Research Data Scientist

In order for your application to be considered, you must attach a cover letter and resume to your employment application.

The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics is seeking a Research Data Scientist (HR title: Research Programmer II) to support cutting-edge health policy and economics research through advanced analytics, data infrastructure development, and project leadership. This role is part of a state-of-the-art data core and collaborates closely with principal investigators and a multidisciplinary research team. This is a full-time, one-year fixed term position (renewable) with a hybrid work arrangement.

The mission of the Schaeffer Center is to measurably improve value in health through evidence-based policy solutions, research excellence, transformative education, and private- and public-sector engagement. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to work that has a meaningful impact on the transformation of health care and to apply advanced analytics to real-world policy questions using large-scale health care data.

Responsibilities:

Lead and execute complex data analyses using large-scale health care data (e.g., Medicare, Medicaid, commercial claims)

Design and build data pipelines, research tools, and analytic infrastructure

Ensure data quality and reproducibility through rigorous quality assurance processes

Manage projects, including timelines, deliverables, and coordination with cross-functional team members

Supervise and mentor junior staff

Translate complex data into actionable insights to support policy-relevant research

Required Qualifications:

MA/MS in statistics, data science, economics, applied mathematics, or related quantitative field (or equivalent combined education and work experience)

5+ years of experience with statistical programming (e.g., SAS, R, Python)

Experience with administrative health care claims data (Medicare, Medicaid, or commercial)

Experience with SQL, data warehouses (e.g., Snowflake), and cloud platforms (e.g., AWS)

Demonstrated experience leading analytic efforts and contributing to research projects

Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to develop innovative solutions for complex data challenges

Eligibility to work in the U.S. (no visa sponsorship available)

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience in health economics, health policy, public health, or similar discipline

7+ years of experience with statistical programming

Experience with CMS secure environments (e.g., VRDC, IDR) and NIA LINKAGE.

Experience leveraging AI-assisted tools to enhance coding, data analysis, and workflow efficiency, including iterative or semi-automated workflows

Minimum Education:

Master’s Degree

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is $106,012.83 - $125,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Position is 100% FTE

Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Required Documents

Cover letter

Resume/CV

About the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics

Since its establishment in 2009, the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics has served as an intellectual hub for health policy and health economics research at USC. The Schaeffer Center’s mission is to measurably improve value in health through evidence-based policy solutions, research excellence, and private and public sector engagement. The Center ranks 4th in the world in health economics , and is a trusted resource for Congress, federal agencies (including CMS, FDA, CBO, and NIH), and organizations such as the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine.

The Schaeffer Center is a collaboration between the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the USC Price School of Public Policy , and it is a flagship program of the Leonard D. Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service .

About the USC Schaeffer Institute

The USC Schaeffer Institute develops evidence-based solutions to address the nation’s most pressing policy issues. It serves as a policy laboratory to develop and test ideas generated by the USC academic community, fosters civic engagement, and provides a forum to reach federal policymakers.

Established by an historic gift from Leonard D. Schaeffer in 2024, it houses three flagship programs: the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics, the Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service, and the Center for Civic Society.

Schaeffer experts have testified before numerous Congressional committees and are regularly sought out by media outlets—including the New York Times, NPR, Stat, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post—to provide insight on policy issues.

The Schaeffer Institute is home to more than 150 scholars and staff, including three Nobel Laureates and seven members of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. It has offices at USC in Los Angeles and at the USC Capital Campus in Washington, DC.

About the Sol Price School of Public Policy

Ranked among the foremost schools of public policy in the nation, the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy generates uncommon knowledge for the common good. The school is composed of overlapping disciplines that generate innovative approaches to critical issues ranging from health-care policy to homelessness, and sustainability to congestion – to name a few. A wide-ranging curriculum, including extensive experiential learning, prepares our graduates to navigate problems that demand multi-layered solutions driven by critical, informed thinking.

The Price School, founded in 1929, is anchored by four departments: Public Policy and Management, Health Policy and Management, Wilbur H. Smith III Department of Real Estate Development, and Urban Planning and Spatial Analysis. The School’s rigorous academic programs provide students with the knowledge and distinctive opportunities to make meaningful contributions to their professions. Integrating classroom instruction with real-world experience and led by some of the world’s most renowned faculty in their fields, our students establish a clear pathway to successful careers.

Our academic programs are augmented by numerous research centers, institutes and initiatives that provide additional research expertise and experiences, notable among them are: The Judith and John Bedrosian Center on Governance and the Public; The Center for Philanthropy and Public Policy; The USC Lusk Center for Real Estate; The METRANS Transportation Consortium; The Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics; and The Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. Together, they account for over $100 million in externally funded research grants and contracts.

Together, these departments and research enterprises provide unmatched breadth and depth to tackle an enormous range of challenges facing our country and the world. Price graduates hold leadership positions across diverse sectors – public, private, and nonprofit – championing the advancement of the common good. They come from around the world and from a variety of cultures and socio-economic backgrounds to create a rich intellectual environment that celebrates, supports and benefits from a variety of backgrounds and opinions.

About the Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is located on the USC Health Sciences Campus, which includes t