The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is seeking a strategic, collaborative, and technically skilled Director of Real World Data to advance the organization’s ability to assess diabetes and obesity care in real world clinical settings. The Director will lead the development of the ADA’s real world data strategy and support the creation of a centralized, governed data repository focused on the ADA’s core clinical conditions, including type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, gestational diabetes, and obesity. The Director will also design and lead observational studies using electronic health records, administrative claims, clinical registries, patient-generated data, and other relevant sources. The position reports to the Managing Director, Real World Evidence, within the Quality Improvement and Health Access division.
A central focus of the position will be evaluating how diabetes and obesity are identified, treated and managed in primary care settings, including alignment with the ADA Standards of Care. The Director will translate real-world data into actionable evidence that helps the ADA identify gaps and variations in care, understand differences in outcomes, and inform quality improvement, health access, and population health strategies.
Responsibilities
Real World Data Strategy and Stewardship
- Lead the development and implementation of the ADA’s real world data strategy in alignment with organizational priorities.
- Identify and evaluate real-world data sources for their quality, relevance, representativeness, and suitability for ADA research and evidence-generation needs.
- Partner with Clinical Registry leadership, Information Technology and Services, and other ADA teams by contributing data and analytic expertise to repository development, data integration, and related infrastructure.
- Develop and promote consistent practices for data quality, standardization, documentation, reproducibility, privacy, security, and appropriate data use.
Evidence Generation and Care-Pattern Analytics
- Lead the design, execution, analysis, and reporting of observational, epidemiologic, health services, and outcomes research studies.
- Collaborate with Quality Improvement, Health Access, Clinical Registry, Evaluation and Evidence Synthesis, and other ADA teams to identify evidence needs and translate programmatic questions into feasible study designs.
- Conduct feasibility assessments to determine whether available data sources are appropriate for specific research and evaluation objectives.
- Develop study protocols, statistical analysis plans, data specifications, analytic datasets, table shells, and final reports.
- Apply rigorous epidemiologic and statistical methods to address confounding, selection bias, missing data, measurement limitations, and other challenges associated with real-world data.
- Use real-world data to examine how diabetes and obesity are identified, treated, and managed across primary care settings, including alignment with relevant recommendations in the ADA Standards of Care.
- Analyze treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, healthcare utilization and variations in care across populations, geographic areas, and healthcare settings.
- Examine social, structural, and healthcare system factors associated with differences in access, treatment, and outcomes.
- Translate findings into actionable evidence that inform strategies led by Quality Improvement, Health Access, and Primary Care, and other ADA teams while complementing existing programmatic and evaluation activities.
- Provide technical oversight of internal analyses and work performed by external data, research and analytic partners.
- Ensure studies adhere to applicable scientific, ethical, privacy, documentation, and reporting standards.
Communication and Collaboration
- Present study designs, analytic approaches, preliminary findings, and final results to technical and nontechnical audiences.
- Translate complex findings into clear, actionable insights for ADA leaders, clinical teams, healthcare partners, funders, and other stakeholders.
- Collaborate across ADA divisions to define project objectives, establish realistic timelines, clarify roles, and manage expectations
- Contribute real-world data expertise to the development of clinical decision support tools, data dictionaries, registry measures, and reporting frameworks.
- Contribute to the development of manuscripts, abstracts, presentations, reports , and other materials to disseminate findings through peer-reviewed and professional channels.
- Represent the ADA in appropriate scientific, clinical, and external partner discussions related to real-world data and evidence
- Contribute to the broader strategy, goals, and priorities of the Quality Improvement and Health Access division.
Qualifications
- Master’s or doctoral degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, health informatics, public health, health services research, or related field.
- At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience working with real-world data, observational research, epidemiology, health services research, or outcomes analytics.
- Demonstrated experience in designing and executing observational studies using electronic health records, administrative claims, registry, or other real-world data sources.
- Strong knowledge of epidemiologic principles and statistical methods, including regression modeling, longitudinal analysis, survival analysis, causal inference, and methods for addressing bias and confounding.
- Hands-on proficiency in SAS, R, Python, SQL, or comparable analytic and data-management tools.
- Experience developing analytic datasets, statistical analysis plans, data specifications and technical documentation.
- Experience managing complex projects involving multiple internal and external stakeholders.
- Experience assessing the quality, completeness, suitability and limitations of real-world data.
- Experience managing complex projects, involving multiple internal and external stakeholders.
- Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate technical findings to nontechnical audiences.
- Demonstrated record of research dissemination through peer-reviewed publications, scientific presentations, technical reports, or similar products.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a cross-functional, fast-paced environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience studying diabetes, obesity, cardiometabolic disease, or other chronic conditions.
- Experience evaluating care patterns, clinical outcomes, healthcare utilization, or health disparities in primary care settings
Why Work Here
The American Diabetes Association ® (ADA) offers a rewarding career working for one of the premier voluntary health organizations in the world supporting people living with diabetes and/or obesity. Our employees consistently say that our mission, culture, work-life balance, and total rewards package are what they like most about working at the ADA. benefits and our culture:
- Industry competitive base pay. Base offers are determined by several factors including but not limited to your relevant work experience, education, certifications, location, internal pay equity, etc.
- A culture of recognition including new hire welcome announcements, service anniversary awards, referral bonuses, monthly All Employee Assembly, appreciation awards
- Generous Paid Time Off, including holidays, vacation days, personal days and sick days
- Comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), disability & life insurance, pet insurance, and retirement savings
- Guided by our mission, we provide full diabetes supply coverage through our medical benefits program
- A company focus on offering mental health programs and work/life balance with most of our employees working remote
- Joining our dedicated team affords the gratification of knowing beyond a doubt that you will impact the lives and well-being of millions
About the Organization
The American Diabetes Association ® (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to end diabetes and helping people living with diabetes thrive. Since 1940, we have driven discovery and research to prevent, manage, treat, and ultimately cure diabetes. We advocate for policy changes and improved access to quality care for all people living with diabetes and/or obesity. Through the Obesity Association, a division of the ADA, we are also working to reduce the prevalence of obesity—a leading risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Master’s or doctoral degree and 7+ years of real-world data, observational research, epidemiology, health services, or outcomes analytics experience; proficiency in SAS, R, Python, SQL, or comparable tools.
Key Responsibilities
- leading strategy
- designing studies
- analyzing outcomes
Skills & Tools
SAS, R, Python, SQL, Electronic Health Records (EHR)
Job Details
- Category: Research and Development (R&D)
- Seniority: Senior Level
- Commitment: Full Time
- Workplace: Remote — United States
- Salary: USD 90,000 – 104,000 / year
- Languages: English
Benefits
- 401k matching
- Generous paid time off
- Retirement plan
About American Diabetes Association
A voluntary health organization advancing diabetes research, advocacy, prevention, treatment, and access to quality care. — Industry: Non-Profit Organizations and NGOs