MEPS - Bilingual Field Interviewer

Westat is currently seeking motivated and detail-oriented individuals in Fredericksburg County to work as Bilingual Field Interviewers for the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), a continuing, national study of healthcare costs and usage in the United States.

This Federal Government project is subject to the Service Contract Act (SCA). The hourly rate for this position is determined by the location where work is performed. The hourly rate for this location is $21.30. In addition to hourly pay, a Health and Welfare payment of $4.41, which may be reduced based on group benefit election, will be paid weekly for up to 40 work hours per week. Paid training. While working in the field, travel time and mileage is reimbursed.

MEPS, a continuing study since 1996, is sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a part of the Department of Health and Human Services. MEPS Bilingual Field Interviewers are responsible for contacting these households in-person and/or by phone to gain cooperation – setting appointments, conducting interviews in-person using a Westat-provided laptop computer, and collecting MEPS-related electronically signed and/or hard-copy documents. Bilingual Field Interviewers must be fluent in both spoken and written English and Spanish. Field Interviewers report regularly to a Field Supervisor, complete and submit administrative paperwork, and comply with data security and confidentiality requirements.

Interested in more information about MEPS? Click here.

Protecting the health and safety of our employees and survey participants is a top priority for Westat. Based on recommendations from the CDC and other public health authorities, we require staff to protect and monitor their health while working on their assignment. The use of personal protective equipment, regular testing for COVID-19, or other screening activities is required. As a Federal Government contractor, Westat will require staff to provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 upon hire, and to follow all safety protocols, subject to approved accommodations under applicable law.

Basic Requirements:
Candidates must:

• Be 18 or older (or an emancipated minor) with the ability to enter binding confidentiality agreements to protect project information;
• Be available to complete a mandatory, paid web-based home study training prior to in-person training;
• Be available to travel on January 18, 2023, and complete a 6-day, in-person training that begins on January 19 and ends on January 24; and
• Be available to complete additional web-based training, including a practice computer-assisted video interview (CAVI), immediately following the in-person training.

Minimum Requirements:

• Be fluent in both written and spoken English and Spanish. Must successfully complete Westat’s language assessment protocols;
• Reside in and travel to the geographic location determined by the project to contact the households in your assignment and to conduct in-person interviews;
• Be available to work a minimum of 20 hours per week, including daytime, evening, and weekend hours, based on the preferences of the households in your assignment;
• Complete a minimum of four interviews per week when work is available, until the assignment is complete;
• Be able to meet the physical requirements of the position, with or without reasonable accommodations:
  • Lift and carry 20 pounds of equipment and materials;
  • Walk several blocks; and
  • Climb stairs while carrying equipment to gain entry sampled households.
• Have regular and reliable access to a secure high-speed internet connection for data transmission and virtual meetings, during the training and data collection periods;
• Have regular and reliable access to an insured vehicle under your name. Work-related mileage is reimbursed at the prevailing GSA rate; and
• Have a valid (current) driver’s license that is not under suspension.

Preferred Criteria

• Have in-person interviewing and/or CAVI experience;
• Have public contact and/or cold-calling experience; and
• Be comfortable working in unfamiliar locations, knocking on doors, and communicating with people from all kinds of backgrounds and socio-economic groups.

MS Teams or Zoom may be used to conduct interviews with candidates for this position.

Any offer of employment may be contingent upon receipt of acceptable results from a post-offer background screening, if required for the specific position, which may include, for example, identity verification, employment history, motor vehicle driving record history, and criminal or sexual offender records history.

This is a part-time non-exempt position not initially eligible for health insurance. This position is eligible for overtime pay, sick leave, paid vacation, and holiday leave based on hours worked. Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be eligible for consideration for reassignment on other Westat field data collection projects if they become available

Westat is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, genetic information, gender identity or expression, or any other protected status under applicable law.