Researcher - Primary Care Data & Policy

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The American Academy of Family Physicians and its chapters proudly represent more than 128,300 family physician, resident, and medical student members. Family physicians play a critical role in improving the health of patients, families, and communities across the United States.

The AAFP is committed to helping family physicians improve the health of Americans by advancing the specialty of family medicine, saving members time, and maximizing the value of membership. Our focus every day is to help family physicians spend more time doing what they do best: providing quality and cost-effective patient care. The AAFP delivers value to its members through each of its strategic priorities.

Summary

Location: Washington, DC

Hours: Monday-Friday (hybrid)

Travel: Approximately 5 days per year

Job Description

When you join the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), you are at the center of transforming health care. You are on the leading edge of ensuring family doctors have what they need to adapt, and you are part of a legacy that has been instrumental in improving and advocating for family medicine since 1947. Make an impact that matters. Be Team AAFP.

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Robert Graham Center seeks a Researcher to lead and support innovative, policy-relevant research focused on primary care. This role requires expertise in analyzing electronic health record (EHR) and claims data (across Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial payers) for primary care health services research. The ideal candidate will also have experience in grant writing and a strong interest in advancing primary care through data-driven insights. Familiarity with Microsimulations, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), and Natural Language Processing (NLP) is a plus.

Key Functions will include:

• Design and execute research projects using EHR and claims data to answer primary care-relevant questions.
• Develop and apply simulation models to forecast policy outcomes and workforce trends.
• Lead and contribute to grant proposals, including conceptualization, writing, budgeting, and submission.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to shape research agendas and dissemination strategies.
• Mentor junior analysts and contribute to the professional development of non-PhD staff.
• Translate complex data findings into actionable insights for policymakers, clinicians, and stakeholders.
• Author peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, and presentations.
• Represent the Center in national forums, expert panels, and stakeholder meetings.

Required Qualifications:

• PhD, or Master's degree with at least 5 years of relevant experience in Health Services Research, Public Health, Economics, Epidemiology, or related field.
• Experience working with EHR and claims data (Medicare, Medicaid, commercial).
• Proven track record of peer-reviewed publication
• Strong programming skills in SAS, R, Python, Stata, or similar tools.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a small, mission-driven team.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with NLP techniques applied to clinical or administrative data.
• Familiarity with national survey datasets (e.g., MEPS, NHIS) and statistical methods for surveys.
• Prior work in primary care or family medicine research.
• Prior success in securing research funding
• Experience with data use agreements (DUAs) and privacy compliance.

Compensation Salary Range

$84, $118,198.00

At the AAFP we are committed to diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, ethnic or national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, marital status, religion, physical or mental disability, military/veteran status, or any other protected status.

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