Senior Program Officer – Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research (hybrid)

Every day, healthcare organizations, providers, and other stakeholders face crucial decisions about how to improve the delivery and equitability of care, but they often lack the critical information needed to guide them. At the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), our Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research (HDDR) program focuses on comparing patient-centered approaches to improve the equitability, effectiveness, and efficiency of care currently in practice, providing essential knowledge to patients and others in the healthcare community.

We are seeking a Senior Program Officer with expertise in health systems and/or health equity research, along with experience in clinical trial design, execution, research methods, and/or natural experimental designs. You will lead the strategic decision-making and high-level program planning, management and monitoring of a diverse portfolio of research awards that address PCORI’s National Priorities for Health. We welcome candidates from a variety of backgrounds, including experience and/or scientific leadership in health systems and disparities research, in a funding research organization, or a research program with staff management.

PCORI is the leading funder of patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research in the US—we have invested more than $4 billion in patient-centered CER and related projects to date. You will work on a team of 12 highly accomplished Program Officers and engage with the nation’s leading investigators to support research to eliminate—not just describe—health and healthcare disparities and identify health system features that result in sustained positive impacts on patient outcomes.

How You’ll Make an Impact

Advancing our research agenda and the National Priorities for Health, key focus areas include:

• Supporting program development and providing scientific oversight for a diverse portfolio of funded research awards. Oversee 10 to 15 awards (more than $10M each over 5+ years), working with awardees, program associates, and other PCORI staff to manage processes while ensuring the scientific fidelity of awards is maintained.
• Developing funding announcements, working internally with departments across PCORI and externally with key stakeholders to identify and scope out research projects in emerging HDDR-related areas.
• Evaluating and implementing program activities to further the HDDR’s strategic direction, for example, analyzing our portfolio to identify gaps in evidence that can drive future PCORI investments.

Work Environment and Benefits

• You’ll enjoy a purpose-driven hybrid work environment with 2 collaborative days on-site weekly in our Washington, DC, office. Occasional travel for site visits and representing PCORI at external meetings may be required.
• We offer an excellent compensation package, including generous PTO (up to 20-30 days of PTO based on job classification and/or years of service), medical, dental, and vision insurance, long-term and short-term disability, 401(a) plan with employer contribution up to 10%, life insurance, professional development reimbursement, employee engagement events, and more.
• You are joining a team of mission-driven professionals with deep experience in the field who are genuinely interested in helping each other succeed. We have a very intentional and supportive onboarding process and offer robust professional development.
• As a research funder, convener, and employer, PCORI is dedicated to advancing and accelerating diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in our work. Internally, we know diversity and inclusion are about the experience and culture an organization builds for itself. Our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts stretch across our entire organization, from recruiting our workforce to cultivating business relationships.

Responsibilities

General Program Responsibilities

• Assist the Associate Director, Program Director, and Science leadership in identifying and implementing strategic objectives for the program.
• Identify and manage the development and implementation of program funding activities (e.g., funding opportunity announcements).
• Collaborate with staff from other PCORI Patient-Centered Research programs, as well as other PCORI staff, in implementing program activities.

Portfolio Management

• Oversee and lead major programmatic functions and processes, both administrative and technical. 
• Identify and manage the design and implementation of activities related to developing program-specific PCORI funding announcements (e.g., leading topic-theme workgroups, advisory panel meetings, working with external organizations, including government organizations).
• Develop, with assistance from PCORI staff and external organizations, program-specific PCORI funding announcements. Serve as the lead scientific point of contact for specific PFA-related questions and make decisions regarding approval of proposed changes to announcements or proposals.
• Actively engage in PCORI’s processes for reviewing and awarding applications received through the PCORI funding announcement process.
• Advise awardees on the execution of their contracts.
• Engage in active portfolio management by monitoring awardees’ attainment of contract milestones and overall study progress, conducting site visits, and implementing learning networks or conferences to facilitate shared learning opportunities for relevant stakeholders.
• Collaborate with contract management staff to assess the status of projects.
• Evaluate the program’s portfolio to ensure balance and to identify the need for modification of strategic funding directions and opportunities and independently leads the evaluation of the program’s portfolio in specific areas.
• Advise potential applicants regarding their applications and the application process.

Organizational Responsibilities and Contributions

• Represent PCORI publicly regarding program direction, program funding, and the application process and award results. 
• Participate in conferences, seminars, and other professional development activities to maintain and enhance expertise and professional status.
• Lead, contribute to, and participate in internal groups and teams. Fulfill other responsibilities as assigned by PCORI management.
• Keep the Program Director and team appraised of developments and occurrences in the field that are likely to affect program decision-making, strategies, and/or award decision-making.
• Demonstrate leadership within the department and organization through a constructive approach to problem-solving and a willingness to collaborate with others within and outside the division. 
• Oversee or mentor other Program Officers to respond to applicant questions and manage more complex scientific and technical aspects of research awards.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree and 7+ years of experience in a research discipline relevant to patient-centered outcomes research (e.g., clinical epidemiology, health services research, sociology, psychology, health policy, biostatistics, economics, bioinformatics, data science, education, or health education).
• A combination of demonstrated experience and/or scientific leadership in one or more of the following:
  • Health systems or health equity research, which may be reflected by prior success in publishing first-authored scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals.
  • A specific area of knowledge, preference for topical expertise in maternal morbidity/mortality, intellectual and/or developmental disabilities, disparities, telemedicine, chronic disease management, community-based and public health delivery systems, and/or payer and policy interventions to improve patient-centered outcomes.
  • In a funding research agency/organization.
  • In a research program with staff management.
• A track record of synthesizing material and focusing quickly on the essence of an issue, identifying major opportunities in a specific research area, and seeing the big picture.
• Demonstrated professionalism and experience in developing productive relationships with individuals at all levels, internally and externally, including colleagues, awardees, consultants, external funders, and others who contribute to program development and management.

About Us

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010 and reauthorized in 2019. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions. PCORI seeks input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.

To Apply

We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the position description; we will consider people from a variety of backgrounds and career experiences.

Simply email your resume to Aileen Hedden at resumes@staffingadvisors.com with “PCORI – Senior Program Officer, HDDR #2023-2796 ASAE” as the subject of the email.

Job responsibilities are similar to the following positions: Senior Research Scientist, Senior Researcher.

Staffing Advisors is committed to reducing bias in every aspect of the hiring process. We have long recommended a competency-driven approach to hiring. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.