Department Overview

The Center for Evidence-based Policy (Center) is a national leader in evidence-based decision-making and policy design. The Center works with state policymakers in more than 25 states to use high-quality evidence to guide decisions, maximize resources, and improve health outcomes. The Center is objective and non-partisan, working in states across the country to support evidence-based decision-making. The Center does not lobby, and does not accept funding from industry, advocates, or trade associations. Though embedded within OHSU, the Center is entirely self-supporting.

The Center staff members work closely with state and federal policymakers to research existing policies, programs, and develop policy options. The Center actively seeks staff partners who share its commitment to evidence, integrity, innovation, tangible results, and products that are independent, high-quality, evidence-based, and effective in meeting the needs of decision makers. The Center actively recruits and retains the highest quality personnel who are committed and passionate about achieving its mission. The Center strives to be a healthy and thriving work environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work. We are committed to an inclusive workplace that celebrates and values diversity of age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, and perspective. We are dedicated to continuous improvement that enables inclusive collaboration among staff with diverse skills and perspectives with the goal of enhancing quality and accessibility of our work for our clients. The Center promotes leadership that inspires innovation, motivates people to perform at their highest levels, and makes the Center a great place to work.

The position's primary function is to lead the development and presentation of evidence synthesis research products such as systematic reviews, health technology assessments, and rapid reviews. The Center's evidence synthesis research is focused on the areas of health technologies, pharmaceuticals and health services, with attention toward their applicability to Medicaid and other state health programs. Successful candidates will have proficiency in evidence synthesis methods, which includes topic identification and scoping, study selection, risk of bias assessment, certainty of evidence determination, and quantitative and narrative evidence syntheses. Successful candidates will also have a demonstrated record of being able to synthesize evidence in writing and give oral presentations, including presenting in different formats and to different audiences. Candidates should have experience working within and leading teams of people conducting systematic reviews or related types of work.

Function/Duties of Position

• Independently Develop and Write Evidence Synthesis Research Products
• Lead the preparation of research products for public payers and health policy decision makers according to Center style or client guidelines and research methods, ensuring accuracy and clarity, and using narrative text, tables, and appropriate illustrations.
• Present research findings to clients via webinar or in-person meetings and conferences.
• Research and analyze the context of the question(s) that clients are asking and convert questions into structured, answerable research questions.
• Work with an information specialist to construct and carry out appropriate search strategies to address research questions posed by clients.
• Identify relevant research studies, additional grey literature, clinical practice guidelines, and policy documents, and determine their relevance to the research question(s).
• Critically evaluate the risk of bias and applicability of included research studies and clinical practice guidelines.
• Appropriately assign a certainty of evidence rating (e.g., GRADE) from the body of evidence for select outcomes.
• Create and manage references in a citation management software program (e.g., EndNote).
• Manage evidence synthesis steps and workflow using structured systematic review software (e.g., DistillerSR)
• Develop interview protocols and conduct interviews with key informants, as needed.Project Management
• Track report progress, anticipating next steps, and gather required information from internal team, colleagues, and external contacts to produce high-quality, timely research products.
• Respond to peer review and editor comments in a productive and timely manner and adhere to all timelines for projects.Communication and Dissemination
• Develop and maintain effective relationships with Center clients.
• Represent the Center at selected national and state-level conferences, meetings and other events, preparing materials for distribution and making presentations that effectively communicate research and the Center's goals and mission.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in relevant health research field and 3 to 5 years of relevant combined experience; OR
• PhD in relevant health research field and with 1 to 3 years of relevant combined experience
• Under 3 years (PhD) or 3 or more years (Master's degree) of experience conducting evidence syntheses of health-related research information in written systematic reviews, with or without meta-analyses, and oral presentations of these data.
• Experience working with systematic review software applications (e.g., DistillerSR).
• Experience synthesizing evidence for use in decision making.
• Experience assessing the certainty of a body of evidence for an outcome (e.g., GRADE) and risk of bias of a study.
• Experience working with a citation management software application (e.g., EndNote).
• Experience working collaboratively and closely with colleagues on research projects.
• Experience presenting research to various audiences, including public sector decision makers.
• Experience working on multiple research projects simultaneously with excellent organizational skills.
• Proficiency in evidence review methods (e.g., systematic reviews, health technology assessments).
• Ability to use systematic review software applications (e.g., DistillerSR)
• Ability to work with an information specialist to create and implement a search strategy to identify relevant health research.
• Ability to translate complex findings into digestible and actionable written research products, and oral presentations.
• Excellent writing, grammatical, and proofreading skills, including the ability to follow Center and client style guides.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel).
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to respond positively and proactively to peer review and editor comments.
• Ability to exercise discretion when dealing with issues of a sensitive nature and to maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Ability to develop interview questions for interviews with key informants.
• Ability to interact with a wide variety of stakeholders and internal and external customers.
• Ability to be self-motivated, prioritize effectively, and achieve deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant health research field with more than 5 years of experience.
• PhD in a relevant health research field with 3 or more years of experience.
• Experience leading the development of rapid reviews or systematic reviews.
• Experience evaluating and synthesizing economic studies.
• Experience conducting meta-analyses.
• Experience developing interview protocols to conduct semi-structured interviews with key informants.
• Record of peer-reviewed publication.
• Some health policy (local, state, or federal government or equivalent) experience.
• All required knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed plus:
• Knowledge of effective and efficient approaches to searches using Cochrane Library, PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and skills with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH).
• Ability to interpret cost-benefit-analyses, program evaluations, and economic analyses.
• Knowledge of medical devices and technologies, genetic tests and interventions, and pharmaceuticals.
• Ability to develop interview protocols to conduct semi-structured interviews with key informants.

All are welcome