Data Specialist, Resource Tracking
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent research center at the University of Washington. Its mission is to monitor global health conditions and health systems, as well as to evaluate interventions, initiatives, and reforms. IHME carries out 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; Local Burden of Disease; Resource Tracking; and Impact Evaluations. The aim is to provide policymakers, donors, and researchers with the highest-quality quantitative evidence base to make decisions that achieve better health.
IHME has an exciting opportunity for a Data Specialist to join the Resource Tracking team. This position will work with a dynamic team of researchers and staff at all levels on an assigned research team. The Data Specialist is expected to become specialized in data pertaining to the content area and will consult with researchers as needed to amass relevant data for analysis, presentation, and publication. To create the array of indicators required, this position integrates all available relevant quantitative data from surveys, censuses, literature, and administrative records into central databases. The Data Specialist will make use of innovative, cutting-edge analytic methods to help produce comparable estimates of the impact of diseases, injuries, and risk factors across the globe.
We are looking for someone who has a command of a variety of research needs and analytic functions. The Data Specialist must be able to independently translate requests into actionable results by writing and implementing novel code. The individual must be adept at navigating complex databases and analytic engines, be able to design and interpret diagnostics, and troubleshoot problems in order to resolve them. He/she must be able to independently interpret results to assess their quality and must be able to assess, transform, and utilize a broad array of quantitative data using multiple coding languages (Stata, Python, R, SQL). Frequently the individual will be given assignments where a desired end results is identified but there is no preset path laid for achieving it. The individual therefore must carry out individual planning and problem solving to resolve computational questions and produce results.
This position will additional work alongside other research staff on complementary projects and will require knowledge and skill sharing and collective problem solving. Overall, the Data Specialist will be a critical member of an agile, dynamic research team. This position is contingent on project funding availability.
Responsibilities Include:
Research command
- Exhibit command of one or more of the research areas at IHME, including their basic tenets, principles, and the nature of the data and results.
- 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.
- Design and articulate ways to improve routine computational processes, including the relevant trade-offs of different approaches, for decision-making purposes.
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.
- Design, implement, and execute improvements to complex machinery to compute estimates of indicators.Optimize performance of machinery while running it to generate indicators as part of the annual production cycle.
- Maintain, update, and improve upon databases and diagnostics of the data.
- Enhance and execute analytic engines, statistical models, and tools to carry out functions responsive to the analytic questions to be resolved.
- Execute queries and complete novel analytics to answer questions from senior researchers, collaborators, donors, and other stakeholders.
- Create and execute diagnostics and summary reports on data, databases, and routine computational processes to assess performance and results.
- Develop and use protocols to identify problems with datasets and routine computational processes, rectify issues, and systematize data for future analyses.
- Assess and contribute to decision-making about what type of coding language and approach to use in accomplishing routine computational tasks.
- Transform and format data sets for use in ongoing analyses.Catalogue and incorporate these datasets into databases.Perform quality checks.
- Develop novel representations of data and results for senior researchers and other stakeholders.
- Assess results and provide input on validity.
- Create new code functions to add to a common code library to make more efficient commonly needed tasks.
General
- Create tables, figures, and generate text for presentations and publications, drawing upon data and information from a multitude of sources.
- Communicate clearly and effectively while contributing as a member of both the Institute.
- Work closely with other team members to assist with relevant tasks, facilitate learning new skills, and to help resolve emerging problems on different projects.
- Serve as a resource to others in explaining analytic approaches, describing data, and instructing how to implement code. Participate in and/or lead internal trainings.
- Participate in overall community of the Institute, carrying out duties as required as team members with other Institute members.
Requirements:
Bachelor's Degree in social sciences, engineering, computer science or related field plus four years' related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Demonstrated success in developing code in R, Python, SQL, or other coding language.
- 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 and evidence of self-direction. Agility with detailed information and data. Demonstrated flexibility and mature communication skills with an 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 aptitude and agility making sense of new data.
- Direct experience with quantitative data from a wide range of disparate sources, including surveys, registries, administrative data, vital registration systems, and research studies.
- Direct experience with quantitative data from a wide range of disparate sources, including surveys, registries, administrative data, vital registration systems, and research studies.
- Demonstrated experience with one or more of the key research areas undertaken at IHME. Ability to explain the major tenets, principles, and purpose of a subset of the analytic work.
- Experience interpreting results and diagnostics in order to help manage quality control system of the input data and results.
- Ability to compartmentalize, illustrate, and explain how code implements analytic strategies.
Desired:
Master’s Degree in social sciences, engineering, computer science or related field plus one year related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Conditions of Employment: Weekend and evening work sometimes required.