About the Role
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; 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 our Health Systems and Population, Fertility, and Mortality (PFM) Teams with a primary focus on the availability, use, and quality of maternal and child health care. This project focuses on assessing the services provided at antenatal healthcare visits, the location of births by level of facility (e.g. hospital, health clinic or other type of facility), and the supply and quality of maternal health care in health facilities. The Data Analyst will be involved in extracting and analyzing neonatal and infant deaths according to whether delivery occurred in a health facility or at home and assisting project staff with producing forecasts of select maternal care indicators into 2050.
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 must develop an understanding of different research needs and analytic functions across multiple projects to best meet research needs. Data Analysts must be 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.
This position calls for dexterity working with complex databases and the ability to assess, transform, and utilize quantitative data using multiple coding languages (R, Python, SQL, Stata). 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 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 team. This position is contingent on project funding availability.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Research Command
Become familiar with key pregnancy care indicators (e.g. skilled birth attendance, in-facility delivery, Caesarian section, postnatal care, and antenatal care quality, including blood draw, blood pressure, tetanus vaccination, and urine analysis).
Become familiar with all-cause neonatal mortality (age 28 days and younger) and infant mortality (age 1 year and younger) for those delivering in health facilities versus those delivering at home.
Work directly with Health Systems and Population, Fertility, and Mortality (PFM) team members to collate, process and analyze vital registration data, sibling surveys, and other demographics data to characterize the availability and quality of services for pregnancy, delivery and postpartum at a subnational level, with a focus on: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and Pakistan
Create and document efficient, effective, and replicable methods for extracting neonatal and infant mortality data by health facility, 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 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.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Demonstrated success in developing code in 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 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.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Demonstrated success in developing code in Python, SQL, Stata, or other coding languages.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Weekend and evening work sometimes required.
This position is open to anyone authorized to work in the US. 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 US.
This position is funded for one year, with a possibility of extension contingent on the availability of funding.
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.
Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.
The University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.
To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu.
Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.
COVID-19 VACCINATION REQUIREMENT
Employees of the University of Washington are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless a medical or religious exemption is approved. Being fully vaccinated means that an individual is at least two weeks past their final dose of an authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. As a condition of employment, newly hired employees will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination. View the Final candidate guide to COVID-19 vaccination requirement webpage for information about the medical or religious exemption process for final candidates.