Research Scientist 4 - (Biostatistics/Health Services Research)

Overview The Research Scientist 4 will serve Division of Data Strategy and Technology Management (DSTM) lead in ensuring compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Access Rule, as well as overseeing the National Core Indicator Survey (NCI) team within the Bureau of Population Health. This senior leadership role will be responsible for supervising and conducting a broad range of research, analysis, reporting, and evaluation activities, primarily focused on the Access Rule and multiple NCI surveys. The position will also support the day-to-day operations of the NCI Team and provide critical data analysis to senior leadership to meet the agency's program and policy research needs. This role acts as a technical resource, performing high-level analysis, and takes primary responsibility for overseeing specific work related to compliance with the CMS Access Rule. This includes coordinating cross-divisional teams, developing metrics, working with Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) and Counsel, and representing the division in collaborative efforts. Additionally, the position provides senior oversight for a team implementing new surveys and refining data analysis and reporting, including data visualization. The role involves designing and managing analytical projects from inception to implementation, including work planning, task delegation, and progress monitoring. Key Responsibilities Serve as a member of the Bureau of Population Health's senior leadership, providing technical expertise and daily management of the Division of Data Strategy and Technology Management (DSTM). Responsible for DSTM activities relating to compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Access Rule, including assisting in developing metrics to assess compliance and reporting to validate compliance. Support the National Core Indicator Survey (NCI) team, supervising supporting staff, and overseeing the execution of complex data extracts, routine data management and cleaning, and the production of reports. Take a lead role in formulating and conducting research plans and project proposals utilizing sophisticated research and analytic techniques. Assume major responsibility for and oversight of projects with minimal supervision. Identify areas for research that will impact agency operations and conduct research independently. Monitor project status and completion, and prepare or supervise the preparation of reports, ad hoc data requests, studies, dashboards, and other data products. Identify and mitigate risks associated with all workplans, projects, and activities, ensuring proper allocation of resources. Supervise, train, and manage junior Research Scientists, including workload allocation, training completion verification, and time and attendance record maintenance. Maintain clear lines of communication with the Bureau Director and support Bureau Director activities as needed. Conduct descriptive and inferential analyses using a wide range of research methods, programs (SAS preferred, SPSS, SQL, R), and data sources (Medicaid, enrollment, fiscal, case management, survey data, etc.) to support agency-wide initiatives related to Medicaid utilization, public health, service quality, and outcomes. Collaborate with other research scientists and analytical staff across the Division and Agency on all phases of research to contribute to policy recommendations. Develop and execute new and/or highly complex algorithms and statistical predictive models, determining analytical approaches and modeling techniques to evaluate potential future outcomes. Establish and model analytical rigor and effective use of statistical methods to analyze large amounts of data, employing advanced statistical techniques and mathematical analyses. Manage analytical projects from data exploration, model building, performance evaluation, through implementation, including developing work plans and monitoring progress and project timelines for self and subordinates. Interact with a multidisciplinary team of internal and external peers to communicate progress and outcomes of planned work regularly, effectively, and openly. Assist in leading weekly team meetings to discuss team and project-related activities, issues, change, communications, and updates. Assist in developing and evaluating key care quality and service delivery data and presenting findings to assist in assessment and development of related policies and procedures. Assist in automating workflows, data cleaning, data extraction, and reporting to maximize efficiencies while maintaining quality. Provide senior oversight for a team implementing new surveys and refining data analysis and reporting, including data visualization. Coordinate cross-divisional teams, develop metrics, work with EPMO and Counsel, and represent the division in collaborative efforts related to CMS Access Rule compliance. Preferred Qualifications Strong statistical and data management skills. Project Management skills. Proficiency in the use of data visualization tools such as Tableau and Power BI, with Tableau experience strongly preferred. Experience with SAS, SPSS, R and/or SQL (SAS experience preferred), Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Experience extracting, merging, and linking healthcare datasets, including Medicaid data, for the application of data visualization and advanced statistical analysis. Knowledge of statistical methods and their application for predictive analytics. Excellent communication and organizational skills. Ability to work independently as well as in a team environment. Experience with surveys and refinement of data analysis to support a better understanding of health trends and potential risks. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree and five years of professional research experience in public health, epidemiology, medicine, program evaluation, statistics, biostatistics, psychology, sociology, social science, economics, information science, or a related area. Substitution: Master's Degree in an appropriate field may substitute for one year of experience and a Ph.D. in an appropriate field may substitute for an additional year of experience. Remote Work Current OPWDD policy requires half‑time in office. This policy is subject to annual review and renewal. Benefits Thirteen (13) paid holidays each year. Thirteen (13) days of paid vacation leave initially. Five (5) days paid personal leave each year. Thirteen (13) days of paid sick leave each year (PEF/CSEA), which may carry over from year to year. Up to three (3) days professional leave each year to participate in professional development events. Health Care Coverage: Employees and their eligible dependents can choose from a variety of affordable health insurance programs. Employees are provided family dental and vision plans at no extra cost. Paid Parental Leave: Paid parental leave allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave at full pay for each qualifying event. Retirement Program: Participation in The NYS Employees’ Retirement System (ERS). Professional Development and Education: Training programs and tuition assistance available. Equal Opportunity Statement OPWDD is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer dedicated to creating and sustaining a culture of inclusion. We welcome the unique contributions that applicants bring in terms of their education, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression, nation of origin, age, languages spoken, veteran’s status, color, religion, disability, sexual orientation and beliefs. All people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. #J-18808-Ljbffr NYS Office for People With Developmental Disabilities