Research Analyst-Behavioral Health

About the role

Westat has an immediate opening for a Research Analyst to join our team of leading researchers supporting behavioral health and health policy projects. You will assist with research addressing the needs of individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders, working collaboratively with project leadership and multi-disciplinary teams to translate science into resources for diverse audiences, including federal and state policymakers, clinical service providers, and affected individuals.

This role offers substantive opportunities to engage in research on behavioral health topics such as system transformation, healthcare financing, program evaluations, mental health and substance use services, recovery and resilience, substance misuse prevention, overdose prevention, opioid and stimulant use disorders, and advancing access to effective behavioral health care.

We value regular in-person collaboration and preference will be given to candidates who can work 2 days per week at our Bethesda, Maryland office or at one of our other Westat office locations.

Responsibilities

• Support all stages of research from study design through data collection and management, analysis, and report writing
• Conduct literature searches, synthesize research findings, and contribute to writing on health policy and behavioral health topics
• Assist in synthesizing research findings
• Conduct data collection efforts, such as administering surveys, interviews, site visits, observation protocols, and acquiring administrative data
• Provide technical assistance and training to federal grantees and other stakeholders
• Present evaluation findings to federal clients and other stakeholders
• Assist with analysis of qualitative or quantitative data

Qualifications

• A master’s degree in public policy or a social science discipline (e.g., sociology, economics, political science, psychology) or in analytical methods such as applied statistics; or a bachelor’s degree in the same fields with 2-5 years of relevant experience
• Experience with quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods evaluation approaches and using analytic software as appropriate
• Experience using Microsoft Office software (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) to produce visually-appealing reports, tables, graphs, and presentation slides
• Experience creating data visualizations based on evaluation data
• US Citizenship is required by contract

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience writing technical reports (e.g., literature reviews, study plans, methodology reports, summaries of research findings) or contributing to peer-reviewed journal articles
• Knowledge of public health approaches to evaluate mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and service delivery
• Experience using library databases to identify relevant journal articles and reports and reference management tools to organize sources
• Experience with data collection, developing analysis plans, and overseeing analyses
• Experience working on Federal government contracts, especially for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Demonstrated experience working on multiple projects quickly and simultaneously
• Excellent written, verbal, and organizational skills
• Ability to take initiative and maintain attention to detail in a fast-paced environment

Benefits

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Paid Parental Leave
• Vacation Leave
• Sick Leave
• Holiday Leave
• Professional Development
• Health Advocate
• Employee Assistance Program
• Travel Accident Insurance
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Short Term Disability Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Health Savings Account

Pay

The anticipated salary range for this position is $58,000 - $77,000, commensurate with experience.