Position Summary: As a User Experience and Systems Improvement Officer, you will join our team of epidemiologists, public health specialists, health services researchers, biostatisticians, and health informatics specialists who have primary responsibility for providing advice and assistance to researchers across the country accessing CMS administrative data. You will receive training to learn about CMS programs, the use of CMS administrative data for research, and the process to request data for research purposes. Importantly, this position is oriented toward improving the process and experience for researchers (as well as ResDAC and CMS staff) in navigating the data request process and obtaining and using data.

Responsibilities include:

● Conduct user research, in consultation with the ResDAC Director, by means that may include surveys, focus groups, and/or individual interviews, to better understand the needs of researchers; this includes but is not limited to leading the collection, collation/management, and analysis of evaluation data (40%)
● Analyze current processes, identify areas for improvement, and recommend process changes designed to increase efficiency and productivity of the research data request process (25%)
● Develop recommendations for improvement of the complete data request process and have primary responsibility for the development of a comprehensive formal report to be presented to CMS as a contract deliverable (30%)
● Other duties may include creating educational materials to assist external researchers, ResDAC staff, CMS, and/or other CMS contractors with understanding the data request process (5%)

Qualifications
Required Qualifications:

● BA/BS degree plus at least 4 years experience , or a combination of education to equal at least 8 years, or a Master’s degree plus 2 years work experience in areas that may include continuous quality improvement; organizational research or development; project management; evaluation science/program evaluation; organizational management; strategic planning consulting; and public/community relations
● Knowledge of public health and/or health services research
● Demonstrated experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research and/or program or process evaluations
● Ability to work effectively with people of varying professional backgrounds
● Ability to work both independently and in a team environment to prioritize tasks and manage workload effectively
● Ability to analyze evaluation data to effectively develop process improvement recommendations
● Demonstrated commitment to promoting a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace

Desired Qualifications:

● Experience with formal reporting/preparation of reports and other deliverable documents
● Experience conducting structured or semi-structured interviews and focus groups
● Experience with external contracting, contract/regulatory compliance, or tracking and ticketing systems
● Understanding of HIPAA and other data privacy regulations
● Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively both verbal and written communication to include developing and presenting resources to diverse audiences
● Experience in effectively working with diverse cultures and populations

Are you excited about this job and meet the required qualifications, but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every preferred qualification? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. If this is you, we strongly encourage you to apply because you just may be the right candidate for this role.

About the Department
The University of Minnesota School of Public Health improves the health and wellbeing of populations and communities around the world by bringing innovative research, learning, and concrete actions to today’s biggest health challenges. SPH includes four academic divisions and 29 internationally recognized centers and is home to roughly 1,025 students, 130 tenured/tenure-track and contract faculty, and 450 staff. SPH is a research powerhouse: #1 level of research funding per capita at UMN, #3 largest research portfolio at the UMN, #2 NIH funding among UMN schools and colleges, and $1.1M average grant funding per faculty member. The school is ranked nationally by the U.S. News & World Report, #6 public school of public health, and offers more than 20 leading master’s, doctoral, and certificate programs, with its Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) program ranked #2 and its Biostatistics program ranked #9.