Principal Researcher, Healthcare Innovations (Part-Time)

Join AIR as a part-timePrincipal Researcher and use your experience and knowledge to help us deliver on our mission: generating and applying rigorous evidence that contributes to a better world for all. The Principal Researcher provides strategic direction across complex research initiatives, cultivates partnerships, and contributes thought leadership to AIR's mission of creating a more equitable world through evidence. In this role, the Principal Researcher serves as a trusted advisor to clients and collaborators, guides multidisciplinary teams, and shapes the future of AIR's research agenda through innovation, mentorship, and enterprise-level contributions.

This Principal Researcher will report to AIR's Healthcare Innovations Team, which supports high-quality implementation and produces rigorous evidence on the effectiveness of new approaches to care and payment-translating findings into actionable insights for policymakers, payers, providers, and patients.

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. Mission-focused and evidence-driven, AIR applies rigorous research and technical expertise to close gaps in opportunity and access, improving lives across communities and systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead the conceptualization, design, and execution of complex, multi-method research studies and model design, implementation, and monitoring for new models across AIR's client services portfolio.
• Serve as project director, principal investigator, or senior advisor on high-profile projects, ensuring methodological rigor, relevance, and impact.
• Shape AIR's research strategy by identifying emerging trends, funding opportunities, and areas for innovation.
• Guide multidisciplinary teams in developing study designs, analytic plans, and dissemination strategies.
• Cultivate and maintain strategic relationships with clients, funders, and partners across sectors.
• Provide thought leadership through publications, presentations, and participation in national forums.
• Mentor and develop senior researchers and project staff, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous learning.
• Lead proposal development efforts, including strategy, writing, and client engagement.
• Oversee data collection and analysis activities, ensuring alignment with research goals and ethical standards.
• Translate complex findings into actionable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and community stakeholders.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, and Experience:

• Masters in a relevant field (e.g., Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Public Policy) with a minimum of 11 years of postdoctoral experience in applied research. Ph.D. preferred.
• Extensive experience leading research projects in contract research, evaluation, or academic settings.
• Deep understanding of implementation science and systems-level change.
• Experience leading implementation and monitoring projects or large components of them.
• Proven track record of securing funding and managing large-scale, multi-stakeholder projects.
• Experience with quantitative and qualitative methodologies and associated software (e.g., STATA, R, NVivo, Excel).
• Established reputation and professional network in relevant fields.
• Experience with the Innovation Center at CMS preferred.

Skills:

• Strategic thinker with the ability to align research with policy and practice needs.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to synthesize and present complex findings to varied audiences.
• Strong leadership and mentoring capabilities.
• Advanced project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Skilled in stakeholder engagement, negotiation, and relationship-building.
• Commitment to equity, rigor, innovation, and impact in research and implementation.
• Client-management skills, with an ability to deliver work on time and on budget.

Disclosures: This position is open to U.S. citizens only. Upon hire, incumbent will be required to obtain clearance through the Electronic Questionnaires for Investigations Processing (e-QIP) system. American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. 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 maintains a drug-free work environment.

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