The Center for Evidence-based Policy (Center) is a national leader in evidence-based decision-making and policy design. The Center works with state policymakers in more than 25 states to use high-quality evidence to guide decisions, maximize resources, and improve health outcomes. The Center is objective and non-partisan, working in states across the country to support evidence-based decision-making. The Center does not lobby, and does not accept funding from industry, advocates, or trade associations. Though embedded within OHSU, the Center is entirely self-supporting.
The Center staff members work closely with state and federal policymakers to research existing policies, programs, and develop policy options. The Center actively seeks staff partners who share its commitment to evidence, integrity, innovation, tangible results, and products that are independent, high-quality, evidence-based, and effective in meeting the needs of decision makers. The Center actively recruits and retains the highest quality personnel who are committed and passionate about achieving its mission. The Center strives to be a healthy and thriving work environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work. We are committed to an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity of age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, and perspective. We are dedicated to continuous improvement that enables inclusive collaboration among staff with diverse skills and perspectives with the goal of enhancing quality and accessibility of our work for our clients. The Center promotes leadership that inspires innovation, motivates people to perform at their highest levels, and makes the Center a great place to work.
The position’s primary function is to lead evidence synthesis research products such as systematic reviews health technology assessments, and rapid reviews. The Center’s evidence synthesis research is usually in the areas of health technologies, pharmaceuticals and health services, with a focus on their applicability to Medicaid and other state health programs. Successful candidates will have expertise in evidence synthesis methods, which includes topic identification and scoping, study selection, risk of bias assessment, quality of evidence determination, and quantitative and narrative evidence synthesis. Successful candidates will also have a demonstrated record of being able to synthesize evidence in writing and within oral presentations, including presenting in different formats and to different audiences. Candidates should have experience working within and leading teams of people conducting systematic reviews or related types of work. This position will also have research associates as direct reports.
Function/Duties of Position Independently Develop and Write Evidence Synthesis Research ProductsIndependently lead the preparation of research products for public payers and health policy decision makers according to Center style or client guidelines and research methods, ensuring accuracy and clarity, and using narrative text, tables, and appropriate illustrationsPresent research findings to clients via webinar or in-person meetings or conferencesResearch and analyze the context of the question(s) that clients are asking and convert questions into structured, answerable research questionsWork with an information specialist to construct and carry out appropriate search strategies to address research questions posed by clientsIdentify relevant research studies, additional grey literature, and clinical practice guidelines, and determine their relevance to the research question(s)Critically evaluate the risk of bias and applicability of included research studies and clinical practice guidelinesAppropriately assign a quality of evidence rating (e.g., GRADE) from the body of evidence for select outcomesConduct meta-analyses for evidence synthesis projects, as needed.Create and manage references in a citation management software program (e.g., EndNote)Manage evidence synthesis steps and workflow using structured systematic review software (e.g., DistillerSR)Develop interview questions and conduct interviews with key informants, as neededProvide Leadership for Potential and Ongoing Research Activities Lead research teams to produce accurate and timely research productsServe as an internal reviewer of selected research reports as directed by the Research DirectorsContribute to reviewing and the development of research methods as directed by the Research DirectorsContribute to requests for proposal submissions for relevant projectsContribute to the ongoing Center development and various project deliverables via participation in selected project teams and staff meetingsProvide training, mentorship, and supervision to research associates, policy analysts, and other colleagues at the Center, as neededProject ManagementTrack report progress, anticipating next steps, and gather required information from internal team, colleagues, and external contacts to produce high-quality, timely research productsRespond to peer review and editor comments in a productive and timely manner and adhere to all timelines for projectsCommunication and Dissemination
Develop and maintain effective relationships with Center clientsRepresent the Center at selected national and state-level conferences, meetings and other events, preparing materials for distribution and making presentations that effectively communicate research and the Center’s goals and mission. Required Qualifications Master’s degree in relevant field plus 5 years of relevant combined experience in epidemiology, clinical research, and evidence synthesis; ORPhD in epidemiology or a clinical research field and at least 3 years of relevant combined experience in epidemiology, clinical research, and evidence synthesis.At least 5 years of experience conducting evidence syntheses of health-related research information and communicating this information in written health technology assessments, systematic reviews with or without meta-analyses, and oral presentations of these dataSignificant experience producing evidence syntheses for use in decision-makingSignificant experience adapting systematic review research methods to individual research projectsSignificant experience evaluating health technology assessments, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, clinical practice guidelines and other related types of information, including performing formal risk of bias assessment of these documentsSignificant experience assessing the quality of a body of evidence using the GRADE frameworkSignificant experience working with a citation management software application (e.g., EndNote)Significant experience working with systematic review software applications (e.g. DistillerSR)Experience conducting meta-analysis using common software applications (e.g., RevMan, Stata)Significant experience presenting research to various audiences, including public sector decision makersSignificant experience leading research teams and working collaboratively and closely with colleagues on research projectsSome health policy (local, state, or federal government or equivalent) experienceExperience working on multiple research projects simultaneously, with excellent organizational skillsSignificant expertise in evidence review methods (e.g., systematic reviews, health technology assessments)Ability to independently create and implement a search strategy to identify relevant health research. Ability to work effectively with information specialists to develop and review search strategiesAbility to critically evaluate research products and provide substantive feedbackAbility to translate complex findings into digestible and actionable written research products, and oral presentationsExcellent writing, grammatical, and proofreading skills, including the ability to follow Center and client style guidesAbility to peer review research reports and provide constructive feedback to colleaguesProficiency in MS Office applications (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel)Excellent interpersonal communication skillsAbility to respond positively and proactively to peer review and editor commentsAbility to exercise discretion when dealing with issues of a sensitive nature and to maintain confidentiality at all timesExceptional organizational skills and ability to manage multiple prioritiesAbility to develop interview questions for interviews with key informantsAbility to interact with a wide variety of stakeholders and internal and external customersAbility to be self-motivated, prioritize effectively, and achieve deadlines Preferred QualificationsPhD with a concentration in epidemiology or biostatistics and 5 years of experience OR
Masters with a concentration in epidemiology or biostatistics and 10 years of experience
Significant experience tailoring evidence synthesis products to decision makersExperience working on medical devices and technologies, pharmaceutical, and genetics related projectsExperience evaluating and synthesizing economic evaluations, economic modeling studies, and cost-effectiveness studiesRecord of peer-reviewed publicationExperience working with statistical software programs (e.g., SAS, SPSS)Experience conducting other data analysis or modelingExperience in higher level management or supervisory positionsKnowledge of effective and efficient approaches to searches using Cochrane Library, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE and skills with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)Knowledge of statistical methods and statistical softwareKnowledge of medical devices and technologies, genetic tests and interventions, and pharmaceuticalsA strong track record of methodological development relevant to health technology assessment and systematic reviews. All are welcome Oregon Health & Science University values a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We are proud of our commitment to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization that does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of any protected class status, including disability status and protected veteran status. Individuals with diverse backgrounds and those who promote diversity and a culture of inclusion are encouraged to apply. To request reasonable accommodation contact the Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Department at 503-494-5148 or aaeo@ohsu.edu.