Monitoring and Compliance Lead, Healthcare Innovations

About the role

Join AIR as a Principal Researcher with our Healthcare Innovations team. Our team works collaboratively to unravel the intertwined challenges of health care quality, costs, and access. Our team of experts – nurses, physicians, psychologists, economists, sociologists, data scientists, and public health experts – advance evidence and save lives by leading rigorous research and evaluation; results-driven technical assistance and training; and leading-edge data science and technology tools. This Principal Researcher will contribute to large-scale implementation and monitoring initiatives for federal health agencies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a subject matter and methodological expert in the implementation and monitoring of federal health programs, especially alternative payment models, and value-based care initiatives.
• Provide leadership in designing monitoring frameworks, performance metrics, data collection plans, and analytic strategies for implementation and monitoring contracts.
• Contribute to AIR’s technical vision for CMS and CMMI work, helping shape approaches that meet federal expectations for rigor, transparency, and accuracy.
• Direct large, complex implementation and monitoring or evaluation projects—or a portfolio of smaller projects—ensuring alignment with federal requirements and high quality delivery, on time and on budget.
• Oversee the planning, design, and implementation of project procedures, including monitoring plans, analytic plans, research protocols, monitoring reports, risk summaries, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
• Serve as a senior contributor to model testing, monitoring, and evaluation tasks, including real-time monitoring, operational assessments, and rapid cycle learning.
• Collaborate with data and analytic teams to connect monitoring indicators to underlying data sources (claims, administrative, practice-based, state-based).
• Guide development of data protocols, dashboard requirements, and reporting structures for monitoring deliverables.
• Serve as a thought partner to AIR leadership on work conducted for CMS/CMMI, interpreting federal priorities, model goals, and policy developments.
• Lead or significantly contribute to proposal development involving monitoring, implementation, and operational oversight including designing methodological approaches, reviewing narratives for soundness, and leading staffing and budgeting decisions.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with federal clients and partners, helping position AIR for future CMS and HHS opportunities.
• Coach, mentor, and support junior and midcareer staff, setting developmental goals and modeling high quality technical and analytic work.
• Collaborate with colleagues across research, analytics, communications, TA, and operations teams to ensure integrated, high quality products.
• Contribute to a collaborative environment that values and respects a wide range of perspectives, abilities, backgrounds, and experiences.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Economics, Health Services Research, or a related field with a minimum of 7 years of relevant work experience managing and conducting research or related work or Master’s degree and at least 11 years of relevant experience.
• Minimum of 5 years project leadership experience or large task leadership experience on complex implementation, analytics, research, or evaluation projects.
• Direct experience working on CMS implementation, monitoring, evaluation, or operational support.
• Proven track record of winning or contributing to winning new business with CMS or other HHS agencies.
• Extensive knowledge of Medicare payment policy, Medicaid and/or Medicare Advantage.
• Experience working with Medicare or Medicaid claims, and other publicly available datasets.
• Demonstrated monitoring expertise, including developing monitoring plans, indicators, protocols, and analysis to support federal program oversight.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills appropriate for a senior-level researcher.
• Extensive experience in conceptualizing, analyzing, and contributing to large-scale federally funded projects.
• Excellent written communication skills with a commitment to accuracy, clarity, and evidence-based messaging.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and external partners.
• Strong strategic thinking and ability to see the broader context of complex research and implementation projects.