Health Economist, Research Scientist – Health Affairs Institute

WVU Online

Health Economist conducting data analysis and policy research for state health programs. Collaborating with the West Virginia Department of Health Services and other partners on health-related initiatives.

Posted 6/2/2026full-timeMorgantown • Virginia, West Virginia • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

PythonSQL

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Conducts and oversees economic modeling, using claims data to assess economic outcomes and health system performance evaluations.
Support data driven decision making for state health programs and policies.
Perform hands on data work and produce insights that drive operational improvements, translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for government and industry partners.
Develop economic models to determine the efficient allocation of resources available to healthcare payers and providers, and develop appropriate communications for a variety of stakeholders.
Work under the guidance of the Director of the Center for Measurement and Health Data Analytics to maintain sophisticated models to forecast the financial impact of health policies and policy changes.
Conduct sensitivity analyses and stress testing on models to develop robust understanding on the range of potential outcomes under multiple scenarios.
Develop knowledge repository of industry best practices and innovations.
Proactively provide analytic guidance for financial and economic outcomes of policies and policy changes using conventional and predictive study designs.
Accomplish comparative evaluations and retrospective studies to measure the actual economic outcomes against initial projections.
Build repeatable and scalable analytic processes.
Generate executive presentations for stakeholders
Promote and shape HAI best practices concerning automation and documentation.
Contribute to department initiatives around automation, Machine learning, AI use, and tooling improvements.
Maintain compliance with all applicable laws and regulations governing the responsible conduct of research and data security.
Execute Health Economic Outcomes Research (HEOR) evidence generation including; cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis and budget impact models
Analyze Medicaid and commercial claims data using SQL, SAS, R, or Python to identify trends, cost drivers, and utilization patterns.
Collaborate with cross functional teams including data scientists, policy analysts, and state partners.
Support grant proposals and project scoping with economic insights.
Oversee/provide mentorship to other analysts as directed by the Director of the Center for Measurement and Health Data Analytics
Develop and lead training modules as directed by the Director of Health Analytics.
Lead data risk assessments to mitigate and/or expose data quality and/or security issues in collaboration with the HAI Program Development and Management Office (PDMO) and the Director of Health Information.
Identify and troubleshoot unanticipated data problems or unexpected results and provide solutions to resolve identified concerns.
Provide consultation and support for HAI project team members in data analysis and visualization best practices, and new and current technology.
Participate in high-level stakeholder meetings to understand stakeholder priorities and develop potential solutions as required.
Develop quality assurance processes and protocols in collaboration with the PDMO.
Ensure that data analytic and research/evaluation activities are compliant with Health Affairs Institute and University-level policies for the responsible conduct of research as well as federal, and state policies.
Provide consultation to faculty and government partners regarding preparation of research proposals, design and methodology, data analytics and interpretation of results.
Identify opportunities for potential collaborations between the Health Sciences Center and the West Virginia Department of Human Services.
Prepare reports as required by the University, the Health Sciences Center administration, and external agencies.
Communicates results of analytic projects and program evaluations with relevant staff of the West Virginia Department of Human Services.
Conduct or direct special projects as assigned.
Act in other matters and capacities as delegated by the Director of the Center for Measurement and Health Data Analytics for the Health Affairs Institute.

Requirements

What you’ll need

Doctoral degree in Economics, Health Economics, Public Policy, Biostatistics, or related field.
A minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience with proven track record of HEOR in the following: Relevant disciplines are those that demonstrate a high level of technical and mathematical ability, such as mathematics, economics, physics or computer science
Proficiency in SQL, SAS, R, or Python for data manipulation and modeling.
Strong applied econometric skills and experience with large datasets.
Strong communication skills and ability to present findings to non technical stakeholders.
Experience working with state agencies or healthcare organizations preferred.
Ability to communicate policy implications clearly and concisely.
Ability to work in a fast paced, collaborative environment.
Experience in government, consulting, or applied research settings preferred.
Record of research and achievement in health outcomes and policy research (health services research, public health informatics, health policy, clinical outcomes) as evidenced by publications and a sustained research program.
Experience conducting research/evaluation within the academic and governmental sectors
Experience in conducting geo-spatial analysis and experience and predictive analytics using machine learning are desired.

Benefits

Comp & perks

37.5-hour work week
13 paid holidays ( staff holiday calendar )
24 annual leave (vacation) days per year ( employee leave )
18 sick days per year (for when you’re ill, for when you need time to care for sick family, for your own, or your family’s, regularly scheduled medical appointments. Who is family for the purpose of this leave? A lot of people in your life including immediate relatives and in-laws as well as others considered to be members of your household living under the same roof)
WVU offers a range of health insurance and other benefits
401(a) retirement savings with 6% employee contribution match, eligibility to continue health insurance, and other retiree perks. Looking for more retirement benefits information? Check out retirement health insurance benefits, retirement income, and FAQ’s.
Wellness programs

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Hard Skills & Tools

economic modelingdata analysiscost-benefit analysiscost-effectiveness analysisbudget impact modelsapplied econometricsgeo-spatial analysispredictive analyticsdata manipulationmodeling

Soft Skills

strong communication skillscollaborative environmentmentorshipanalytical guidancepresentation skillsproblem-solvingconsultationtraining developmentstakeholder engagementproject management