Principal Research Scientist - Pharmaceutical Pricing Practices and Policies Research

NORC at the University of Chicago; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 171,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generously subsidized health insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Defined contribution retirement program

Paid time off and parental leave

Job summary

A leading research institution is seeking a Principal Research Scientist to direct projects focused on pharmaceutical drug pricing and policy. Responsibilities include conducting health economics modeling studies and managing project teams. The ideal candidate should have a Master's or Doctoral degree, at least 12 years of relevant experience, and a strong background in pharmaceutical pricing. This position offers a hybrid work environment between Chicago and Washington, with a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• At least 12 years’ experience in pharmaceutical pricing and market access.
• Expert knowledge of Inflation Reduction Act and MFN provisions.
• Experience analyzing costs and quality outcomes using relevant datasets.

Responsibilities

• Lead projects on pharmaceuticals and prescription drug pricing.
• Conduct quantitative health economics modeling studies.
• Manage multiple project teams and oversee project budgets.

Skills

Pharmaceutical pricing expertise

Health economics research methods

Analytical skills

Leadership and managerial skills

Excellent communication skills

Education

Master's or Doctoral degree in economics or related fields

Tools

Datasets analysis tools (IQVIA NSP, LRx, etc.)

Job description

Overview

NORC at the University of Chicago seeks an experienced Principal Research Scientist to direct program and policy projects, with an emphasis on those related to pharmaceutical drug pricing practices and costs. This position will have a hybrid work schedule of one to two days a week in either our Chicago, IL or Washington, DC office.

Department

Health Care Evaluation Research

About NORC

NORC’s expertise and ongoing work in health care delivery and financing — including access to insurance, payment and delivery-system reform, benefit design, and quality measurement — advance stakeholders’ understanding of policies and programs, facilitate implementation, and contribute to important improvements in cost and quality. Our staff includes social scientists, evaluators, health services researchers, health-policy analysts, and professionals with experience running and supporting health care programs.

Responsibilities

• Play a lead role in growing NORC’s portfolio in the area of pharmaceuticals and prescription-drug pricing and policy.
• Provide consultative pricing analysis, evaluation expertise, and operational and technical support for federal clients on topics impacting prescription drug pricing.
• Address topics including Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) provisions, Most Favored Nation (MFN) pricing, utilization management, new therapeutic alternative market entry, macro-economic trends, loss of exclusivity, and 340B.
• Design and conduct quantitative health economics modeling studies, evaluations, and analyses (e.g., cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, budget impact, network meta-analysis) to demonstrate the impact of policy changes on prescription drug pricing.
• Provide methods and estimations for price (or proxies), rebates, and margins calculations across pharmaceutical supply chains for Medicare Part B & D, Medicaid, Commercial, 340B and Big 4.
• Independently draft and manage contract proposals and grant applications, communicating effectively with clients, consultants, and members of the policy and research community.
• Participate in internal discussions and strategic thinking concerning future research opportunities and the implications of ongoing policy-making for NORC.
• Manage contracts and work closely with clients to ensure contractual deliverables and timelines are met with high standards of quality and collegiality.
• Monitor and oversee the financial and administrative aspects of ongoing projects.
• Manage multiple project teams of senior, mid-level, and junior staff, and bring in experts as needed to meet client expectations and contractual requirements.
• Supervise and mentor junior staff.

Required Skills

• Master or Doctoral degree in economics or related fields (training in medical or pharmaceutical disciplines is considered; PhD or PharmD preferred).
• At least 12 years’ experience in pharmaceutical pricing, market access, or related field (or equivalent education), including at least 5 years of project direction.
• Expert knowledge of IRA and MFN provisions, drug benefit redesign and their impact on prescription drug pricing.
• Knowledge/experience estimating net of discounts and rebate Medicare Part D drug prices, Medicare Part B prices, Medicaid best prices from WAC and AMP, PBM margins, net of discounts and rebates for commercial prices, 340B prices, and volume of duplicates in Medicare and Medicaid.
• Knowledge/experience with utilization management, formulary placements, new therapeutic alternative market entry, loss of exclusivity, and their impact on drug pricing.
• Experience analyzing pharmaceutical pricing, costs, utilization, and quality outcomes using datasets such as Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part B & D, Medicaid, SDUD, NADAC, FFS, IQVIA NSP, NPA, LRx, MIDAS, SSR Health, IPD Analytics, and Norstella.
• A strong foundation in quantitative and health economics research methods, and demonstrated experience designing and leading research studies.
• Knowledge of pharmaceutical and biosimilars therapy for chronic and high-cost conditions, including pricing trends and shifts.
• Managerial, leadership, and interpersonal skills to lead interdisciplinary, cross-national project teams.
• Experience with conducting policy analysis in government or professional services environments.
• Experience with estimating project and proposal costs and managing project budgets.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and ability to lead and work with project teams, coordinating multiple projects.
• Occasional travel for site visits and meetings may be required.
• Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.
• This position will have a hybrid work schedule of one to two days a week in either our Chicago, IL or Washington, DC office.

Salary And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $171,000 to $210,000.

Benefits

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC’s comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
• Dental and vision insurance
• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

NORC’s Approach to Equity and Transparency

Pay and benefits transparency helps to reduce wage gaps. As part of our commitment to pay equity and salary transparency, NORC includes a salary range for each job opening along with information about eligible benefit offerings. At NORC, we take a comprehensive approach to setting salary ranges and reviewing raises and promotions, which is overseen by a formal Salary Review Committee (SRC).

What We Do

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

Who We Are

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

EEO Statement

NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics.