Researcher (Temporary), RGUD

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent research organization at the University of Washington (UW). 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 (GBD), Injuries, and Risk Factors; Future Health Scenarios; Cost Effectiveness and Efficiency; Resource Tracking; and Impact Evaluations.

IHME has an excellent opportunity for a Temporary Researcher to join the Reproductive, Genitourinary and Digestive (RGUD) disease estimation team. As a Researcher, you will assess data from multiple sources and develop strategies to integrate them into the estimation of nonfatal burden of maternal disorders and attributable burden to key pregnancy-associated risk factors. Under the mentorship of the team lead and other senior research staff, you will develop, test, and implement methods and analytical processes necessary for producing results. You will contribute to the development and execution of analytic strategies, determining which strategies to test and how best to deploy statistical methods and coding techniques. You will be responsible for presenting results for internal critique, incorporating necessary feedback into updates, and will run models to formulate the final results.

You will be integrally involved in producing, critiquing, improving, and disseminating results through the development of peer-reviewed manuscripts, reports, presentations, and similar project outputs. 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 data and research professionals at all levels, and with external collaborators to 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.

Responsibilities:

• Develop a core understanding of Reproductive, Genitourinary and Digestive disease research area methodology and its components.
• Under the guidance of experienced scientist and/or faculty, carry out quantitative analyses and statistical modeling to produce results designated on a given timeline as part of collaborative research projects.
• 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.
• Apply computational and statistical tools and algorithms for the preprocessing, analysis, and visualization of source data.
• 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 the creation of presentations, manuscripts, and funding proposals. Coauthor scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• 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.
• Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.

Additional Requirements:

• Proven interest and some experience in a given disease, risk, key indicator, methodological area, and the related data sources and scientific underpinnings.
• Strong analytic, critical thinking, and quantitative skills.
• 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 with at least one statistical programming language (e.g., R, Python, Stata, SAS, SQL).
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Ability to work both independently and in collaboration with a team.
• A long-term interest in a research scientist position contributing to the overall mission of our research.

Desired Qualifications:

• Track record of success in co-authorship on scientific papers, presenting results, and representing research at meetings.
• Knowledge of machine learning, data mining, and analytic techniques.

Conditions of Employment:

• Weekend and evening work sometimes required.
• This position is open to anyone authorized to work in the US.
• Working internationally is only allowed for IHME sponsored work that requires in -country participation.
• 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 as agreed upon between employee and supervisor.
• This position currently has 12 months of funding/funding until month, year, with a possibility of being extended.

A COVER LETTER IS REQUIRED IN APPLYING FOR THIS POSITION.

Please in your cover letter:

Provide three professional references, including name, position, company, email and phone as well the name and contact information for your current supervisor, including email.

If you are not currently employed, please provide the name and contact information for your most recent supervisor, including email.

Please see a benefits summary here: https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-contract-covered-exempt-20250130-a11y.pdf.