Responsibilities
- Set the strategic direction for a portfolio of federal and state Medicaid policy and data analytics initiatives, spanning analytic design, data infrastructure, performance monitoring, and reporting, and ensure alignment with evolving Medicaid program priorities and regulatory requirements.
- Provide executive oversight across the full analytics lifecycle, guiding multidisciplinary teams on analytic conceptualization, data specification, methodology, validation, and policy-relevant reporting, while ensuring methodological rigor and consistency across projects.
- Serve as a senior strategic advisor to federal and state clients, particularly CMS/CMCS and state Medicaid agencies, shaping analytic approaches, anticipating data and policy risks, and strengthening long-term partnerships.
- Work with AIR’s program area and functional leadership to create a business development strategy for established areas and specific new areas of growth and identify new opportunities, including: Coordinating pursuit plans and pipelines for opportunities. Supporting bid/no-bid decisions and ensuring alignment with AIR capabilities and priorities. Leading or contributing to proposal pursuits: conceptualizing bid strategies, developing analytic and monitoring approaches, drafting proposal content, and conducting technical reviews Cultivating and maintaining relationships with potential partners, funders, and clients. Monitoring ongoing projects to understand client expectations, anticipate needs, and identify opportunities and challenges across the portfolio. Assessing staff capacity and helping align resources to support both project delivery and new business pursuits.
- Supervise and mentor task leads, analysts, researchers, TA specialists, and operational staff to build strong, high-performing project teams.
- Foster cross-functional collaboration across analytics, communications, data management, TA, and operations teams to ensure integrated, high-quality project delivery.
- Provide coaching and support to rising project leaders in effective project management, quality assurance, client communication, and staff supervision.
- Represent AIR in stakeholder meetings, technical discussions, and conferences related to Medicaid data, policy, and program analytics.
- Collaborate with AIR’s communications teams to translate Medicaid analytic findings into publications, briefs, and presentations for policy and technical audiences.
- Contribute to AIR’s visibility and reputation in Medicaid data analytics, federal health program monitoring, and TA.
Requirements
- PhD or MA in health economics, public health, public policy, biostatistics, or a related social science or quantitative discipline.
- 10–15 years of leadership or management experience in Medicaid policy, health data analytics, or federal health program work.
- Successful experience serving as a Managing Director or equivalent on complex contracts involving Medicaid data analysis, program evaluation, performance monitoring, TA, and/or policy research.
- Experience working with or for CMS/CMCS, state Medicaid agencies, or similar federal and state health agencies.
- Demonstrated success leading federal proposal development and contributing to winning bids in Medicaid or related health policy domains.
- Expert knowledge of Medicaid program structures, financing, policy priorities, and federal-state partnership requirements, including managed care, fee-for-service, waiver programs (1115), and value-based payment models.
- Experience overseeing large, complex contracts and portfolios, including fiscal stewardship, risk management, staffing strategies, and operational systems consistent with federal contracting requirements.
- Proven record leading large-scale Medicaid analytics or applied policy research initiatives, including authorship and review of technical deliverables and presentation of findings to policy and technical audiences.
- Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary, mission-driven teams, including staff, subcontractors, and consultants, and aligning technical work with broader Medicaid program objectives.
- Deep technical expertise in Medicaid data systems and analytics, including T-MSIS (Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System), MAX data, encounter data, and state-level administrative data—with the ability to design and oversee complex analytic workflows, data linkages, and quality assurance processes.
- Proficiency in analytic methods applicable to Medicaid populations and programs, such as risk adjustment, propensity scoring, difference-in-differences, interrupted time series, and predictive modeling, with the ability to set methodological standards across a portfolio.
- Ability to provide executive-level technical leadership, translating complex data and analytic methodologies into clear strategic guidance for federal and state clients, senior stakeholders, and internal leadership
- Strategic, forward-looking thinker with the ability to identify emerging Medicaid data and analytic needs, shape new approaches, and maintain a long-term view of portfolio growth and sustainability.
- Strong organizational and leadership skills, with experience managing multiple workstreams and setting priorities across complex, interrelated analytics efforts.
- Collaborative leadership style and commitment to mentorship and talent development, building depth, continuity, and excellence in Medicaid data analytics capabilities.
- Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis.
Work Arrangement
Hybrid — United States
Additional Information
- Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position.
- Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.
- AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.
- All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to child safeguarding principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks.
