Please visit Louisiana Public Health Institute’s website http://lphi.org/home2/section/2-119/career-opportunities to view available career opportunities and for information on how to apply. 
 

The program officer (PO) will work with the Quality/Equality team whose goal is to lift the overall quality of health care in targeted communities, reduce racial and ethnic disparities and provide models for national replication. The PO will work collaboratively with the Quality/Equality team and its national program called Aligning Forces for Quality (AF4Q). AF4Q supports the development of multi-stakeholder alliances in select communities and the use by these alliances of interventions in public reporting of quality data, quality improvement and consumer engagement to improve the health care, and ultimately the health, of the people in these communities. Research and analytic expertise in health services research, quality of care, costs of care and/or access to care is required. Candidates should be familiar with health care policy issues including efforts to expand insurance and access to care, to improve quality of care, and to contain costs.

The program officers in the Research and Evaluation (R&E) unit are professional staff responsible for creating, developing, implementing and managing the research and evaluation aspects of the Foundation’s initiatives to improve health and health care. Their primary responsibility is to work with the vice president of research and evaluation and the team directors, team members and executive staff to design and implement research and evaluation strategies that generate impact congruent with the specific objectives of the teams and the Foundation. They are also responsible for unit-level responsibilities such as promoting learning from research and evaluation on the Team and within the Foundation. They are also responsible for the development and management of performance measurement systems (i.e. indicators), and the supply of publications and research for the RWJF website to disseminate findings from research, evaluation and policy investments.

Essential Duties:

Program Development and Monitoring:

• Initiates and contributes to the design, implementation, and oversight of research and evaluation initiatives. May lead committees and work groups to design and manage program areas to achieve key team objectives. Serves as a partner with team director and other staff in identifying strategic objectives and direction.
• Works with internal staff, consultants, other funders and external organizations to plan, develop and respond to requests for funding.
• Screens and assesses prospective research and evaluation project proposals, works with applicants to refine plans and project budgets.
• Drafts preliminary summaries of the project and develops recommendations for teams, program staff, Foundation management and Board approval.
• Assures the quality of documents for projects being recommended for approval.
• Participates in meetings, conducts site visits, and reviews grantee submissions as part of overall responsibility for developing and managing existing grants and programs.
• Prepares oral and written summaries of grant activities.
• Monitors programmatic aspects of funded projects and programs.
• Works with Grants Administrators in assessing financial status of funded programs over time.
• Leads the development of the research and evaluation part of the team’s strategic plan.
• Leads the development and monitoring of team’s performance indicators.

Learning and Dissemination:

• Works with staff and consultants to assess, evaluate, and disseminate results of programs and projects. Works with staff to develop measures of impact for major programs and activities. 
• Works with staff and consultants to harvest lessons from previous and current grantmaking, and to actively disseminate results and lessons to other staff, grantees and the field.
• Collaborates with team directors and team members, particularly Communications staff, to develop plans for and disseminate team-based products, including content featured on rwjf.org.
• Develops plans and content for the RWJF website in collaboration with team members and other R&E staff.
• Use social networking tools to monitor important fields and to communicate lessons from RWJF’s work.

Team Functioning:

• Responsible for actively participating in team activities and improving team functioning, including compliance with team norms and providing support and back-up for team members.

Grantmaking Processes:

• Is responsible for understanding, implementing and following the grant making processes and policies of RWJF. 
• Analyzes and evaluates all aspects of team-wide and project-specific proposals including strength of the activity, value for dollars requested and the organization's health and stability. In supporting recommendations and in monitoring financial status, PO works in collaboration with grants administrators and other program and financial personnel in the Foundation.

Foundation and Field Contributions:

• Represents the Foundation publicly regarding program direction, program funding, and grantmaking results. Responds to public inquiries about the application process.
  Participates in conferences, seminars, and other professional development activities to maintain and enhance expertise and professional status. May conduct individual research related to the Foundation’s priorities. Keeps up with the latest developments in their fields.
• Oversees and manages the support staff with whom they work.
• Contributes to and participates in internal Foundation groups and teams and carries out other responsibilities assigned by executive staff.
• Participates in Foundation-wide projects related.
• Initiates, develops and participates in efforts of the Foundation to evaluate itself through the scorecard and related efforts.
• Supports the vice president, R&E in accomplishing annual unit-wide goals and priorities.
  Performs other projects and responsibilities, as assigned.

Experience and Qualifications:

• Completion of PhD or experience equivalent to a PhD degree in health services research, evaluation, public health, public policy, economics, psychology or related fields; or research experience equivalent to an advanced degree and three (3) or more years of relevant research and/or evaluation experience post doctorate.
• Excellent project management skills and ability to translate research and evaluation findings for use by internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience working on highly collaborative teams as well as exhibit leadership potential in areas of health services research, quality, costs and access to health care as a field of study.
• Experience handling multiple priorities effectively; must be adept at organizing time efficiently; high tolerance for ambiguity; ability to understand and work effectively with team members in the Foundation’s organizational structure.
• Strong skills in research and evaluation methods; research skills, including use of Internet and databases; strong analytic skills. Survey research skills desired.
  Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential to success in this position; able to synthesize material and focus quickly on the essence of an issue; to identify major opportunities in a specific area; to see the big picture. Willingness to use social networking tools to further RWJF’s work.
• Strong oral presentation skills.
• Strong people management skills.
• Personally motivated to support the Foundation’s mission and goals; creative, flexible; able to work independently and in teams to think imaginatively about opportunities; to create and respond to novel and innovative approaches to addressing an issue; to inspire others to work towards achieving team goals.
• Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills; collegial, energetic, able to develop productive relationships with colleagues, grantees, consultants, external funders, and others who contribute to program development and management.
• Demonstrated maturity and sound judgment; ability to make decisions, justify recommendations, and be responsive and clear.
• Ability to travel - including for site visits and representing the Foundation at outside meetings.

Deadline to apply: November 30, 2012.  Apply online.

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