Careers

Description:

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent research center at the University of Washington. Its mission is to deliver to the world timely, relevant, and scientifically valid evidence to improve health policy and practice. IHME carries out its mission through a range of projects within different research areas including: the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors; Future Health Scenarios; Costs and Cost Effectiveness; Resource Tracking; and Impact Evaluations. Our vision is to provide policymakers, donors, and researchers with the highest-quality quantitative evidence base so all people live long lives in full health.

IHME is committed to providing the evidence base necessary to help solve the world’s most important health problems. This requires creativity and innovation, which is cultivated by an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment that respects and appreciates differences, embraces collaboration, and invites the voices of all IHME team members.

IHME has an exciting opportunity for a Data Analyst on the Neonatal and Child Health (NCH) team. A core research area for IHME is the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors enterprise (GBD). A systematic, scientific effort to quantify the comparative magnitude of health loss due to diseases, injuries, and risk factors by age, sex, and geography over time, GBD is the largest and most comprehensive effort to date to measure epidemiological levels and trends worldwide. GBD’s aim is to provide policymakers, donors, researchers, and the communities they serve with the highest-quality quantitative evidence base to make decisions that achieve better health. Within this broader enterprise, the Neonatal and Child Health (NCH) team quantifies fatal and nonfatal health loss due to diverse conditions such as congenital birth defects, neonatal disorders, hemoglobinopathies, child growth failure, breastfeeding, oral disorders, anemia, and cerebral palsy.

Data Analysts on our team must develop an understanding of different research needs and analytic functions across multiple NCH projects. The Data Analyst must bring strong quantitative and problem-solving skills and experience in data science and cluster computing to the role. The Data Analyst must also be able to independently translate requests into actionable results through interactions with research databases, formulation of displays of results, and the development and management of complex coding pipelines and processes. The position calls for dexterity working with complex databases and the ability to assess, transform, and utilize quantitative data and processing methods using multiple coding languages – Python and R skills are required for this position. The individual must then quality control results to ensure that other team members have exactly what they need to incorporate the data and results into their own components of the analytic process, presentations, and papers.

Additionally, this position will work alongside other Data Professionals and Researchers on complementary projects and will require knowledge and skill sharing and collective problem solving. Overall, the Data Analyst will be a critical member of an agile, dynamic research team. This position is contingent on project funding availability.

Responsibilities:

Research command

• Become familiar with substantive areas of expertise to understand the dimensions and uses of health data and the analytic underpinnings of different research streams.
• Work directly with researchers to successfully run portions of complex pipelines, create diagnostic tools and produce tables, figures, and maps for publications and presentations.
• Create and document efficient, effective, and replicable methods for developing and managing code, managing data quality, and explaining complex analytic processes.

Data management and analytics

• Problem-solve computational and analytic challenges by investigating the results, understanding the root questions, and coming up with alternative measurement strategies.
• Implement code solutions in order to answer analytic questions, perform diagnostics on results, and test and assess new methods.
• Maintain, update, and carry out routine but complex computational processes and statistical modeling that are central to generating estimates of key indicators.
• Become familiar with statistical methods, including hypothesis testing and regression concepts.
• Execute queries on databases and resolve intricate questions in order to respond to the needs of senior researchers and external requests from collaborators, media, policymakers, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Bring together data, analytic engines, and data visualizations in one seamless computational process.
• Use protocols to identify problems with datasets and routine computational processes, rectify issues, and systematize data for future analyses.
• Transform and format data sets for use in ongoing analyses. Catalog and incorporate these datasets into databases. Perform quality checks.

General

• Create tables, figures, and maps for presentations and publications.
• Provide referencing and other support for publications and presentations.
• Communicate clearly and effectively while contributing as a member of the Institute.
• Work closely with other team members to assist with relevant tasks, facilitate learning new skills, and help resolve emerging problems on different projects.
• Participate in overall community of the Institute, carrying out duties as required with other Institute members.

As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs.  For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, engineering, computer science or related field plus two years’ related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience

Additional Requirements:

• Spoken and written language skills in English required.
• Demonstrated success in developing code in Python and R required, while skills in Stata, Javascript, Java, C++, PHP, and MySQL, are not required, but desirable.
• Prior cluster computing experience.
• Interest in global health, population health, and/or ways in which quantitative research and data science can be used to create valuable global public good.
• Demonstrated self-motivation, ability to absorb detailed information, flexibility, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, energetic, highly creative, and entrepreneurial environment.
• Ability to learn new information quickly and to apply analytic skills to better understand complex information in a systematic way.
• Strong quantitative and problem solving aptitude.
• A commitment to working alongside others at IHME to illuminate the health impacts of systemic racism and to work within IHME to make our organization more diverse and inclusive. See IHME’s DEI statement here:  http://www.healthdata.org/get-involved/careers/dei

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process.  These assessments may include Workforce Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others.  Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.