Health Policy Postdoctoral Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Posting Title:
Postdoctoral Fellow, College of Pharmacy, Dr. Kang lab
----
Hiring Department:
College of Pharmacy
----
Position Open To:
All Applicants
----
Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40
----
FLSA Status:
Exempt from FLSA
----
Earliest Start Date:
Immediately
----
Position Duration:
Expected to Continue Until Mar 31, 2027
----
Location:
AUSTIN, TX
----
Job Details:
The University of Texas at Austin provides competitive compensation plans plus a comprehensive benefits package that includes: insurance and Teachers Retirement System (TRS) retirement benefits; paid vacation, sick and holiday time off; access to employee professional development and wellness services; the opportunity to qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) federal program; and more.
The College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin welcomes and respects all individuals and communities by valuing and consciously maintaining awareness of perspectives and experiences.
General Notes
Although this position may perform work some work remotely (hybrid), as determined by supervisor and the needs of the college, the Postdoctoral Fellow role will require primary on-campus in-person work.
This position will occasionally be required to work additional hours or weekends to complete time-sensitive projects.
Purpose
The Kang Research Group in the Division of Health Outcomes at The University of Texas College of Pharmacy invites applicants for a postdoctoral fellowship aimed at preparing independent academic researchers in health outcomes research and health disparities.
The selected fellow will work primarily with Dr. Hyeun Ah Kang, whose research focuses on assessing health policy impacts on vulnerable populations, evaluating treatment and guideline adherence, analyzing health care resource utilization and costs, identifying predictors of clinical and economic outcomes, and examining health disparities using large, real-world databases (e.g., Texas Medicaid, Merative™ MarketScan®, and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey [MEPS], with a particular focus on sickle cell disease, opioid utilization, and cancer disparities). For more information, visit https://pharmacy.utexas.edu/directory/hyeun-ah-kang.
Responsibilities

• Design and conduct independent and collaborative research studies in health outcomes research, health policy, and health disparities, with a focus on vulnerable populations.
• Lead and contribute to all phases of the research process, including study conceptualization, protocol development, data acquisition, data management, statistical analysis, and interpretation of results.
• Analyze large, real-world health care databases (e.g., Medicaid claims, commercial claims, and national survey data) using advanced quantitative methods, primarily in SAS, and incorporate emerging analytic approaches such as machine learning as appropriate.
• Evaluate the impact of health care policies, medication utilization patterns, treatment adherence, and clinical and economic outcomes, with emphasis on conditions such as sickle cell disease, opioid use, and cancer disparities.
• Prepare high-quality manuscripts for submission to peer-reviewed journals and contribute to the dissemination of findings through conference abstracts, posters, and oral presentations.
• Participate in grant development activities, including drafting specific aims, study designs, and analytic plans for external funding applications.
• Engage in scholarly activities such as literature reviews, seminars, workshops, and other professional activities to strengthen expertise in health outcomes research and scientific communication.
• Collaborate effectively with faculty, research staff, and interdisciplinary teams within and outside The University of Texas at Austin.
• Demonstrate increasing independence in research productivity while working closely with Dr. Kang for mentorship and career development.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent degree in health outcomes research, health economics, public health, or a related field, earned within the past three years
• Strong database management and quantitative data analysis skills (SAS preferred)
• Experience with large health care data (e.g., public/private health insurance claims data, electronic health records, registry data, or national survey data)
• Experience with or willing to learn machine-learning techniques
• Strong critical thinking skills with the ability to solve problems
• Ability to work independently and in teams
• Excellent communication and writing skills
• Evidence of a publication record
• A strong work ethic

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience conducting health policy or health disparities research.
• Experience analyzing medication utilization, adherence, or health care costs.
• Exposure to causal inference methods, quasi-experimental designs, or advanced statistical techniques.
• Experience preparing grant applications.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in an academic research environment.

Salary Range
$58,000 + depending on qualifications
Working Conditions

• Open office environment
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Use of manual dexterity
• Will be occasionally required to work after hours and on weekends to complete time-sensitive projects

Required Materials
*application may not be considered if all required materials are not submitted*

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important: You will be prompted to submit your Resume/CV in the first step of the online job application process. Then, any additional Required Materials as listed above will be uploaded in the My Experience section; you can multi-select the additional files or click the Upload button for each file. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.
Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.
Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.
Employment Eligibility:
Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Retirement Plan Eligibility:
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
Pay Transparency:
The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.
Employment Eligibility Verification:
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.
----
E-Verify:
The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

----
Compliance:
Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.
The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.