Principal Public Health Researcher – American Institutes for Research, United States

Join AIR as a Principal Public Health Researcher with our Youth, Family, and Community Development program to foster equitable pathways for young people, families, and communities to thrive.  This position will focus on Public Health approaches to prevention to support teams aiming to build evidence on equitable pathways to thriving. This position will require collaboration within and outside AIR, including with program providers, subject matter experts, as well as federal, state, and local agency officials. The researcher will provide data collection, management, analysis, and dissemination support for contract and grant research and evaluation projects. The ideal candidate is committed to a strengths-based perspective as well as mitigating the impacts of both personal and systemic biases in research. Candidates with relevant lived experience, including military service, are encouraged to apply.

Related projects aim to use culturally responsive science to focus around one or more areas, including but not limited to:

Content areas :

• Addressing inequities in social determinants of health, including
  • housing and economic security
  • environmental justice
  • reproductive justice
• Primary prevention of violence, such as
  • intimate partner and sexual violence
  • child maltreatment and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
  • violence that impacts youth and community
• Suicide and mental health
• Systems change, including organizational and culture change in the military and other community serving systems.
• Public health workforce competencies and career pipelines

This position has the flexibility to work remote from anywhere in the United States or from any of AIR’s U.S. office locations . This does not include U.S. territories.

About AIR:

Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We advance evidence in the areas of education, health, the workforce, human services, and international development to create a better, more equitable world.

AIR’s commitment to diversity goes beyond legal compliance to its full integration in our strategy, operations, and work environment. At AIR, we define diversity broadly, considering everyone’s unique life and community experiences. We believe that embracing diverse perspectives, abilities/disabilities, racial/ethnic and cultural backgrounds, styles, ages, genders, gender identities and expressions, education backgrounds, and life stories drives innovation and employee engagement. Learn more about AIR’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy and hear from our staff by clicking here .

The responsibilities for the position include:

• Serve as Principal Investigator, directing or helping to direct and manage large, complex research projects or a series of smaller projects.
• Oversee the planning, design, and implementation of research projects, including methods, procedures and reporting.
• Develop conceptual frameworks that address research and evaluation topics.
• Lead others in the review, analyses, and syntheses of data and information using appropriate practices and techniques and ensure that projects are designed around client needs with sound methodology.
• Serve as an expert in the field and disseminate findings through publication of papers, progress and technical reports, and presentation at seminars and research conferences.
• Lead proposal efforts, maintain excellent business development relationships, and serve as a primary client contact for research and evaluation projects.
• Curate external relationships and visibility by engaging thought leaders, innovators, and implementation partners across the public health policy arena.

Education, Knowledge, and Experience:

• PhD in related subject area (Anthropology, Economics, Sociology, Public Health, Psychology, or related field) with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience
• Extensive experience and expertise in issues related to a public health approach to prevention and demonstrated ability to apply this knowledge to real-world policy and programmatic decision-making
• Thought leader with sophisticated understanding of the policy landscape and evidence gaps in public health, as demonstrated through publications/presentations, award of contracts and grants, and overall body of work
• Proven track record of winning competitive contracts/grants from various funding organizations (e.g., Federal, state, and local government; foundations)
• Demonstrated success in leading field-based research projects
• Demonstrated experience in leading projects utilizing behavioral economics, rapid-cycle evaluations, complex qualitative designs, or other cutting-edge methodologies
• Extensive project leadership and business development experience, including proposal writing, project management, staff supervision and report writing

 Skills:

• Public health approach to primary prevention
• Collaborative leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills at a senior level
• Proven ability to develop research staff capacity in research design and methods, project management, client relationships, research publication and business development
• Commitment to AIR’s Mission and the application of research findings for the benefit of stakeholders
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when writing
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with individuals at all levels and from diverse backgrounds
• Proficient in Stata, R, or other statistical software
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work efficiently in a virtual work environment

Disclosures:

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. 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.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks.

AIR’s Total Rewards Program , is designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our critical mission. This position offers an anticipated annual salary of $160,000 – $180,000. Salary offers are made based on internal equity within the institution and external equity with competitive markets. Please note this is the annual salary range for candidates that are based in the United States.

AIR maintains a drug-free work environment .

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