance, payment and delivery-system reform, benefit design, and quality measurement — advance stakeholders’ understanding of policies and programs, facilitate implementation, and contribute to important improvements in cost and quality.

NORC’s expert staff has extensive knowledge of all aspects of health care delivery, from private marketplaces and employer-sponsored insurance to Medicare and Medicaid; from large health care systems to small clinics; and from the needs of children to those of older adults, people with disabilities, and ethnic and racial minorities. Our expert team includes social scientists that acquire, collect, and analyze data from health care organizations and patients; evaluators; health services researchers; health-policy analysts; and professionals with first-hand experience running and supporting health care programs

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide leadership in California business development for NORC including strategy development, identification of opportunities, and outreach to potential clients and partners.
• Independently design and direct health research studies and work in collaboration with partners and clients to develop programmatic strategies and plans based on research findings.
• Assume responsibility for the technical and scientific oversight of studies as well performance monitoring, quality control, and contract/budget adherence.
• Contribute to health communications, policy research, behavioral studies, program evaluation, and other types of health studies.
• Participate as an active member of project teams e.g. in the design of data collection protocols, data analysis/interpretation, and reporting.
• Provide oversight and mentoring to junior staff.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• PhD degree in a relevant field is preferred; Master’s degree is required
• At least 12 years of experience in health research similar to NORC’s offerings
• Significant experience in the leadership of research project teams including responsibility for budget development, performance monitoring, project quality control, and client/sponsor communication
• High level of technical competence in study design, data collection protocol development, data analysis, and reporting of findings
• Proficiency in survey research as well as qualitative methods
• Demonstrated success in leading business development efforts, especially in strategy development, outreach and relationship management in addition to the preparation of proposals/bids
• Substantive expertise on an array of health care topics; in the health care area, expertise on the Affordable Care Act and the promotion of health insurance uptake is highly preferable
• Publication track record strongly preferred
• Occasional travel for site visits and meetings may be required.

WHAT WE DO:

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

WHO WE ARE:

For over 75 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.