Researcher, Health Systems

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 Researcher to join the Health Systems team with a primary focus on the availability, use and quality of maternal health care. This work 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 Researcher will also be involved in estimating and comparing neonatal and infant deaths according to whether delivery occurred in a health facility or at home and producing forecasts of select maternal care indicators into 2050.

The Researcher will analyze and produce estimates using all available quantitative data from household and facility surveys, vital registration, censuses, literature, registries, and administrative records. Using established modeling tools and through creation of novel code, you will incorporate all relevant data to produce the most up-to-date and scientifically credible results. Researchers are integrally involved in producing, critiquing, improving, and disseminating results. You already have a command of epidemiology, statistics, disease modeling, or related interests, and we will help you develop an understanding of our core research and methodology. Our Researchers work with senior research leads and external collaborators and take part in the intellectual exchange about how to improve upon and disseminate the results.

You are expected to interact successfully with a wide range of partners and to describe complex concepts and materials concisely. Overall, Researchers are critical members of agile, dynamic research teams. This position is contingent on project funding availability.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Develop a core understanding of the substance and construction of 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).
Develop a core understanding of the content and be responsible for estimation of all-cause neonatal mortality (less than 28 days) and infant mortality (less than 1 year) for those delivering in health facilities versus those delivering at home.
Work with health systems team members to collate, process and analyze master facility lists, health facility surveys and other 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.
Under the guidance of experienced scientists and faculty, carry out quantitative analyses and statistical modeling to produce estimates of designated pregnancy care and health facility indicators on a given timeline as part of collaborative research projects for both internal and external audiences.
Develop an understanding of the forecasting methods used at IHME and deploy them to forecast core pregnancy care indicators and the quality of antenatal care to 2050.
Extract data from various sources and databases. Format, transform, review, and assess data sources to determine their relevance and utility for ongoing analysis. Understand key data sources and variations in these across and within countries.
Review, assess, and improve results and methods and contribute substantively to the development of new methods.
Build and apply computational and statistical tools and algorithms to analyze and visualize input data and results.
Document code and analytic approaches systematically so that analyses can be replicated by other team members.
Lead discussion in research meetings about results and analyses to vet, improve, and finalize results.
Contribute to creation of presentations, manuscripts, and funding proposals. Co-author paper(s).
Maintain scientific awareness and intellectual agility with data, methods, and analytic techniques.
Other duties as assigned that fall within reasonable scope of research team.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, statistics, biostatistics, math, economics, quantitative social sciences, or related discipline plus 1 year of 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
Proven interest and some experience in the area of maternal, infant, and child health.
Experience working with large datasets and demonstrated ability to synthesize data and correct for known biases.
Strong analytic, critical thinking, and quantitative skills.
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.
Ability to professionally and effectively communicate and work with other staff at all levels in order to achieve team goals for the analyses and related outputs.
Results- and detail-oriented individual who can initiate and complete tasks under tight deadlines and changing priorities both independently and in a team environment. Flexibility with hours and workload is key.
Working ability to program in R or Python and a strong willingness to become an expert.
Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
Ability to work both independently and in collaboration with a team.
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.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Proven interest and some experience in broader health systems analysis with a knowledge of health system frameworks and performance indicators.
Proven interest and experience using surveys and other data to estimate neonatal and infant mortality and maternal care indicators.
Proven interest and experience fielding and/or analyzing health facility surveys with a focus on maternal and child health.
Track record of success in co-authorship on scientific papers, presenting results, and representing research at meetings.

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; work schedule required to overlap 50% of IHME office hours, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
This position is funded through October 2024 with a possibility of an 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.