Data Analyst, Tobacco Metrics

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.

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; 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 exciting opportunity for a Data Analyst to join the Tobacco Metrics team on the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study.

POSITION PURPOSE
The GBD is 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, the GBD is the largest and most comprehensive effort to date to measure epidemiological levels and trends worldwide. The GBD’s aim is to provide policymakers, donors, and researchers with the highest-quality quantitative evidence base to make decisions that achieve better health. This team engages in methodological development and analysis to measure tobacco use as part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study. Outputs include estimates of exposure, attributable burden, and evidence of the relationship of exposure to the risk factors to associated health outcomes.

The main purpose of the Data Analyst position is to provide support to the GBD Tobacco team’s research projects through database management, data quality management, computational support to multi-disciplinary 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 interactions with research databases, formulation of displays of results, and development of 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, quality control results, and utilize quantitative data using coding languages including Stata and R 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 on 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 in order to answer analytic questions, perform diagnostics on results, and test and assess new methods.

Maintain, update, and adapt databases containing tobacco data from multiple sources.

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 data sets for use in ongoing analyses. Catalogue 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 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.

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 Stata and R.

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.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Appointment to this position is contingent upon obtaining satisfactory results from a criminal background check.

Weekend and evening work sometimes required.

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.