Research Training Specialist

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.

POSITION PURPOSE
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 Research Training Specialist on the Learning and Development team (L&D) focusing on the Global Burden of Disease study. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) provides a tool to quantify health loss from hundreds of diseases, injuries, and risk factors, so that health systems can be improved and disparities can be eliminated. The tools allow decision-makers to compare the effects of different diseases, such as malaria versus cancer, and then use that information at home. Collected and analyzed by a consortium of more than 9,000 researchers in 162 countries and territories, the data capture premature death and disability from more than 350 diseases and injuries in 204 countries, by age and sex, from 1990 to the present, allowing comparisons over time, across age groups, and among populations. To make these results more accessible and useful, IHME has distilled large amounts of complicated information into a suite of interactive data visualizations that allow people to make sense of the over 1 billion data points generated. Learn more about the GBD.

The incumbent in this role is responsible for understanding the methods, tools, analytical procedures/processes, and data used in the Global Burden of Disease study, assessing learning needs of IHME employees and external stakeholders related to the GBD, and developing training and learning solutions to address them. This role will be a key driver in cultivating the ability of IHME employees and collaborators to use GBD methods, tools, and data. The successful applicant will produce education and training opportunities related to GBD analytical methods, data sources, visualization tools, and policy implications that cultivate connections and knowledge sharing with an audience of engaged practitioners around the world. This position will play a key role in advancing the Institute’s ability to conduct innovative and groundbreaking research through the creation of learning opportunities that train a global community of researchers/practitioners in the GBD. The incumbent will gain advanced knowledge of GBD and have the ability to translate that proficiency into novel training solutions to address the learning needs of external audiences, collaborators, and institutional stakeholders. Strong expertise/experience in public health, research methods, and data science are required for creating and delivering relevant learning solutions. The individual must have an interest in education and training and be open to learning/developing skills in instructional design and curriculum development.

The ideal candidate will be comfortable collaborating with instructional designers and eLearning developers to create online trainings and multimedia learning assets, keeping content relevant and updated, and continuing to help develop current training offerings. Direct engagement with various research and operational teams across the Institute to build learning solutions that catalyze their capacity to achieve IHME’s mission to improve the health of the world’s populations is also a key aspect of this role. The individual in this role will provide learning solutions to individuals from different cultural, linguistic, and disciplinary backgrounds and must be prepared to address the learning needs of individuals who possess a wide range of experience and understanding both intellectually and professionally. IHME is a grant-funded organization, and this position is contingent upon project funding availability.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Content production
Manage content development process with internal stakeholders, including scheduling meetings, managing timelines, tracking progress, and building assessments.
Develop a comprehensive/deep knowledge of the GBD methods, tools, and data used across teams at IHME.
Work with individuals and teams at IHME as well as IHME stakeholders/collaborators to understand their learning needs related to the GBD.
Translate knowledge of the GBD into content for learning solutions including in-person training, online training, job aids, and reference guides.
Write storyboards, scripts, and production-ready content for various GBD education and training opportunities.
Build teaching materials as needed, including lecture slides, instructor notes, practice exercises, and case studies.

Curriculum support
Advise on the development of curricula for various GBD training opportunities including workshops, skill-building training, academic courses, and online training.
Contribute to the development of lesson plans, learner assessments, practice exercises, and other instructional design materials that address learning needs related to GBD methods, tools, and data.
Contribute to the writing of goal statements, learning objectives, and performance objectives, and advise on mapping them to instructional strategies and teaching materials.
Advise the L&D team on how to use/interpret learner data/feedback from GBD training to adapt, revise, and update the design of curriculum and content.
Advise on the production of eLearning resources and courses; job aids; training manuals; and reference guides on the GBD for IHME research teams and external stakeholders.
Provide support for courses taught by IHME faculty at the University of Washington. Duties may include building and updating course syllabi, lesson plans, exercises, and assessments.

Teaching
Teach in-person and synchronous virtual training on GBD methods, data visualization tools, results, policy implications, and data management procedures for both internal staff and external audiences.

General
Utilize project management skills to meet project milestones, communicate issues and risks in a timely manner, and manage internal stakeholder expectations for trainings.
Manage content development process with internal stakeholders, including scheduling meetings, managing timelines, tracking progress, and building assessments.
Manage relationships with internal stakeholders and service providers (when necessary), work directly with ODT team members to implementation and execute the logistics and specifics of learning solutions, as needed.
Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor’s degree in education, communication, business, public health, or related field plus four years of work experience, or equivalent combination of education/experience.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
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: https://www.healthdata.org/about/mission-vision/DEI.
Strong theoretical and experiential knowledge of GBD research methods, tools, results, and data.
Proficiency using GBD visualization tools to investigate different questions about health at the local, regional, and global levels.
Understanding or experience using the modeling tools used in the GBD such as CODEm, DisMod, MR-BRT, etc.
Strong interpersonal, teamwork, and customer service skills, as well as the ability to foster positive relationships with diverse members of staff and supervisors.
Demonstrated project management skills, including the abilities to think independently, track many details and logistics concurrently, be flexible, and juggle priorities for multiple ongoing projects with minimal supervision.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy. Strong MS Office software skills, including proficiency in MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, and MS Outlook (specifically, managing calendars).

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Master’s degree in public health and four years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and/or research-based work.
Experience or interest in designing and developing curricula and building training materials for instructor-led or online trainings.
Ability to understand and use GBD visualization and data resource tools.

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
• The University of Washington requires students and personnel to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. To learn more about the requirements, please review the following: https://www.ehs.washington.edu/covid-19-prevention-and-response/uw-covid-19-vaccination-policy?_ga=2.31959098.540467107.1629831944-1755727657.1623616042.
• Office is located in Seattle, Washington. This position is eligible to work fully remote in the US.
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 equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 / 206-543-6452 (TTY) or dso@uw.edu.
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.