Researcher (Project/Temporary), Environmental, Occupational, and Dietary Risks

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 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 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 Temporary Researcher (IHME Research Scientist 1) on the Environmental, Occupational, and Dietary (EOD) Risk Factors team to work on a grant focused on maintaining and improving estimates for water, sanitation, and hygiene-related risk factors.

IHME Researchers analyze and produce key estimates for their assigned research team and will assess all available quantitative data – including those on causes of death, epidemiology, and a range of determinants such as education and income – from surveys, vital registration, censuses, literature, registries, and administrative records. Using established modeling tools and through creation of novel code, Researchers incorporate all relevant data to produce the most up-to-date and scientifically credible results.

You will be 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.

Responsibilities:

• Develop a core understanding of assigned research area (e.g., water, sanitation, and hygiene) 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 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 the EOD team.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 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.

Additional Qualifications:

• Proven interest and some experience in environmental risk factors such as water quality, quantitative methodologies, 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 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, including R or Python. R is strongly preferred.
• 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.
• 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: https://www.healthdata.org/about/dei.

Desirable 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 with a possibility of being extended.

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.