Policy Research Lead, Substance Use Prevention

Dc-Aapor; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 138,000 - 154,000; Full time

Job summary

The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Government Performance team in Washington, D.C. seeks a Manager, Policy, Research & Analysis for the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Initiative to guide policy research and analysis across state and federal efforts.

The role leads a PRA team, manages projects and budgets, develops publications, and collaborates with external partners to inform policy and improve access to evidence‑based treatment for opioid use disorder.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; advanced degree preferred.
• At least eight years of applicable research and policy work in public health or behavioral health.
• Experience supervising staff and providing coaching, performance evaluations, and career development guidance.
• Experience analyzing and presenting health policy for internal audiences, policymakers, the media, and the public.
• Experience with NVivo, R and SAS for qualitative and quantitative work.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day execution of PRA objectives and milestones.
• Develop and implement a research strategy to advance state policy objectives for medications for opioid use disorder.
• Oversee daily operations of the PRA team and project coordination, including meetings and budgets.
• Collaborate with external partners on research and policy initiatives; manage contracts and relationships.
• Present research topics to internal and external audiences; represent the initiative at conferences and with media.
• Ensure publications meet quality standards and align with project strategy.

Skills

Policy research

Public health policy

Research analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

NVivo

R

SAS

Job description

The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Government Performance team in Washington, D.C. seeks a Manager, Policy, Research & Analysis for the Substance Use Prevention and Treatment Initiative to guide policy research and analysis across state and federal efforts.

The role leads a PRA team, manages projects and budgets, develops publications, and collaborates with external partners to inform policy and improve access to evidence‑based treatment for opioid use disorder.