Policy Associate Jobs in Durham, NC (NOW HIRING)

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America's leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Policy Research Associate

Robert J. Margolis, MD, Institute for Health Policy

The Robert J. Margolis, MD, Institute for Health Policy at Duke University (Duke-Margolis) seeks to address critical health policy challenges and improve health, health equity, and the value of health care through practical, innovative, and evidence-based policy solutions. The interdisciplinary nature of Duke-Margolis brings together policy experts, researchers, health care professionals, and students from across Duke's schools of medicine, nursing, law, public policy, business, and engineering, and fosters extensive relationships with stakeholders both internal and external. These relationships span foundations, private sector organizations, state and federal governments, and global entities. The Institute fosters excellence, leadership, and scholarship at every level.

Occupational Summary

This position manages the day-to-day execution of and provides significant subject matter expertise for complex Duke-Margolis research and policy projects within the Institute's Health Care Transformation portfolio. The individual in this role will primarily engage in research and policy work relevant to North Carolina's health care transformation, rural health policy, and community-centered health care transformation approaches, supporting large-scale cross-state learning initiatives through regional and statewide convening, generating and translating evidence into actionable strategies, and elevating community and regional perspectives.

In this content and project management-focused role, the Policy Research Associate produces high-quality work products independently, demonstrates technical leadership and collaboration with other team members, and delegates project activities while consistently meeting internal and contractual deadlines. Primary responsibilities include management of complex research and policy activities to achieve project objectives; researching and analyzing complex health policy-focused topics, including conducting background research; drafting written products including summary documents, blog posts, peer-reviewed publications, and policy briefs; effectively engaging policymakers and other external stakeholders; and managing Institute events and convenings.

Duke-Margolis has offices in both Washington, DC and on Duke's main campus in Durham, NC. Durham, NC is the preferred location for this position, though exceptional DC candidates may be considered. Employees are currently working in a hybrid capacity with a combination of teleworking locally to the base office area (DC/MD/VA or NC, respectively) and in-person team collaboration.

Work Performed

Contribute significant subject matter expertise in specialized areas of health policy to the development of project design and approaches to achieve research goals. This position will have a primary focus in North Carolina-based health care transformation, rural health policy, and community-centered health care transformation approaches. Other areas of interest to the Institute that the position may contribute to include but are not limited to: biomedical innovation, medical product development, real-world data and evidence, regulatory science, medical device and pharmaceutical policy, health care delivery and payment reform, health equity, global health, and the intersection of scientific and regulatory advancement with broader US health policy reforms.

Responsible for outlining and conceptualizing the content and structure of project deliverables.

Individually contribute to and manage the efforts of other project team members in drafting research and policy deliverables including white papers, issue briefs, blogs, and peer-reviewed publications. Activities may include substantive writing, analysis, and synthesis to achieve project and Institute goals.

Produce high-quality written work products and deliverables. Evaluate and select appropriate sources of quantitative and/or qualitative data to achieve project objectives. Synthesize and translate complex information from a wide range of inputs into clear and accessible written material for a range of audiences. Review and provide editorial comments for project materials and documents drafted by other team members.

Prepare and edit a range of written materials and reports for principal investigators, senior researchers, executive staff, and external partners to support project development, provide recommendations and/or conclusions, and disseminate findings. Materials may include project progress reports, research papers, presentations, and other communications.

Monitor and analyze developments in specialized content areas. Identify those with the potential to affect the work of colleagues in other areas across the Institute and share pertinent information across teams. Provide in-depth analysis of impacts to the health care system and/or health policy landscape to inform implications for current projects and/or future research direction.

Oversee day-to-day management of complex projects in areas of health policy expertise in collaboration with principal investigators and/or senior researchers. Coordinate and oversee internal project team activities to ensure research activities and deliverables are completed in accordance with the project plan, contractual requirements, Duke policies, and deadlines. Manage complex external sponsor and partner engagement.

Collaborate with Institute executive leadership, faculty, principal investigators, and other senior staff to develop and implement work plans, deliverable content, research agendas, and timelines; coordinate execution of work by project teams. Contribute to content development through topic-focused policy research, preparatory analysis, and writing to craft clear and concise materials for stakeholder and expert review and response.

Track and manage progress to achieve project milestones, deliverables, and timeline goals through collaboration with colleagues, subcontractors/vendors, and external stakeholders. Coordinate internal and external communication as needed for team projects.

Work with principal investigators and/or senior researchers, executive leadership, and financial staff to ensure project activities are conducted within budget parameters.

Foster collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders, industry representatives, and policy professionals to support project execution, data collection, dissemination of findings, and develop opportunities for funding. Assist in the development of project concepts and preparation of funding proposals.

Mentor junior employees in management of work activities and development of content expertise.

Oversee design and implementation of a varied range of project convening events (e.g., expert roundtables, workshops, conference panels, seminars, large-scale public events). Collaborate with senior researchers, executive leaders, and external partners on agenda development, identification and selection of panel participants, and content development.

Work collaboratively with events and communication teams to direct communication strategies and event management and planning.

Manage event execution and preparation including participant outreach, panel prep calls, pre-event materials, and follow-up.

Support senior and executive staff and collaborate with communications and events staff in disseminating project deliverables through the Duke-Margolis website, popular and trade press, peer-reviewed publications, and other venues.

Interact and coordinate communications with a broad range of external stakeholder groups and organizations.

Minimum Required Qualifications at this Level

Education/Training: Typically requires a Bachelor's degree in a field related to the position (e.g., policy, public health, public administration, economics, science, engineering, law, or field directly related to the position). Master's or higher advanced degree preferred.

Experience: Work requires a minimum of six years of progressive experience in policy/research/data analysis at the international, federal, regional, and/or state level.

Or an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience.

Desired Skills:

• Familiarity with rural health systems, rural communities, or regional health care delivery, including current trends and regulations.
• Experience with stakeholder convening, facilitation, or learning collaboratives.
• Experience with mixed-methods or implementation-focused policy research.
• Proficiency or familiarity with data analysis tools (e.g., Excel, R, Stata, SAS, or Python) to clean, analyze, and visualize data. 
• Excellent research and writing skills. Proven competence in leading research projects.

• Excellent organizational, project management, and communication skills, including the ability to transform complicated information into materials that are easy to understand.
• Demonstrated proficiency in policy research, including the ability to synthesize content from a broad range of sources.

• Proven ability to plan and organize content with creativity and attention to detail, crafting an argument for specific audiences and appropriately translating scientific or technical details.
• Ability to interact professionally and foster positive collaborative relationships with senior-level individuals (e.g., local, state, and national policymakers), stakeholders, and organizations.
• Ability to exercise good judgement and initiative.
• Must be able to function independently and collaborate effectively with others.
• Ability to coordinate a variety of activities simultaneously, complete work with limited oversight and supervision, and manage a project team effectively.
• Must be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with varied responsibilities, and able to assess the impact of and respond flexibly to changing conditions.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office and relevant research and analytic software.

• Training or experience in the fields of health policy, public policy, public health, data science, or patient safety is preferred.

• Ability to travel approximately 10%. 

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Engagements are renewable annually upon funding availability. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Application Materials Required:

• Cover letter, including statement of work location sought
• Curriculum Vitae
• Three References (names and email addresses)