The School of Public Health division of Health Policy and Management is seeking applications for a full-time (100% appointment, annually renewable) User Experience and Systems Improvement Officer (8353PV - Research Professional 3 - Program Evaluation) to join the Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC) team.  This position is responsible for conducting evaluative research on the user experience for accessing ResDAC Assistance services and system/process improvement to better understand and improve the needs and experience of researchers accessing Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrative data for health care research.  This position reports to the ResDAC Director, will work closely with the ResDAC leadership team, and will have regular contact with our Contract Officer at CMS, ResDAC staff, researchers accessing ResDAC services and support, and other CMS contractors.

The School of Public Health (SPH) is committed to antiracism and anti-oppression and welcomes you to join us in our pursuit of building equity and driving justice.  We particularly encourage applications from those who belong to groups that have been historically underrepresented in our School, including those who are American Indian, Black, Indigenous, and people of color, those with disabilities, veterans, and those from 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

Starting Salary Range: $34.00 - $43.27 per hour; $70,721 - $90,000 annually at 100% time dependent upon the selected candidateâ™s relevant qualifications, experience, and internal equity.

Work Arrangements: The University of Minnesota endorses âœWork. With Flexibility.❠ We offer a flexible work environment that meets the needs of our students, faculty, staff, and partners we serve.  This position will have a hybrid, fully remote, or fully in-person work option.  The incumbent may be asked to attend certain in-person work events or in-person meetings regardless of remote status.  You will have some flexibility to choose your working hours during ResDACâ™s hours of operation 6:00am-6:00pm M-F, depending on project task activities and deliverables at a given time.  Work arrangements will be discussed during the interview. Onsite location: Mayo Building, 420 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455.

Center Description: The Research Data Assistance Center (ResDAC) is housed within the vibrant research community in the School of Public Healthâ™s Division of Health Policy and Management.  Among other functions, ResDAC primarily serves as an assistance desk for researchers interested in using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrative data for research.

ResDAC is the initial point of contact for any researcher in the public, private, and government sectors who is seeking information about accessing and using CMS administrative data to study a broad range of topics such as health outcomes, health-related policy, and health economics.

ResDAC offers an opportunity to work independently and as part of a team in a supportive work environment.  Staff have the ability to use and continue to develop research and data management skills working with complex data.  Professional development and career growth opportunities are available to staff.

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%)

All required qualifications must be documented on application materials

Required Qualifications:

• BA/BS degree plus at least 4 years experience , or a combination of education to equal at least 8 years, or a Masterâ™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.

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The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the application of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.

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