Research & Policy Analyst

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. As one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation, we are at the forefront of research and innovations to improve the efficacy of public health statewide, nationally, and internationally.

PHI was distinguished as one of the top 50 "Best Non-Profit Organizations to Work For" by the Non-Profit Times in a national search.

SUMMARY:

The California Coalition for Black Birth Justice (the Coalition) is a statewide organization committed to unifying and strengthening the Black birth justice movement in California.

We believe that in order to truly disrupt and ultimately reverse the inequities in maternal and infant health, we need sustained investments in Black-led organizations, new ways of working together, and equity-centered actions from our policymakers, philanthropists, and healthcare systems. Therefore, our work is focused on being a statewide connector and convener, supporting the care and capacity of the Black birth justice workforce, and scaling systems change improvement efforts with health care organizations.

The Research & Policy Analyst will support the work of The Coalition to unify and strengthen the Black birth justice movement through expanding our capacity to engage in robust research, evaluation, and policy responsive project-based work. The Research & Policy Analyst will have a strong background in understanding and applying public health concepts. They will be creative, self-motivated, detail-orientated, and a problem solver.

This position will monitor and keep track of legislation, design and implement qualitative research, research and write policy briefs, support writing for publication, support internal & external evaluation efforts, and help monitor, maintain, and further develop The Coalition's web-platform.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

This is a regular, full-time position with a work schedule of 40 hours per week (100% FTE) and is expected to start in July 2026.

This is a primarily remote position that is based in California. The individual hired for this position will be expected to work in their home office. They must also be able and willing to travel to the Los Angeles office as needed for meetings and events.

Full salary range for this position: $71,843 to $104,153 per year. The anticipated hiring range for this position is from $71,843 to $86,000, based on 100% FTE. The starting salary is determined using a variety of factors, such as the candidate's knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as internal equity consideration and budget availability.

Employment Type: Full Time

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:

Research & Policy Analysis

• Monitor, track, and synthesize emerging legislation and policy trends related to Black maternal and infant health at the California state and federal levels, including bill tracking, regulatory updates, and policy landscape scanning
• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data related to Black birth equity outcomes, identifying trends, disparities, and opportunities for systems-level intervention
• Support the development of recommendations and advocacy positions grounded in community-centered research and evidence-based practices
• Assist in writing and editing manuscripts, reports, and other materials intended for peer-reviewed publication or public distribution

Community-Based Research & Evaluation

• Support the design and implementation of qualitative research methodologies, including the development of interview protocols, focus group guides, discussion scripts, and analysis frameworks
• Assist with conducting interviews, focus groups, and sister circles with Black birthing people, community members, and stakeholders, with attention to culturally grounded and trauma-informed research practices
• Collect, organize, and manage research data in compliance with ethical and confidentiality standards
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative data and synthesize findings into coherent narratives and final reports that reflect the lived experiences and perspectives of the communities the Coalition serves
• Support internal evaluation efforts, including tracking organizational outputs, outcomes, and impact indicators for reporting to funders and leadership
• Support broader California-level external evaluation efforts, contributing to statewide assessments of the Black birth justice movement's collective impact

Communications & Dissemination

• Present research findings and policy analyses to internal staff, strategic advisors, partner organizations, and external stakeholders through written reports, slide decks, and verbal presentations
• Translate research and data findings into accessible formats for non-technical audiences, including community members and coalition partners
• Contribute to the development of content that elevates the Coalition's thought leadership on Black maternal and infant health

Web Platform & Knowledge Management

• Assist with maintaining and managing the Coalition's web platform, ensuring content is current, accurate, and aligned with the organization's communications strategy
• Support the development and organization of a resource library or knowledge hub that centralizes research, policy tools, and movement-building resources for Coalition partners
• Identify opportunities to improve the platform's functionality and user experience in service of the Coalition's statewide connector role

Cross-Functional Team Support

• Support the development of resources, toolkits, or implementation guides that hospital partners can use to strengthen birth equity strategies internally
• Contribute to grant reporting by providing research summaries, data, and narrative content as needed
• Perform other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in research, policy analysis, program evaluation, or a related role
• Bachelor's degree in public health, health policy, social work, sociology, or a related field; or substitute with four additional years of relevant professional experience

Other Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience conducting qualitative research, including interviews, focus groups, or community-based data collection
• Familiarity with maternal and infant health, reproductive health, or health equity issues
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information for diverse audiences
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines
• Commitment to racial equity, birth justice, and community-centered approaches to research and advocacy

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in public health (MPH), health policy, public policy, social work, or a related field
• Familiarity with equity and racial justice, cultural humility, and inclusiveness.
• Demonstrated experience supporting or conducting policy research, including bill tracking, legislative analysis, or policy brief writing
• Familiarity with evaluation frameworks and impact reporting, particularly in nonprofit or coalition settings
• Strong facilitation skills
• Strategic thinker
• Self-starter
• Excellent writing skills, including the ability to synthesize large amounts of information into succinct summaries and reports
• Ability to work with autonomy in a fast paced, high productivity environment
• Commitment to California communities experiencing health equity challenges

FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FLSA) STATUS

This position is classified as exempt based on the job duties. However, based on the FTE, salary level of the employee, or federal/state/local laws, the employee may be classified as nonexempt.

This is a primarily remote position that is based in California. The individual hired for this position will be expected to work in their home office. They must also be able and willing to travel to the Los Angeles office as needed for meetings and events.

This position is classified as exempt based on the job duties. However, based on the FTE, salary level of the employee, or federal/state/local laws, the employee may be classified as nonexempt.

The Public Health Institute is committed to a policy that provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation, and to make all employment decisions so as to further this principle of equal employment opportunity. To this end, the PHI will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, pregnancy, medical condition including genetic characteristics, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identification and expression, sexual orientation, and will take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are offered employment and employees are treated during employment without regard to these characteristics.

For further information regarding Equal Employment Opportunity, copy and paste the following URL into your web browser: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf

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We're so pleased the Public Health Institute is an organization you would like to work with. Do you have questions about this opportunity? If so, email our recruitment team at Recruitment@phi.org.

Additional information about PHI's benefits and compensation offerings can be found here.

The Public Health Institute is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Recruitment Team at least 48 hours in advance at Recruitment@phi.org.