Data Analyst, Neonatal and Child Health
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; Local and Small Area Estimation; Future Health Scenarios; Cost Effectiveness and Efficiency; 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 are 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 outstanding opportunity for a Data Analyst on the Neonatal and Child Health team supporting the estimation of anemia, hemoglobinopathies (including sickle cell, thalassemias, and G6PD deficiency), blood disorders, micronutrient deficiencies, and pregnancy-related health outcomes as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) study. IHME’s aim is to provide policymakers, donors, and researchers with the highest-quality quantitative evidence base to make decisions that achieve better health.
The main purpose of the Data Analyst position is to provide support to key research projects through database management, data quality management, computational support to multidisciplinary research projects, data extraction and formatting, and providing key inputs for papers and presentations. Data Analysts are tasked with developing an understanding of different research needs and analytic functions across multiple projects to best meet researcher needs. We are looking for an individual who is able to independently translate requests into actionable results through interacting with research databases, formulating displays of results, and developing complex code to be applied to a variety of quantitative data. The role calls for dexterity in working with complex databases and the ability to assess, transform, and quality control results, and utilize quantitative data using multiple coding languages (R and Python) 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 Analysts 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 upon project funding availability.
DUTIES AND 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 identify the source of data used in models and results, understand the context of the data, and ensure that they are relevant to the analyses themselves.
- Create and document efficient, effective, and replicable methods for extracting data, developing code, organizing data sources, managing data quality, and explaining complex analytic processes.
Data management and analytics
- Problem-solve computational and analytic challenges by investigating the data, understanding the root questions, and coming up with alternative measurement strategies.
- Implement code solutions to answer analytic questions, perform diagnostics on results, and test and assess new methods.
- Maintain, update, and adapt databases containing health data from multiple sources such as surveys, vital registration systems, administrative records, and published studies relevant to the team’s estimation portfolio.
- Maintain, update, and carry out routine but complex computational processes and statistical modeling that are central to generating estimates of key indicators.
- 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 datasets for use in ongoing analyses. Catalog and incorporate these datasets into databases. Perform quality checks.
General
- Create tables, figures, and charts 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 as team members with other Institute members.
MINIMUM 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. As a rule, a bachelor’s degree is equivalent to 4 years’ experience.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
- Demonstrated success in developing code (in R and Python strongly preferred).
- Demonstrated ability in using databases with large-scale, complex datasets.
- Adept diplomacy and exemplary interpersonal skills required. Must be agile at forming respectful and rewarding relationships with people with different levels of experience and expertise from a variety of cultural, linguistic, and professional settings.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to successfully manage multiple tasks and priorities to meet established and changing deadlines.
- Deep interest in global health, population health, and/or ways in which quantitative research and data science can be used to create valuable global public goods.
- Demonstrated self-motivation, ability to absorb detailed information, flexibility, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, energetic, highly creative, and collaborative environment.
- Ability to learn new information quickly and to apply analytic skills to better understand complex information in a systematic way.
- Strong quantitative 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: https://www.healthdata.org/about/mission-vision/DEI.
Condition of Employment
- Weekend and evening work sometimes required.
- This position is open to anyone authorized to work in the US. 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 US.