Research Scientist

Health Resources in Action, Inc. (HRiA) is a non-profit organization working to improve and reimagine public health. We connect, consult, and collaborate to solve complex challenges of access and equity in our health and social systems. Together with our partners, clients, and collaborators, we create actionable solutions so that all people can thrive.

In 1957, The Medical Foundation (TMF) was created to primarily fund biomedical research in Massachusetts. Since then, we’ve been on a journey of evolution. We changed our name to Health Resources in Action (HRiA) to reflect our impact in the field of public health. Today, HRiA works with individuals, organizations, and communities to drive a policy and systems change approach to advance health and racial equity.

HRiA seeks sustainable solutions for complex problems using an anti-racist approach. We aim to be adaptable and flexible in meeting clients and partners where they are, offering our decades of knowledge and resources to collectively realize our dream of equitable, sustainable health for all. The foundation of this work is centered on our values:

• Health and racial equity by identifying and addressing the root causes of health inequities, intentionally working to shift narratives and power imbalances and disrupt all systems of oppression.
• Leading with heart by demonstrating our passionate commitment to our work, continuously challenging ourselves with humility and vulnerability while pursuing and holding ourselves accountable to our mission.
• Collaboration by intentionally and respectfully leading, partnering, and following to strengthen relationships, uplift different voices and build trust.
• Innovation by driving toward new strategies, questioning norms, and continuously learning and evolving to support the needs of our clients and communities.

HRiA offers exciting, engaging, and challenging employment opportunities for facilitators, trainers, researchers, analysts, policy specialists, grant managers, and more. People come to HRiA because of our commitment to advancing health equity and inspiring work; they stay for our wonderful clients, partners, and dedicated and dynamic staff. With our growing portfolio of high-impact work, person-centered policies, and generous benefits, our team continually invests in making HRiA a great place to work. Our diverse staff of over 270 people hail from 30+ states, with a homebase in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood.

Position Description

The Research Scientist will be a key member of HRiA’s Research and Evaluation Department and will provide leadership and support on a variety of assessment and evaluation projects. The Research Scientist will contribute to the overall growth of the Research and Evaluation Cluster, including participating in business development.

The ideal candidate:

• Is a skilled evaluator and researcher
• Has strong quantitative and applied evaluation methodological skills
• Has excellent writing skills and ability to convey complex findings to lay audiences
• Demonstrates excellent interpersonal, client, and time-management skills
• Is collaborative with internal team members, community partners, and clients
• Is an experienced project manager and problem solver

The Research Scientist will lead or be a key team member for a variety of projects including but not limited to multi-partner longitudinal evaluations and short-term collaborative community health assessments. Projects could focus on a range of topics including behavioral health (substance abuse and mental health), children’s health, and the social determinants of health including community development, housing, and education, and healthcare transformation.

While the Research Scientist will be engaged in a variety of research methods – literature reviews, environmental scans, focus groups, interviews, surveys, secondary data analysis, GIS mapping, etc. – it is expected that the Research Scientist’s technical expertise leans towards quantitative data collection and analysis.

The Research Scientist will also contribute to the overall growth of the organization, including participating in new business development through proposal writing, presentations, and other HRiA promotional activities, where appropriate.

The Research Scientist will be supervised by Senior Director, Research and Evaluation, but will work closely with all members of the R&E Cluster and many programmatic and administrative staff throughout the organization.

Benefits

HRiA offers strong benefits to its employees, including:

• Competitive salaries
• Health insurance
• Retirement plan
• flexible summer hours
• Vacation starting at 4 weeks
• 13 paid holidays, plus office closure time during the last week of December.

Duties & Responsibilities

Project, Client, and Staff Engagement and Management

• Lead or support assessment and evaluation projects including developing research plans, workplans, timelines, and identifying project staffing needs. Oversee project tasks and staff to ensure they are completed in a high-quality manner, within budget, on time, and to client and project specifications
• Work collaboratively with clients in hospitals, health departments, non-profit organizations, and philanthropic foundations to conceptualize plans, manage the process, implement data collection, and report findings as well as address stakeholders’ multiple perspectives on research/evaluation projects
• Communicate effectively with clients, partners, and community residents about how research findings can inform program and policy priority-setting, development, and implementation

Data Collection and Analysis

• Provide technical assistance to clients for the development of project-specific data collection and data storage/management plans
• Manage data collection-related applications and processes such as Institutional Review Board (IRB) applications and data use agreements (DUAs) for data sharing
• Develop and oversee quantitative data collection methodologies including secondary data as well as collecting primary data (e.g., develop survey instruments, use of validated scales/scores, oversee implementation); provide guidance to other departments or project teams in data collection methods
• Conduct and oversee statistical analyses of quantitative data, including data cleaning, descriptive statistics, univariate and multivariate analyses; provide guidance and oversight to junior analytic staff in conducting quantitative analyses
• Conduct other research-related activities, as needed, such as qualitative data collection, literature reviews, and environmental scans

Evaluation Capacity-Building and Technical Assistance

• Support or lead capacity-building efforts with local partners and organizations, working one-on-one and with groups, to provide evaluation technical assistance
• Develop webinars, PowerPoint presentations, and training materials on evaluation to guide community-based organizations on topics such as identifying metrics and research methods, developing logic models, creating data reporting systems, and addressing challenges in evaluation
• Provide methodological and analytical advice/technical assistance internally to Research and Evaluation team members as well as other staff in the organization

Report Development and Presentation

• Synthesize data from multiple sources (e.g., focus groups, surveys, secondary data, literature review, narrative reports) and interpret findings so that they are meaningful to public health practitioners, program planners, and non-academic audiences
• Write assessment, evaluation, and related project reports or other deliverables (PowerPoint presentations, content for infographics) geared towards public health practitioners, program planners, health care providers, and non-academic audiences
• Create data maps in various platforms (e.g., ArcGIS, Tableau, Excel) for visualization and reporting purposes.
• Design and develop data dashboards in various platforms (e.g., Excel, Tableau, PowerBI) for monitoring and evaluation of programmatic and process outcomes and use as decision-making tools.
• Present study findings to community and stakeholder audiences

Leadership, New Business and Other Tasks

• Support the development of content to promote the work online and through webinars, practice briefs, presentations, or regional and national conferences, as appropriate
• Participate in Research & Evaluation cluster and organizational meetings, events, trainings, and other learning opportunities
• Contribute ideas and improvements through participation in teams and committees
• Work with senior leadership to contribute to new business development, as appropriate

Candidate Qualifications

• Master’s in public health, sociology, social psychology, or related field with a strong background in social science research and evaluation methods
• At least 10-12 years of professional experience in public health-related research, evaluation, or data analytics
• Excellent writing skills; can synthesize large amounts of quantitative data into streamlined reports that are understandable to lay audiences and actionable to clients
• Strong analytical skills for both qualitative and quantitative data; experience with statistical programs such as SAS or R
• Strong verbal communication, interpersonal, and public speaking skills
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and problem-solve effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to manage time and tasks proactively to ensure milestones and deadlines are met
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively within a team –both as a leader and a supporting team member
• Demonstrated successful experience in working with diverse populations

Procedure for Candidacy

To apply, submit your resume and cover letter online.

HRiA is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer and is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.

For more information about the organization visit http://www.hria.org.