*** This position is contingent upon a federal contract award. ***

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Data Analytics Lead to direct technical analysis and oversee data engineering activities supporting the End Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System (ESRD PPS) and the Acute Kidney Injury Payment System (AKI PS) . This role is responsible for ensuring the efficient, secure, and compliant use of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) approved analytic environments, while delivering high-quality, reproducible analyses that support Medicare payment policy development and rulemaking.

The Data Analytics Lead serves as the technical authority for analytic infrastructure, data workflows, and statistical execution, working closely with CMS, policy leads, and clinical experts to ensure analytic outputs are timely, accurate, and policy-ready.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct and oversee technical analysis and data engineering activities supporting ESRD PPS and AKI payment policy.
• Ensure optimal use of CMS-approved and CMS-accessible analytic environments, including the Integrated Data Repository (IDR) and cloud-based platforms.
• Lead the modernization of legacy SAS-based code into open-source analytics languages (e.g., R, Python, SQL, STATA) within CMS-approved environments, including Snowflake-based cloud systems.
• Oversee development and maintenance of analytic datasets, including Medicare claims, ESRD facility cost reports, and related administrative data.
• Ensure compliance with all CMS data security, privacy, and governance requirements, including Data Use Agreements (DUAs).
• Design and oversee predictive modeling, simulations, and statistical validation to support payment system changes and policy evaluations.
• Implement and enforce reproducible analytic workflows, documentation standards, and version control to ensure transparency and auditability.
• Support rapid-turnaround analytic requests during rulemaking cycles, including 48-hour deliverables when required.
• Collaborate with the Project Director, Payment Analysis Lead, Medical Directors, and CMS stakeholders to translate analytic results into policy-relevant insights.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master’s degree with 10+ years of experience in Medicare-focused data analytics.
• Expertise in analytic programming languages, including (but not limited to): R, Python, SQL, and STATA.
• Proven experience modernizing legacy SAS code into open-source analytics environments, including Snowflake-based cloud systems.
• Demonstrated proficiency in R, Python, SQL, and STATA, with successful implementation in CMS-authorized environments.
• Extensive experience working with large-scale CMS data sets, including ESRD claims and cost report data, within CMS environments such as the Chronic Conditions Warehouse (CCW) and Integrated Data Repository (IDR).
• Demonstrated skill in predictive modeling, simulation, and statistical validation related to payment system changes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience supporting ESRD PPS and related payment data elements.
• Expertise in developing reproducible analytic workflows within secure federal cloud environments.
• Prior experience supporting CMS payment policy analysis or rulemaking.
• Strong ability to communicate complex technical concepts to policy, clinical, and executive audiences.

Why This Role Matters

The Data Analytics Lead plays a critical role in ensuring the technical integrity and analytic foundation of national dialysis payment policy. This position enables CMS to rely on timely, accurate, and transparent analytics to support payment reforms that impact patient care, provider operations, and health equity across the ESRD population.