Global Health Research Associate

Global Health Research Associate

Metrics for Management

About Metrics for Management

Metrics for Management (M4M) is a nonprofit organization that provides pragmatic, research-driven insights and analytical tools that empower organizations to improve health and advance equity for underserved communities. We envision a world where every health decision is grounded in evidence, driving equity, quality, and better outcomes for all.

M4M is unique for our focus on simplified data for decision-making, backed by technical rigor. We develop actionable performance measures and analytical tools, linked to health outcomes of interest, that provide service delivery leaders with near real-time information.

Our core values — rigor, innovation, simplification, learning, equity, collaboration, and compassion — guide our work and strengthen our relationships, driving us toward impactful outcomes.

We are a small, but highly efficient, team that works globally. Joining a small team provides immediate opportunities for leadership, the chance to diversify your skill set by working on a variety of projects and even to propose your own innovations, the ability to quickly advance the work, and the potential to make a big impact.

Please visit our website at to learn more about our work and current projects.

The Role

Metrics for Management seeks a qualified, PhD-level Research Associate to support research, analytics, and technical assistance activities. This is a full-time position reporting directly to the Executive Director. The hybrid position is based in Baltimore, MD, with an expectation of regular time in the Baltimore office in coordination with the Executive Director, and availability for domestic and international travel up to 20% of the time.

Position Description

The Research Associate advances M4M’s core metric development, testing, and technical support initiatives that seek to improve the measurement, understanding, and delivery of health services. Working under the direction of the Executive Director, the Research Associate conducts primary and secondary health services research, responds to inquiries from users of our existing portfolio of metrics, and supports the creation and adaptation of new health services metrics and analytical tools.

A central focus of this position is applied data science: designing analytic approaches, working with complex primary and secondary datasets, and translating results into clear, decision-ready products and visualizations for service delivery leaders, governments, and partners. Current areas of focus include primary health care, health systems strengthening, family planning, maternal, adolescent and child health, equity, and health financing. All M4M team members are encouraged to propose new metric opportunities, as well as refinements and additions to our current suite of metrics.

The Research Associate plays a leadership role in project partner engagement, relationship management, and project work plan implementation, including proposing solutions to current and potential clients, through formal and routine communication channels.

The successful candidate will have opportunities to publish articles, demonstrate M4M’s service offerings, attend and present at international conferences, and use and learn a variety of quantitative and qualitative research and analysis techniques.

The Research Associate’s responsibilities include:

• Lead the development of research protocols on topics such as health services quality, primary health care, health systems, health financing, equity, and access to health services, under the direction of the Executive Director. Study designs may include quasi-experimental studies, cross-sectional studies using primary or secondary data, or qualitative approaches.

• Design data analysis protocols and conduct and supervise data analysis using a wide array of quantitative and qualitative techniques, which may include multivariate regression, matching techniques, or econometric models.

• Develop reproducible analytic workflows and data visualizations, dashboards, and other decision-support outputs using R, Python, or related languages.

• Responsibly use and support others to use AI and ML tools to support research activities

• Participate in the routine development and maintenance of existing M4M metrics, as well as the creation of new global goods metrics and analytical tools.

• Manage research study and project implementation, including on-site work in LMICs: setting up systems for data quality control, creating sampling frames, training data collectors, and providing remote and in-person technical assistance and training for service providers and government actors.

• Play a leadership role in project partner engagement, relationship management, and project work plan implementation.

• Draft background papers and literature reviews; engage in report writing, funder reports, manuscripts, and presentations to communicate results.

• Provide critical and thoughtful input in inter-organization working groups and to project partners to develop research tools responsive to stakeholder needs.

• Contribute to proposal development, including technical narrative writing, as one component of the role.

Qualifications :

The qualified candidate will have the following credentials:

Required:

• PhD in public health, epidemiology, demography, data science, or a related field.

• Demonstrated experience in data science and data visualization, including use of R, Python, and related languages; demonstrated ability to independently learn new data analysis programs or techniques.

• Strong capacity in study design, indicator development, data management, and statistical analysis.

• Experience in mixed methods studies, participating in the design and implementation of population-based or health services research studies and operations research. Preference for experience in an LMIC context.

• Experience leading project design and implementation and project partner engagement, with the ability to translate research into practical application.

• Fluency in English.

• Excellent written, verbal, and inter-personal communication skills.

• Outstanding time management skills; ability to negotiate complex and overlapping timelines and meet deadlines.

• Significant attention to detail; ability to hold self and others to high standards.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced, flexible job environment and to handle multiple tasks and details simultaneously.

• Exercise sound and timely judgment and take initiative, action, and responsibility for project activities, as required.

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

• Energy and enthusiasm to take on new responsibilities and grow with Metrics for Management.

• Ability to travel domestically and/or internationally up to 20% of the time.

• Must be authorized to work in the United States without visa sponsorship.

Preferred :

• Subject matter expertise in primary health care, health systems strengthening, or infectious diseases is a plus.

• Experience contributing to technical proposals for institutional or philanthropic funders.

• In-country experience providing technical assistance to health service delivery organizations and/or governments.

• Other language abilities, particularly French, Spanish, or Portuguese, given our global program context.

Location :

Baltimore, MD.

Reports To:

Executive Director

Salary :

$95,000-$115,000 based on experience.

Benefits :

Metrics for Management offers a competitive benefits package including health, vision, and dental insurance, travel insurance, 401(k) with employer contribution, and professional development funds. In addition, employees accrue vacation time and other time-off benefits.

Apply :

To apply, please submit: (1) cover letter, (2) resume or CV and (3) contact information for three recent professional references. M4M will not contact references without notifying applicant first.

Application deadline: September 21st, 2026

Metrics for Management is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. Candidates from underrepresented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.