Research Associate

About the Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN):

The Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN) catalyzes health systems to leverage their hiring, purchasing, investing, and other key assets to build inclusive local economies to address economic and racial inequities in community conditions that create poor health. HAN supports health systems in implementing the anchor mission by raising the bar for best-in-class practices, accelerating adoption among individual organizations through an action-oriented framework, and fostering unique sector collaborations to scale social impact. HAN members are leading a health systems movement to universally adopt the anchor mission framework and partner collaboratively and authentically with other anchor institutions and with their communities to create economically, socially, and racially equitable outcomes in place.

About the Position

The Research Associate at the Healthcare Anchor Network (HAN) will provide organizational and programmatic support for content development and applied research in community economic development and community wealth building strategies that involve anchor institutions for HAN’s member network of healthcare systems across the United States.

Daily tasks will primarily include (but are not limited to) working collaboratively to develop content and conducting research on behalf of HAN’s core focus areas of:

• Inclusive, local hiring and workforce development
• Impact purchasing
• Place-based impact investing
• Inclusive real estate development and planning strategies
• Anchor collaboratives and community partnerships
• Organizational structures and lessons learned for embedding these strategies

This is a remote, full-time position intended to start September 2023 and includes a six month probationary period. This nonexempt, bargaining unit position, classification Program Associate II or III, will report to the Senior Director, Communications and Policy.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities: 

The Research Associate will have the following general duties and responsibilities, as well as other duties that may arise based on the demands of specific anchor programs and project deliverables. All tasks below will be executed under the direction of the Senior Director, Communications and Policy, and frequently in collaboration with other HAN project managers.

• Develop short and medium-form practitioner-focused content (e.g., case studies, summary documents, templates, slide decks, etc…)
• Develop long-form practitioner-focused content (e.g., reports, playbooks, papers, toolkits)
• Collaborate with communications team to translate case studies into slide decks and other visual representations and develop op-eds and external facing materials (e.g., infographics, stories of people impacted) related to practitioner examples as needed
• Participate as part of content planning team for in-person and virtual convenings and conferences
• Support initiative group project managers with discrete research requests related HAN member activities
• Build and maintain strong relationships with members and partners through emphasis on high-quality customer service & experience
• Ability to travel 3 – 5 times per year in support of project related events

Required Qualifications:

• Excellent quantitative and qualitative research skills, including the ability to use and interpret a range of sources and clearly summarize findings in writing, and have a commitment to accuracy
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to adapt writing style for different audiences
• Open to an iterative-style of content development for the research, in partnership with other colleagues and in support of the organization’s voice
• Demonstrated ability to work on high-functioning teams and move seamlessly between leading and following, including respectful collaboration and communication with lateral teammates, leadership and external stakeholders
• Detail oriented and strong project management skills, including the ability to balance multiple deadlines across several content development and writing projects
• A commitment to and passion for (or commitment to learning about) writing practitioner-focused content about anchor institution-led inclusive, economic development and community wealth building strategies
• Ability to ensure content quality, integrity, and accuracy in a fast-paced environment
• Prior experience with programs and policies affecting people with lower incomes and/or coursework related to these issues is not required but a plus
• Familiarity with one or more software packages used for data analysis (such as STATA, R, Python), Salesforce, and Smartsheet is not required but a plus
• Must be available to travel the first week of October 2023
• Ability to lift 25 pounds

Education/Experience Requirements:

Requires a bachelor’s degree and 4+ years of post-college work experience or relevant specialist skills/experience. Advanced degree in public policy, social sciences, economics, or any field that requires strong qualitative skills is a plus.

Employment & Compensation: 

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and qualifications. Job includes a generous benefits package including health care, three weeks of paid vacation per year, and an employer contribution of 7% to a 403(b) retirement plan. The starting salary for a Program Associate II is $60,708.27 and the maximum salary for a Program Associate IV is $79,470. HAN offers a flexible work schedule.

The first six months of employment are considered a probationary period for new employees. New employees will be given a review before the initial probationary period expires.

To Apply:

Send résumé/CV, a detailed cover letter regarding your interest in and desire to make a contribution to the mission and work of the Healthcare Anchor Network, a 3-4 page writing sample, in one PDF attachment to jobs@anchornetwork.org*. Include “Research Associate” in the subject line. Please note that given the volume of applications we receive, we cannot respond to every applicant. No emails or phone calls, please. We will contact all candidates who qualify for first-round interviews.

*You may shorten longer writing samples for this purpose

Non-Discrimination

The Healthcare Anchor Network is committed to building a diverse workforce. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Location: Remote

Application Deadline:. We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis.

Start Date: September 2023