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LogoPosting Number RTF00217PO26
Market Title Sr. Research Associate
Link to Market Title ;br>
Business Title (Internal Title) MCH Health Care Data Analyst
Campus Columbia
Work County Richland
College/Division College of Social Work
Department COSW Institute for Families in Society
Anticipated Hiring Range $80,000
Location of Vacancy Columbia, SC
Part/Full Time Full Time
Hours per Week 37.5
Work Schedule - Monday through Friday, 8:30am until 5:00pm.
- Must be willing to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the department.
Type of Staff Position Staff Research Grant (SRGP)
Basis 12 months
Job Search Category Information Technology
About
About University of South Carolina From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor's degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service - helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.
Benefits for Research Grant or Time-Limited Positions Are Indicated Below
The University of South Carolina (UofSC), through the State of SC and Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA), offers employees a valuable benefits package, including health and life insurance, generous paid leave and retirement programs. To learn more about UofSC benefits, access the "Working at USC" section on the Applicant Portal at Research Grant or Time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some, or no benefits, based on the grant or project funding.
South Carolina Retirement Yes
State Insurance Programs Yes
Annual Leave Yes
Sick Leave Yes
Position Description
Advertised Job Summary The Research Associate/MCH Health Care Data Analyst works independently under Principal Investigator to provide high-level professional healthcare claims analytics work related to Medicaid and conducts quantitative analyses that support health care projects and research activities focused on Maternal and Child Health (MCH) populations. Extensively utilizes database technologies to acquire, transform, and standardize data to power dashboards and reports. Gathers, analyzes, and compiles healthcare and provider data to develop and evaluate MCH programs and policies. Works collaboratively as a part of our expert interdisciplinary team, including researchers, policy analysts, biostatisticians, data scientists, and data visualization specialists to address the analytic needs and strategic priorities of IHPR and develop reports leading to policy recommendations. Conducts research, evaluation, and policy analysis to improve MCH outcomes and strengthen health care and delivery systems serving women, infants, children, and families. The Institute is devoted to transforming health systems through actionable cross-disciplinary and collaborative research.
Position is located in Columbia, SC, and is not a remote position.Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience - Requires a master's degree in area of research specialty and five years of job related experience.
Required Certification, Licensure/Other CredentialsPreferred Qualifications - Experience or formal training in health services research, ideally with applications to MCH populations or programs. At least 4 years of experience with analysis of claims or encounter data, including data sources commonly used in MCH research and evaluation.
- Strongly prefer candidates with a good understanding of Medicaid, Medicare and/or private healthcare claims data systems, birth certificate data, hospital records, or other large healthcare datasets.
- Understanding of and/or experience with analysis of electronic health record data, including data elements used in MCH contexts. Experience in maternal and child health, public health, healthcare, or a related research environment.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities - Strong analytical thinking and attention to detail. Experience with large relational database administration. Demonstrated experience in data management and analysis with administrative data, including health or behavioral healthcare claims such as Medicaid, Medicare, private insurance data or state agency and national datasets; experience with relevant MCH populations preferred.
- Proficiency in SAS and SQL and other statistical analytical software programs (e.g., R, Python,). Demonstrated ability to use analytical and visualization tools such as Excel (including advanced data manipulation techniques) and Power BI. Interest in public health or issues relevant to health services research, MCH, and health program or policy evaluation.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Ability to exercise sound judgment in making decisions and maintain thorough documentation of the decision-making process.
- Exemplary communication skills and ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, complicated processes to diverse audiencesmust be able to clearly convey, both verbally and in written products, background and context informing research and strategic planning activities, complex research findings and methodologies, policy analyses, and policy recommendations to audiences of varied technical expertise.
- Strong commitment to rigorous research methods, objectivity and accuracy of findings, and reproducibility of results. Knowledge of maternal and child health issues, healthcare delivery systems, health policy, and population health trends affecting women, infants, and children. Ability to learn and apply new technologies, analytical methods, and reporting requirements.
Job Duties
Job Duty Actively contributes to the review of working practices and the development of data analysis and management standard operating procedures including developing rigorous documentation of methods, decisions, flowcharts and other practices that ensure reproducibility of results.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 15
Job Duty Analyzes and interprets complex health care data from various sources such as utilization, spending and eligibility data from large databases including Medicaid, birth certificate, linked datasets from all-payor claims data; identifies, analyzes, and interprets trends or patterns in complex data sets to understand MCH issues.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 20
Job Duty Obtains, validates, and compiles data from multiple sources to create summary files for both external and internal use.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 10
Job Duty Manages large databases of health insurance claims from Medicaid, Medicare, all-payer data warehouses, and other state administrative datasets, as well as EHR data.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 10
Job Duty Creates clear reports that demonstrate analytic findings and present these to the management and relevant stakeholders; Ensures accuracy and timeliness of reports, including regularly scheduled and ad-hoc reporting requests. Responsible for all follow-up and/or research requests regarding clinical data.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 15
Job Duty Coordinates and problem-solves with Institute faculty/staff to understand needed support and use cases and develops innovative solutions to fill gaps in analytics.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 15
Job Duty Designs, manages, implements, and interprets statistical analyses focused on MCH-related healthcare expenditures, utilization and quality.
Essential Function Yes
Percentage of Time 15
Position Attributes
Hazardous weather category Non-Essential
Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing. No
Posting Detail Information
Number of Vacancies 1
Desired Start Date 10/01/2026
Position End Date 09/29/2027
Job Open Date 09/21/2026
Job Close Date 09/28/2026
Open Until Filled No
Special Instructions to Applicant Positions are advertised for a minimum of five (5) business days on our job website. After five (5) business days, positions can be closed at the discretion of the department at any time. This employment site is updated on a regular basis. The length of the recruitment and screening process may vary from position to position, depending upon a variety of factors. Should review of your qualifications result in a decision to pursue your candidacy, you will be contacted by phone or email.
We are only accepting applications submitted by September 28, 2026.
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EEO Statement The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.
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