Skip to content
SwiftFit

Vice President, Healthcare Innovations

American Institutes for Research · US-Remote | US-VA-Arlington | US-NC-Chapel Hill | US-IL-Chicago | US-CA-Sacramento | US-TX-Austin · Remote

Posted 8/14/2026 · last confirmed live 8/26/2026

Apply on American Institutes for Research’s site
AIR is seeking an accomplished healthcare leader to serve as Vice President, Program Lead for the Healthcare Innovations (HI) Program . The HI Program brings together highly trained health economists, data scientists, and quantitative and qualitative researchers who evaluate and implement health care delivery and payment models, generate actionable evidence, and develop data-driven solutions that improve quality, access, patient experience, health outcomes, and affordability. The HI team partners with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), Medicaid and CHIP Payment Advisory Commission (MACPAC), and other public and private clients applying health economics, advanced analytics, and mixed methods.  Reporting to the Chief Program Officer, the HI Program Lead will be responsible for the people, projects, and pursuits within the HI Program, including talent development, quality assurance, the efficient operation of their team, client services, and business development. Program Leads are responsible for effectively leading staff and day-to-day operations, ensuring thought leadership, strong project performance on technical, budget, and client satisfaction dimensions, managing senior staff, and developing next-generation leaders. Program Leads identify mission-aligned business development opportunities to contribute to program growth, expand the depth and breadth of project work, and lead the efficient and successful pursuit of those opportunities. Program Leads are responsible for driving strong, consistent communication and coordination within their programs, with other programs in the Program Office and with other offices across the organization with a spirit of collaboration and transparency.    Program Leads develop the overall vision and strategic direction for the program and engage in planning and problem solving to help meet program goals, elevating the quality of the program leadership team’s strategic thinking, creativity, and innovation. The HI Program Lead will be a member of the Program Office Leadership Team, working in close collaboration with other Program Office leaders. This position is based in the United States and the HI Program Lead must be able to travel as needed. The selected candidate may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations . This does not include U.S. territories. About AIR: Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all. Responsibilities: Develops and implements new business plans and strategies in collaboration with the Chief Program Officer and Chief Growth Officer, identifies business development opportunities for the HI program, building a robust business pipeline in collaboration with other Program Leads and program staff. Supports achievement of the Program Office financial goals and business development goals. Leads the execution and management of the HI Program’s projects, people, and business pursuits. Serves as subject matter expert in health economics, healthcare delivery and payment reform, Medicare / Medicaid policy, data analytics, and healthcare quality measurement. Provides strategic leadership in design, implementation, and evaluation of healthcare delivery and payment models using rigorous quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods approaches. Contributes to the development of operational plans and annual budgets for the Program Office in support of AIR’s overall strategic direction in collaboration with the Chief Program Officer. Implements budgets and plans for the HI Program. Supports the achievement of the Program Office goals related to staff engagement and development and client satisfaction. Leads staffing, workforce planning, and professional development efforts in the Program; implements strategies to attract, retain, and manage a cohesive and high-performing team. Serves as a visible leader representing AIR with clients, partners, staff, and other stakeholders. Builds and maintains relationships with potential teaming partners, subcontractors, and subject matter consultants. Helps establish and maintain broad and deep relationships with client organizations and becomes seen as a trusted advisor to clients. Maintains strong, trust-based relationships with CMS contracting officers, project officers, and program staff; anticipates client needs and proactively surfaces insights and solutions. Works with Program Office leadership to develop a culture consistent with AIR's mission and values. Enhances AIR’s external reputation in collaboration with the Communications and Public Affairs Office. Qualifications, Experience and Attributes: An advanced degree in Health Economics, Health Services Research, or a related field.  Minimum of 20 years of overall experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating  health care delivery and payment programs and policies. Minimum of 5 years in a leadership role. Subject matter expertise in health economics and the implementation and evaluation of healthcare delivery and payment models, including experience with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) models. Proven track record of leading proposals, winning contract work, and managing and leading teams. Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams of health economists, data scientists, quantitative researchers, and qualitative researchers in the execution of large-scale federal health projects. Experience in designing and successfully leading multiple complex, innovative healthcare payment and delivery models projects. Professional services industry knowledge with business development experience in federal and/or state government contracting, and/or with foundations. Proven program leadership and high-level management experience, with a documented record of delivering results. Excellent planning skills, analytic and process orientation, and a disciplined approach to managing programs. Ability to demonstrate a commitment to both the institution’s mission and financial viability. Experience developing and implementing strategic direction in a program and assessing progress and performance against defined objectives. Demonstrated ability to develop rapport with and lead mission-driven teams with both internal (staff) members and external (subcontractor and consultant) members. Experience integrating teams and leading through times of transition. Demonstrated commitment to support staff growth and creating leadership opportunities to staff at all levels of the organization. Flexibility and ability to manage change and adapt to changing circumstances and needs. Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to listen and understand concerns as well as the ability to communicate clearly with a variety of audiences, both internal and external. Established reputation as a thought leader through publications, presentations, advisory roles, or other contributions to the healthcare policy and research community. Disclosures:  Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements. American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis  of any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law, including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braid, locks, and twists), creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition (e.g., cancer), sex, gender, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, civil union status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, genetic information, or military or veteran status.  AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.  ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE:  If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at  tboone@air.org  or call 202.403.5000. Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer:  AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out to recruitment@air.org. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams. #LI-AS1 #LI-REMOTE AIR’s Total Rewards Program, is designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our critical mission. This position offers the anticipated annual salary as listed. Salary offers are made based on internal equity within the institution and external equity with competitive markets. Please note this is the annual salary range for candidates that are based in the United States. Anticipated Annual Salary Range $250,000 — $280,000 USD

This role is published by American Institutes for Research on greenhouse. SwiftFit is not the employer and does not accept applications.