Senior Health Services Researcher

Job Description:

JOB SUMMARY

The Senior Health Services Researcher is a senior-level researcher responsible for rigorous qualitative research and analysis with health communications expertise and translating complex research and evaluation findings into accessible, actionable resources for primary care providers, FQHC leadership, community health center partners (and other safety net practices) nationally, and funders and other partners. This individual will provide high-level guidance across environmental scan development, stakeholder outreach, interview instrument design, qualitative analysis strategy, and synthesis of findings for federal and other stakeholder reporting.

This individual will serve as a hands-on analyst and methodological leader, designing and executing advanced qualitative and mixed-methods studies that inform primary care delivery, workforce development, and health outcomes in community-based settings, particularly Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). The role emphasizes applied, implementation-oriented, and health services research that understands primary care systems and outcomes.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Qualitative Research & Analysis

• Design, conduct, and oversee qualitative research activities (interviews, focus groups, thematic analysis, report writing) across WI projects, initially including the Novartis ACTION project and the HRSA Behavioral Health Workforce Development TA Center's work
• Analyze qualitative and mixed-methods data to identify barriers and facilitators relevant to each project's goals (e.g., practice change adoption, workforce training site expansion, screening uptake)
• Support development of evaluation frameworks and instruments in collaboration with WI's evaluation team
• Synthesize findings into clear, defensible conclusions suitable for funder reporting, conference presentations, and journal submissions.

Health Communications & Knowledge Translation

• Translate research and evaluation findings into practice-ready materials for FQHC clinical teams, training site preceptors, and education participants — e.g., toolkits, one-pagers, curriculum content, and facilitator guides
• In collaboration with the education and policy team, lead the synthesis of complex qualitative themes into highly practical deliverables, including policy briefs, technical toolkits, and executive summaries optimized for busy health center executives and policymakers.
• Utilize findings to contribute to marketing, recruitment, and outreach materials for FQHC partner sites
• Develop plain-language summaries and dissemination products bridging research evidence and frontline practice change into actionable change

Funding and Scholarly Leadership

• Work closely with multidisciplinary teams including clinicians, data scientists, educators, and external partners
• Lead or contribute to grant development (federal, foundation, industry) to enrich and expand Weitzman Institute’s strategic priorities and funding sources
• Serve as Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator on funded projects
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals and present findings to national audiences
• Contribute to funders’ progress reports, ensuring qualitative findings are presented with funder-appropriate register and precision
• Lead the qualitative methodology sections for competitive federal contracts (RFPs), cooperative agreements, and foundation grants focused on primary care innovation and health equity.

Methodological Leadership and Mixed-Methods Integration

• Independently lead at least one complex multi-year research and evaluation project.
• Lead the design and execution of advanced qualitative and mixed-methods studies, owning the qualitative strand and specifying how it integrates with quantitative data drawn from EMR/EHR, claims, and other real-world sources
• Apply rigorous qualitative and mixed-methods designs, including rapid qualitative analysis, framework analysis, reflexive thematic analysis, grounded theory, case study, and convergent or explanatory sequential mixed-methods designs
• Serve as a hands-on analyst, personally coding and analyzing large, complex qualitative datasets across multi-site studies, and supervise research and evaluation staff
• Independently design studies grounded in qualitative principles and execute analyses that meet peer-reviewed publication standards

• Partner with quantitative researchers to scope and interpret quantitative analyses of EMR and other structured data, integrating those results with qualitative findings to evaluate care delivery, patient outcomes, and quality improvement initiatives
• Set and document standards for qualitative rigor and trustworthiness across projects, including codebook development, intercoder agreement, audit trails, reflexivity, and criteria for saturation

Research & Implementation Science

• Lead and contribute to implementation and evaluation studies focused on:
  • Primary care delivery models
  • Care coordination and team-based care
  • Workforce development and career pathways
  • Cancer screening and chronic disease management
• Translate findings into actionable recommendations for health centers and partners
• Ground implementation and evaluation work in established frameworks (e.g., CFIR, RE-AIM, PRISM), using them to structure data collection, analysis, and reporting

Staff Leadership & Capacity Building

• Supervise and mentor Research Scientists and Research Associates.
• Provide high-level scientific review and methodological consultation across teams.
• Develop junior investigators toward increasing independence and funding success.
• Lead internal learning sessions to strengthen analytic and writing capacity.
• Contribute to recruitment and talent development within the research team.
• Contribute to building a strong, methodologically rigorous research culture.

External Engagement & Institutional Representation

• Serve as scientific contact for major funders and national collaborators.
• Represent Weitzman Institute in national advisory and research networks.
• Strengthen relationships with federal agencies (e.g., HRSA, NIH, CDC), foundations, academic institutions, and corporate partners.
• Ensure compliance with complex reporting requirements and performance metrics.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Education

• Doctoral degree (PhD, ScD, DrPH, or equivalent) in public health, epidemiology, health services research, health policy, implementation science, or related field OR
• Masters degree with at least 7 years of research experience commensurate with other requirements.

Required Experience

• Minimum 3 years of progressively responsible research experience. Sustained peer-reviewed publication record with evidence of scholarly impact. Demonstrated experience working with, or alongside quantitative colleagues on electronic medical record (EMR/EHR) data in applied health services research Strong track record of hands-on data analysis using large, complex qualitative datasets, such as multi-site interview or focus group studies Experience working in or with primary care settings, preferably FQHCs or safety-net systems

Required Skills

• Advanced knowledge of qualitative methodology and its underlying traditions, including rapid qualitative analysis, framework analysis, reflexive thematic analysis, grounded theory, and content analysis Advanced proficiency in qualitative data analysis software (NVivo, ATLAS.ti, Dedoose, MAXQDA, or the equivalent) Demonstrated ability to design and defend mixed-methods studies, including sampling logic, integration strategy, and joint display of qualitative and quantitative findings Working knowledge of biostatistics and epidemiologic concepts, including study design, bias, confounding, and the limits of observational data Command of qualitative rigor and trustworthiness standards: codebook development, intercoder agreement, audit trails, reflexivity, and saturation Experience with: Management and preparation of qualitative data, including transcription workflows, de-identification, and codebook version control Descriptive analysis of EMR/EHR, survey, or program data to characterize samples and contextualize qualitative findings AI-assisted or natural language processing approaches to qualitative data (preferred) Familiarity with healthcare data standards (e.g., ICD, CPT, LOINC)

Preferred Qualifications

• Established professional network in primary care or health services research Experience integrating innovative analytic approaches (e.g., data science, AI-enabled methods) Experience contributing to and leading grant proposals Demonstrated use of established implementation science frameworks (e.g., CFIR, RE-AIM, PRISM) to structure evaluation design, data collection, and reporting Experience with community-engaged or participatory research approaches, and with medically underserved, multilingual, and culturally diverse populations

This position is available for remote or hybrid work.

Organizational Summary:

Time Type:

Compensation and Benefits:

At Moses/Weitzman Health System, we are committed to supporting the health, well-being, professional growth, and financial security of our employees. Eligible employees may have access to a comprehensive total rewards package that can include competitive compensation, health and wellness benefits, retirement savings opportunities, paid time off, professional development and tuition assistance programs, employee assistance resources, flexible work arrangements where applicable, and other company-sponsored benefits. Specific benefit offerings and eligibility requirements may vary based on position, work location, scheduled hours, and applicable plan terms. Learn more about our benefits and career opportunities on our Careers website.