Managing Director, Healthcare Transformation

AIR’s Health Division is seeking an experienced Managing Director (MD) to lead and advance a portfolio of quality measurement initiatives, with a focus on strategic growth and innovation. The MD will provide executive leadership across multi-year projects involving the development, implementation, and monitoring of quality measures, while also identifying emerging measurement needs, shaping new approaches, and expanding AIR’s measurement portfolio in response to evolving federal policy priorities.

In this role, the MD will set the technical and strategic direction for quality measurement work—overseeing measure development and maintenance, data and validation strategies, performance monitoring, and technical assistance (TA)—and will partner with senior leadership to pursue new opportunities and strengthen AIR’s position as a leader in federal quality measurement.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. This does not include U.S. territories. 

About AIR:

Established in 1946, with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, AIR is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to solve some of the most urgent challenges in the U.S. and around the world. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

Project Leadership & Oversight

• Set the strategic direction for a portfolio of federal and state quality measurement initiatives, spanning measure development, implementation, and monitoring, and ensure alignment with evolving policy priorities and program goals.
• Provide executive oversight across the full measurement lifecycle, guiding multidisciplinary teams on measure conceptualization, specification, testing, data strategy, validation, and performance reporting, while ensuring methodological rigor and consistency across projects.
• Serve as a senior strategic advisor to federal and state clients, particularly CMS and state agencies, shaping approaches, anticipating emerging needs and risks, and strengthening long-term partnerships.

Strategic Direction & Federal Business Growth

• Working with AIR’s program area leadership and functional leadership to create business development strategy for established areas and specific new areas of growth identify new opportunities, including:
• Coordinating pursuit plans and pipelines for federal opportunities.
• Supporting bid/no‑bid decisions and ensuring alignment with AIR capabilities and priorities.
• Leading or contributing to proposal pursuits: conceptualizing bid strategies, developing research and monitoring approaches, drafting proposal content, and conducting technical reviews.
• Cultivating and maintaining relationships with potential partners, funders, and federal clients.
• Monitoring ongoing projects to understand client expectations, anticipate needs, and identify opportunities and challenges across the portfolio.
• Assessing staff capacity and helping align resources to support both project delivery and new business pursuits.

Team Leadership, Staff Development & Collaboration

• Supervise and mentor task leads, analysts, researchers, TA specialists, and operational staff to build strong, high‑performing project teams.
• Foster cross‑functional collaboration across analytics, communications, data management, TA, and operations teams to ensure integrated, high‑quality project delivery.
• Provide coaching and support to rising project leaders in effective project management, quality assurance, client communication, and staff supervision.

Thought Leadership & External Engagement

• Represent AIR in federal stakeholder meetings, technical discussions, and conferences.
• Collaborate with AIR’s communications teams to translate implementation and monitoring insights into publications, briefs, and presentations.
• Contribute to AIR’s visibility and reputation in federal health program implementation, monitoring, and TA.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• PhD or MA in health economics, public health, public policy, or a related social science discipline.