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 (GBD); Future Health Scenarios; Costs and Cost Effectiveness; Local Burden of Disease; 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 excellent opportunity for a Researcher to join our Reproductive, Genitourinary, and Digestive disease estimation (RGUD) team.

POSITION PURPOSE

You will be integrally involved in analyzing and producing key estimates for select diseases in the RGUD portfolio, with specific emphasis on viral hepatitis and related diseases. IHME researchers assess all available quantitative data – including those on causes of death, epidemiology, and a range of determinants such as education and income – from surveys, vital registration, censuses, literature, registries, and administrative records.  Using established modeling tools and through creation of novel code, researchers incorporate all relevant data to produce up-to-date and scientifically credible results.

You will be integrally involved in producing, critiquing, improving, and disseminating results. You already have a command of epidemiology, statistics, disease modeling, or related interests and we will help you develop an understanding of our core research and methodology. Our researchers work with senior research leads and external collaborators and take part in the intellectual exchange about how to improve upon and disseminate results.

You are expected to interact successfully with a wide range of partners and describe complex concepts and materials concisely. Overall, researchers are critical members of agile, dynamic research teams. This position is contingent on project funding availability.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop a core understanding of reproductive, genitourinary and digestive disease burden estimation methodology and components, with particular emphasis on viral hepatitis and related diseases.
• Conduct systematic reviews for parameters used in the existing GBD hepatology modeling framework and additional parameters to support extensions and improvements to that framework.
• Identify, extract, transform, summarize, and analyze data from various sources and databases to determine their relevance and utility for ongoing analysis. Understand key data sources and variations in these across and within countries.
• Apply computational and statistical tools and algorithms for the preprocessing, analysis, and visualization of source data.
• Under the guidance of an experienced research scientist and/or faculty, carry out quantitative analyses and statistical modeling to produce results designated on a given timeline as part of collaborative research projects.
• Review, assess, and improve results and methods.
• Document code and analytic approaches systematically so analyses can be replicated by other team members.
• Lead discussion in research meetings about results and analyses to vet, improve, and finalize results.
• Contribute to recommendations for improving GBD modeling of hepatitis E and other acute viral hepatitides based on findings.
• Contribute to creation of presentations, manuscripts, and funding proposals. Co-author paper(s).
• Maintain scientific awareness and intellectual agility with data, methods, and analytic techniques.
• Other duties as assigned that fall within reasonable scope of research team.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, statistics, biostatistics, math, economics, quantitative social sciences or related discipline plus one year of related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Proven interest and some experience in a given disease, risk, key indicator, methodological area, and the related data sources and scientific underpinnings.
• Strong analytic, critical thinking, and quantitative skills
• Ability to professionally and effectively communicate and work with other staff at all levels in order to achieve team goals for the analyses and related outputs.
• Results and detail-oriented individual that can initiate and complete tasks under tight deadlines and changing priorities both independently and in a team environment. Flexibility with hours and workload is key.
• Working ability with at least one statistical programming language (e.g. R, Python, Stata, SAS, SQL).  Candidates with working ability in a statistical programming language other than R can be competitive for this position, but should be prepared to rapidly develop working knowledge of R to use and maintain inherited code.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Ability to work both independently and in collaboration with a team
• A long-term interest in a research scientist position contributing to the overall mission of our research
• A commitment to working to 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/about/dei

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Track record of success in co-authorship on scientific papers, presenting results, and representing research at meetings.
• Knowledge of machine learning, data mining, and analytic techniques.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT  

• Weekend and evening work sometimes required.
• This position is open to anyone authorized to work in the U.S. The UW is not able to sponsor visas for staff positions.
• Office is located in Seattle, Washington. This position is eligible to work fully remote in the U.S.; work schedule required to overlap 50% of IHME office hours, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific Time.

Application Process:   The application process 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 Work 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.