Lead Research Scientist

Research and Evaluation Leadership

• Oversee the design, implementation, and dissemination of applied research and evaluation studies using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-method approaches, including designing research with support, delegating research tasks, and providing guidance to the research support team.
• Direct the development of research protocols, data collection instruments, and evaluation frameworks to ensure methodological rigor and protection of human subjects.
• Oversee quantitative and qualitative analyses, including network analysis, geospatial analysis, hierarchical and structural modeling, and grounded theory, qualitative content analysis, and thematic synthesis.
• Ensure proper data management, quality assurance, and adherence to data privacy and security standards.

Translation, Dissemination, and Practice Improvement

• Lead the translation of research and evaluation findings into actionable strategies, frameworks, and technical assistance products for PHIL partners (e.g., dashboards, briefs).
• Support the integration of research findings into PHIL programs through implementation feedback and continuous learning.
• Author and co-author with the Program Director, research associates and assistants, program staff, and partners summary reports, manuscripts, and other scholarly products, and present findings to partners, external audiences with a vested interest, and internal audiences at conferences, convenings, and other dissemination venues.
• Provide research-based technical assistance and training to partners as needed, including hands-on support to grantees on program reporting, data collection processes, survey administration, and the alignment of program activities with reported outcomes.
• Review partner-submitted reports and survey data for completeness, internal consistency, and data quality, and provide feedback to support accurate and consistent reporting.
• Advise funders and partners on improvements to reporting tools, indicator definitions, and data collection guidance, and provide implementation-informed interpretation of evaluation findings drawn from direct technical assistance relationships.
• Provide technical assistance to partners on data systems, including data infrastructure, data collection and management platforms, electronic health record (EHR) systems, and interoperability across systems, to strengthen partner capacity to collect, manage, and use data.
• Assess partner data systems and data flows, identify gaps in data quality and interoperability, and support partners in selecting, integrating, and improving data systems that fit their operational and reporting needs.

Staff Supervision, Mentorship, and Team Development

• Supervise and mentor research associates, assistants, and other research and program staff in research design, data analysis, visualization, and reporting.
• Support the professional development of research personnel and provide mentorship appropriate to each staff member’s role and level.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, trust, respect, mutual accountability and methodological rigor and high-quality research and evaluation across teams.
• Identify staff capacity needs and support skill development aligned with organizational priorities.

Research Infrastructure and Quality

• Maintain the scientific infrastructure required for high-quality research and evaluation, including software platforms, publication access, and quality controls.
• Manage research administration requirements, including IRB submissions and data use agreements, and data management.
• Cook up with PHIL administrative staff and program staff on research-related project timelines and reporting needs.

Scientific Contribution to PHIL

• Contribute research and evaluation expertise to PHIL Leadership Team discussions and to the design of PHIL services and offerings.
• Contribute research and methods sections to proposals and scopes of work and support the identification of funding opportunities and preparation of applications in support of development efforts led by the Program Director.
• Serve as a scientific subject matter expert and project liaison to funders, clients, and partner organizations on assigned research and evaluation projects.

Qualifications

• Five years of applied research, evaluation, or implementation science experience, which may include doctoral research, research assistantships, and other supervised research experience.
• Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, health informatics, data science, biostatistics, or related field; or substitute with a bachelor’s degree plus two additional years of relevant experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-method research and evaluation projects.
• Proven record of research-to-practice translation and application of research and evaluation frameworks.
• Experience supervising research staff and managing multiple co-occurring or multi-year projects.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including authorship of research reports and peer-reviewed publications.
• Proficiency in advanced quantitative and qualitative methods, including multivariate modeling, network analysis, and thematic synthesis.
• Experience in community-based participatory research and systems-level evaluation, including systems thinking and the ability to collaborate effectively as part of cross-functional teams and with external partners.
• Familiarity with statistical and visualization tools (e.g., R, Stata, Tableau, Atlas.Ti, ArcGIS).
• Experience leading research or evaluation projects addressing health equity, social drivers of health, or public systems innovation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in implementation science or applied research translation frameworks.
• Familiarity with qualitative analysis tools (e.g., Atlas.ti, Dedoose)
• Experience managing data systems or research infrastructure (e.g., REDCap, MySQL, Airtable).
• Experience providing technical assistance on data systems, electronic health record (EHR) systems, or data interoperability, and familiarity with data standards and exchange across systems.
• Bilingual proficiency
• Doctoral degree (recent graduates qualify where doctoral research meets the experience requirement above) (Ph.D., DrPH, ScD, or equivalent) in public health, public affairs, social science, data science, or related field