Senior Systems Programmer, Healthcare Innovations

American Institutes for Research; United States; On-site; USD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

American Institutes for Research seeks a Senior Systems Programmer to lead programming solutions in health research, based in the United States. The role requires 8+ years of programming experience and proficiency in R, Python, and SQL. Responsibilities include overseeing data workflows, conducting statistical analyses, and mentoring teams. The anticipated annual salary range is $135,000 – $165,000 USD, and the position allows for remote work within the U.S. Applicants need authorization to work full-time in the U.S.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 8 years of hands-on experience in programming.
• Experience with large-scale administrative or healthcare datasets.
• Experience working on CMS projects and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support design, development, and implementation of programming solutions.
• Oversee data management workflows including data extraction and validation.
• Conduct complex statistical analyses and generate reports.

Skills

Expert-level proficiency in R

Expert-level proficiency in Python

Expert-level proficiency in SQL

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

Excellent organizational and time management skills

Effective communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Data Science, Public Health, Economics, Epidemiology, or related field

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Senior Systems Programmer

Join AIR as a Senior Systems Programmer and use your experience and expertise to help us deliver on our mission: to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world for all. This position will help drive innovation in data science, architect scalable programming solutions, and influence strategic decisions across AIR's health portfolio.

The Senior Systems Programmer will report to AIR's Healthcare Innovations Team, which supports high-quality implementation and produces rigorous evidence on the effectiveness of new approaches to care and payment—translating findings into actionable insights for policymakers, payers, providers, and patients.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR's U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support the design, development, and implementation of advanced programming solutions for large-scale health research and evaluation projects.
• Oversee data management workflows, including data extraction, transformation, validation, and integration from multiple sources (e.g., claims, EHR, survey data).
• Develop and optimize reusable code libraries, macros, and templates to improve efficiency and consistency across projects.
• Conduct complex statistical analyses and generate high-quality outputs including tables, listings, and visualizations for technical reports and publications.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to programming teams, including code reviews, training, and guidance on best practices.
• Collaborate with statisticians, researchers, and data scientists to translate analytical requirements into executable code.
• Ensure compliance with data security protocols and regulatory requirements in secure computing environments.
• Contribute to proposal development by designing analytic approaches, estimating level of effort, and drafting technical sections.
• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance data quality, reproducibility, and workflow automation.
• Represent AIR in client meetings and technical discussions, communicating complex programming concepts clearly and effectively.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Data Science, Public Health, Economics, Epidemiology, or a related quantitative field; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 8 years of hands‑on experience in programming, including experience with large-scale administrative or healthcare datasets.
• Experience working on CMS projects and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams of health services researchers conducting program evaluations and program implementation.
• Experience working within various CMS data environments and platforms, including Model Space, IDR, CDR, etc.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing programming teams and delivering high‑impact analytic products.
• Experience working in secure or virtual research environments and familiarity with data governance best practices.

Skills

• Expert-level proficiency in R, Python, SQL and related programming languages.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with a focus on accuracy and efficiency.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts to non‑technical audiences.
• Proven ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast‑paced, virtual team environment.

Disclosures

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full‑time basis. Employment‑based visa sponsorship (including H‑1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

Equal Employment Opportunity

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug‑free work environment.

Accessibility Notice

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at [e-mail] or call 202.403.5000.

Salary

Anticipated Annual Salary Range: $135,000 – $165,000 USD.