Location: Remote (U.S.-based)
Clearance: Ability to obtain CMS data access approvals
Position Type: Full-Time, Key Personnel

Position Overview

We are seeking a Project Director to lead the Analyses, Development of Methods, and Special Studies supporting the End Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System (ESRD PPS) and the Acute Kidney Disease Payment System (AKI PS). This is a senior leadership role with full authority over contract execution, staffing, budget management, and delivery of complex analytical and policy deliverables supporting the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) payment rulemaking.

The Project Director serves as the primary point of contact with CMS, ensuring that all project activities align with CMS priorities, regulatory timelines, and quality expectations—particularly during high-intensity rulemaking cycles requiring rapid turnaround.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide full responsibility and authority for all contract operations, including binding the organization to contract modifications.
• Lead and oversee technical, analytical, administrative, and project management activities across the ESRD PPS and AKI payment systems.
• Serve as the primary liaison to CMS leadership, the Contracting Officer (CO), and Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR).
• Direct staffing decisions, performance management, and coordination of large, multi-disciplinary teams (policy, analytics, clinical, and technical).
• Oversee budget planning, execution, and resource allocation, ensuring alignment with contract scope and performance schedules.
• Ensure high-quality, timely delivery of all analyses, reports, Federal Register tables, and rulemaking support documentation.
• Manage rapid-turnaround deliverables (often within 48 hours during rulemaking) while maintaining analytical rigor and quality control.
• Proactively identify project risks, propose mitigation strategies, and ensure continuous compliance with CMS data security and governance requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in a social science, formal science, or applied science discipline (e.g., public policy, statistics, economics, engineering)
  OR
  Master’s degree with 12+ years of progressively responsible experience in Medicare payment policy and analytics.
• 10+ years of leadership experience directing large, multi-disciplinary teams on complex federal payment system projects.
• Demonstrated success developing, defending, and implementing payment methodologies through CMS or other federal rulemaking processes.
• Proven ability to manage time-sensitive, high-stakes deliverables under compressed timelines without sacrificing accuracy or quality.
• Extensive experience working directly with CMS or other federal health agencies in a policy-driven, data-intensive environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior leadership experience on CMS ESRD PPS and/or AKI payment system projects.
• Experience aligning ESRD PPS policy with related Medicare payment systems, including OPPS, IPPS, and CMMI models.
• Exceptional ability to translate complex analytic findings into clear, actionable policy recommendations for senior federal officials.
• Experience supporting Federal Register rulemaking, including development of impact analyses, tables, and stakeholder response language.

Why This Role Matters

This role sits at the intersection of health policy, advanced analytics, and federal rulemaking, directly influencing how Medicare pays for dialysis services nationwide. The Project Director plays a critical leadership role in shaping policy decisions that affect patient access, provider sustainability, and health equity across the ESRD population.