Director of Health Equity Research and Analysis

The Organization

The Commonwealth Fund — among the first private foundations started by a woman philanthropist, Anna M. Harkness — was established in 1918 with the broad charge to enhance the common good. Today, the mission of The Commonwealth Fund is to promote a high-performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, and people of color. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy.

Our Values and Commitment to Equity

Commitment to Equity

The Commonwealth Fund envisions a health care system that values and benefits all people equally — one that combats racism and pursues equity, in treatment and outcomes as well as in leadership and decision-making. We believe this requires an alliance of people and institutions across society working together to recognize and value the lived experience of all individuals; ensure the delivery of compassionate, affordable, quality health care; and strive for equitable outcomes for all.

We aspire to racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in how we work. We place great value on the varied backgrounds and experiences our staff bring to our organization and encourage employees to bring their full selves to the workplace. We look for talented, nimble, empathetic, and supportive team players who are ready to roll up their sleeves, create impactful change, and celebrate accomplishments.

Fund Values

We strive to be Bold and Impactful​

We center Community and our Common Humanity​

We anchor Equity and Integrity in all we do​

We work in a Collaborative and Joyful environment

About the Advancing Health Equity Program

The Commonwealth Fund’s Advancing Health Equity (AHE) program, established in 2021, aims to advance equity in U.S. health care. Its goal is to eliminate unequal treatment, experience, and outcomes in health and health care for people of color by reducing systemic racism in health care policy and practice.

The program has two focus areas: promoting models that drive health and racial equity within the health care ecosystem and driving implementation of policies that advance health equity. The program helps drive the implementation and development of policies by:

• Identifying best practices and showcasing system interventions for advancing equity.
• Supporting stakeholders in the development and implementation of equity-focused models of care.
• Driving health equity measures that can promote accountability, such as accreditation standards, quality measurement, and pay-for-equity initiatives.
• Catalyzing implementation of equitable, community-led solutions.

Role of the Director of Health Equity Research and Analysis

This is a new position that will report to the Senior Vice President (SVP) for AHE. This individual is expected to bring expertise in health equity research and health policy to the work of AHE and the Commonwealth Fund’s other cross-cutting research programs, helping to develop and implement strategies to promote and enhance the role of equity in the foundation’s work.

The Director of Health Equity Research and Analysis will split time between work on AHE research projects and cross-cutting work in support of all Fund research programs and operations. The Director of Health Equity Research and Analysis will also be responsible for tracking equity efforts across the Fund and for health equity generated research originating through the AHE program.

Specific Job Responsibilities

Advancing Health Equity Program Responsibilities

• Assess grant proposals for the validity and appropriateness of their methodology, particularly the use of data and research techniques known to effectively address health equity issues.
• Review deliverables from funded grants for potential collaboration across the Fund.
• Assess grantee-submitted manuscripts and other content for their suitability for publication. Synthesize outcomes from various grants to highlight successes, lessons learned, and areas for improvement.
• Collaborate with the AHE team and other Fund experts to develop surveys and health equity tracking tools and advise Commonwealth Fund programs on both staff-led and grantee-led research related to health equity.
• Oversee a small grantmaking portfolio to advance equity and research.
• Collaborate with the AHE Program Officer and SVP in the development of briefing materials and policy briefs and serve as coauthor or lead author on AHE publications and peer-reviewed journal articles.
• Under the guidance of and in partnership with the SVP, play an integral role in strategy development by providing data-driven insights that inform allocation of resources for equity-related initiatives and research. Prepare detailed memos and backgrounders to inform strategic decisions and initiatives.
• Prepare impactful convenings, social media communications, and presentations to internal and external partners, ensuring all are backed by thorough research and reflect the Commonwealth Fund’s work to address equity and advance the foundation’s strategic goals.

Cross-Cutting Work Responsibilities

• Assist the SVP in advising program teams on opportunities to mitigate health disparities. Advise on research related to health equity across the Commonwealth Fund, both intramurally and through our grantmaking, to help dismantle systemic racism in health care policy and practice.
• Plan and facilitate internal cross-cutting meetings, work with the SVP to facilitate workgroups to ensure all team members are aligned with the foundation’s equity goals. Organize content and agendas for meetings that focus on integrating equity in programming and operational practices.
• Conduct reviews of equity initiatives within programs providing critical research-based insights for internal and external stakeholders. Assess and analyze organizational health equity goals and strategies to ensure alignment with the Fund’s mission and values and prepare resources for communicating these to internal and external partners. Analyze data to identify trends and generate recommendations that align with equity objectives.
• Collaborate with Fund team members to oversee the development of survey instruments, analysis of responses, and dissemination of results.
• Partner closely with the SVP to support the Fund’s management team, AHE team, and other programs and departments, and other key partners to ensure the Fund’s goals are met and to introduce and leverage new strategic initiatives and partnerships.

Core Competencies and Qualifications

We are looking for candidates with a master’s degree or higher in public policy, business administration, or a related field, plus a minimum of five years of professional experience in research, policy analysis, or a related field with responsibility for managing research and evaluation projects and producing high-quality analytical work. Grantmaking experience or experience in philanthropy is strongly preferred. The ideal candidate has:

1. A strong foundation in quantitative and/or qualitative research methods and a broad understanding of health equity and equity policy issues in the United States. The position requires a strong background in statistical data analysis using STATA or other statistical software. They should also have an established research record (contributions to peer-reviewed journals and gray literature publications and presentations at conferences and other expert forums).
2. Experience in reviewing and assessing grant proposals, monitoring deliverables, and evaluating grant outcomes.
3. Expertise in health equity and social determinants of health frameworks; experience with cross sectional health equity data and metrics; strong understanding of intersectionality of social categorizations and its relationship to health inequities. Demonstrated experience leading complex research projects.
4. An ability to think creatively and experience facilitating team engagement.
5. Knowledge of and experience with culturally responsive and cutting-edge research approaches and methods.
6. An ability to perform complex data analyses and generate meaningful insights that can influence strategic directions. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with proficiency in analytical tools. Proven track record of data analysis and the ability to translate data into actionable insights.
7. Strong written and verbal communication abilities to articulate insights with equity lens, present findings, and write grant proposals or reports effectively. Expert with data visualization tools and power point presentations and social media Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information in a clear and concise manner.

What We Offer

Commonwealth Fund employees receive competitive salaries, and a generous benefit package designed to support their overall well-being. We also strive to create a diverse and inclusive workplace in line with our values and goals.

Employee benefits include: Best-in-class health care plan with comprehensive medical, hospital, and prescription drug coverage, along with a health reimbursement account, provided at no cost to employees and their dependents; vision coverage provided at nominal cost; 403(b) retirement plan featuring generous employer contributions that range from 11 percent to 20 percent of annual salary; retiree health benefits; tuition reimbursement and professional development support; generous time off to support employee work–life balance; hybrid work policy; half-day summer Fridays; comprehensive parental leave policies, with up to 12 weeks’ salary continuance; generous matching gifts program for charitable donation; disability and life insurance coverage at no cost.

Salary

The starting salary range for this position is $126,000 to $158,000, depending on professional experience.

Employment at The Commonwealth Fund is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual preference, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, medical condition, disability, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.

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Last updated on Oct 3, 2024