Principal Qualitative Researcher, Federal Health Programs

Commence; Washington (District of Columbia); Remote; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Commence is seeking a Principal Quantitative Researcher to lead design and evaluation of CMS/CMMI alternative payment models. You will translate policy goals into actionable methodologies, work with cross-functional teams, and mentor junior researchers to deliver insights for federal health programs.

The role emphasizes hands-on implementation, rigorous evaluation, and clear communication with federal stakeholders, with a remote-friendly setup and occasional travel to the DC area.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in economics, health services research, health policy, public health, or related field with 9+ years of experience; or Master’s with 13+ years.
• Hands-on experience implementing and/or evaluating CMS/CMMI alternative payment models; both preferred.
• Experience with Medicare and/or Medicaid data (e.g., CCW, IDR, VRDC) and federal audiences.
• Proposal-writing experience and ability to communicate clearly to federal audiences.

Responsibilities

• Translate model design documents and policy goals into operational methodologies using CMS/CMMI data sources.
• Develop, refine, and implement value-based care methodologies including screening, attribution, and payment design.
• Design and execute evaluations using quasi-experimental methods to estimate impact on spending, utilization, and quality.
• Collaborate with economists, data scientists, and engineers to apply ML-based methods on the Commence platform.
• Author methodology documents, evaluation reports, and briefings for CMS/CMMI model teams.
• Lead technical proposals for CMS/CMMI and other federal agencies; mentor junior staff.
• Manage teams, set priorities, coordinate tasks, and ensure high-quality deliverables on time and budget.

Skills

Leadership

APMs implementation

Federal proposal writing

Data storytelling

Education

Ph.D. in economics/health policy

Master's in related field

Tools

Databricks

Power BI

Tableau

SAS

R

Python

SQL

Job description

Commence is seeking a Principal Quantitative Researcher to lead design and evaluation of CMS/CMMI alternative payment models. You will translate policy goals into actionable methodologies, work with cross-functional teams, and mentor junior researchers to deliver insights for federal health programs.

The role emphasizes hands-on implementation, rigorous evaluation, and clear communication with federal stakeholders, with a remote-friendly setup and occasional travel to the DC area.