Population Survey Methodologist

LAUKOA; Silver Spring (MD); On-site; USD 140,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

LAUKOA is seeking an experienced Population Survey Methodologist to support the Defense Health Agency's PHCoE in Silver Spring, MD. The role focuses on survey methodology, sampling design, questionnaire development, operations, and statistical analysis for national health surveys.

You will collaborate with government stakeholders and researchers to develop rigorous methodologies, ensuring reliable data for policy, healthcare planning, and military readiness.

Qualifications

• PhD in Epidemiology, Psychology, or a related field with a focus on survey methodology.
• At least 8 years of full-time post-doctoral work providing methodological inputs to complex multi-site surveys.
• At least 3 years of full-time post-doctoral experience leading large survey projects.
• Scientific publication record reflecting academic or federal research deliverables.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust background investigation and CAC.
• Occasional travel may be required in support of contract performance.

Responsibilities

• Provide subject matter expertise in survey methodology supporting behavioral health and population health research initiatives.
• Design, develop, and evaluate survey methodologies for large-scale health and behavioral health studies.
• Develop statistically sound sampling strategies, survey instruments, and data collection methodologies.
• Evaluate questionnaire design to improve validity, reliability, and respondent engagement.
• Support survey planning, implementation, data collection, weighting, validation, and analysis activities.
• Collaborate with statisticians and researchers to ensure survey methodologies meet accepted scientific standards.
• Analyze survey data and prepare technical reports, executive briefings, and recommendations for Government leadership.
• Develop survey documentation, methodological reports, and technical guidance supporting contract deliverables.
• Monitor survey quality, response rates, sampling error, and data integrity throughout the survey lifecycle.
• Recommend improvements to survey methodology, sampling strategies, and data collection procedures.
• Support behavioral health surveillance and population health initiatives using survey data and research findings.
• Participate in multidisciplinary project teams, technical working groups, and stakeholder meetings.
• Ensure survey activities comply with accepted scientific, ethical, and statistical standards.
• Support continuous improvement of survey operations and data quality processes.

Skills

Survey methodology

Questionnaire design

Probability sampling

Data weighting

Statistical analysis

SAS/R/SPSS/STATA

Scientific communication

Education

PhD in Epidemiology/related field

Tools

SAS

R

SPSS

STATA

Job description

LAUKOA is seeking an experienced Population Survey Methodologist to support the Defense Health Agency's Psychological Health Center of Excellence (PHCoE), located in Silver Spring, MD. This position provides expertise in survey methodology, sampling design, questionnaire development, survey operations, and statistical analysis supporting large-scale behavioral health and population health research initiatives, including the Health Related Behaviors Survey (HRBS) and other Department of Defense survey efforts.

The successful candidate will collaborate with Government stakeholders, researchers, statisticians, epidemiologists, and behavioral health professionals to develop scientifically rigorous survey methodologies that produce reliable, actionable data supporting policy development, healthcare planning, and military readiness.

Essential Job Functions:

• Provide subject matter expertise in survey methodology supporting behavioral health and population health research initiatives.
• Design, develop, and evaluate survey methodologies for large-scale health and behavioral health studies.
• Develop statistically sound sampling strategies, survey instruments, and data collection methodologies.
• Evaluate questionnaire design to improve validity, reliability, and respondent engagement.
• Support survey planning, implementation, data collection, weighting, validation, and analysis activities.
• Collaborate with statisticians and researchers to ensure survey methodologies meet accepted scientific standards.
• Analyze survey data and prepare technical reports, executive briefings, and recommendations for Government leadership.
• Develop survey documentation, methodological reports, and technical guidance supporting contract deliverables.
• Monitor survey quality, response rates, sampling error, and data integrity throughout the survey lifecycle.
• Recommend improvements to survey methodology, sampling strategies, and data collection procedures.
• Support behavioral health surveillance and population health initiatives using survey data and research findings.
• Participate in multidisciplinary project teams, technical working groups, and stakeholder meetings.
• Ensure survey activities comply with accepted scientific, ethical, and statistical standards.
• Support continuous improvement of survey operations and data quality processes.

Necessary Skills and Knowledge:

• Extensive knowledge of survey research methodologies and questionnaire design.
• Expertise in probability sampling, stratified sampling, weighting, and survey estimation techniques.
• Knowledge of survey operations, respondent engagement, and data quality management.
• Experience with behavioral health, healthcare, or population health surveys.
• Proficiency using statistical software such as SAS, R, SPSS, STATA, or equivalent analytical platforms.
• Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience interpreting survey findings and communicating results to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent technical writing and presentation skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary scientific and research teams.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Doctorate (PhD) in Epidemiology, Psychology, or a related field with a focus on survey methodology.
• At least 8 years of full-time post-doctoral work experience providing methodological inputs to complex multi-site surveys.
• At least 3 years of full-time post-doctoral experience leading large survey projects.
• Scientific publication record reflecting academic or federal research deliverables.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust background investigation and Common Access Card (CAC).
• Occasional travel may be required in support of contract performance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Preference may be given to candidates with experience supporting:
  • Defense Health Agency (DHA)
  • Psychological Health Center of Excellence (PHCoE)
  • Military Health System (MHS)
  • Department of Defense (DoD)
  • Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Experience supporting the Health Related Behaviors Survey (HRBS) or similar large-scale federal health surveys.
• Experience with nationally recognized survey programs such as BRFSS, NHIS, NHANES, MEPS, or other population-based health surveys.
• Experience designing complex survey sampling methodologies and weighting strategies.
• Experience publishing peer-reviewed survey research or methodological studies.
• Experience supporting federally funded healthcare research programs.

Salary Range: $140,000 - $160,000

*This Position is Contingent Upon Award.

We are an Equal Opportunity/VEVRAA federal contractor. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We offer a best-in-class benefits program including medical, dental, and vision insurance; a 401(k) program with employer match; paid vacation and sick leave; employer-paid basic life and AD&D insurance; an Employee Assistance Program; and a flexible work environment. Additionally, employees can choose from several voluntary benefits including critical illness coverage; accident insurance; identity theft coverage; pet insurance, and more.

We give preference to internal candidates. If no internal candidate meets our qualifications, external candidates will be given consideration.