The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is a dynamic organization at the University of Washington. Its mission is to monitor global health conditions and health systems, as well as to evaluate interventions, initiatives, and reforms. IHME aims to expand the quantitative evidence base for decisions in health, empowering policymakers, donors, and researchers with the highest-quality information to best make resource decisions. IHME’s research spans multiple disciplines and policy-relevant areas including resource tracking, cost-effectiveness, forecasting, burden of disease, geospatial analysis, and impact evaluations. It has established international scientific credibility for developing innovative multidisciplinary methods and producing cutting-edge results.

IHME has an outstanding opportunity for a Data Analyst in the Director’s Office. The main purpose of this position is to provide support in ensuring the highest possible scientific excellence in IHME’s work across multiple projects, a role essential to the Institute’s international credibility and continued success. This position contributes to the critical review of research results; data quality management; and overall scientific scrutiny within the Institute. By investigating and identifying potential research challenges, the Data Analyst contributes to pinpointing solutions for the timely and efficient production of high-caliber scientific and policy-relevant results.

This position must develop an understanding of different research needs and analytic functions across multiple projects to best meet scientific needs across the Institute and within the Director’s Office. The Data Analyst must be able to independently translate requests into actionable results through interactions with research databases, formulation of displays of results, and development of code to be applied to a variety of quantitative data. The position calls for dexterity working with complex data and the ability to ascertain patterns within quantitative data, which may be facilitated by the use of various tools, such as data visualizations and code (e.g., Stata, Python, R). 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, Director’s Office will be a critical member of an agile, dynamic research team.

Responsibilities include:

Research command

• Become familiar with substantive areas of expertise to understand the dimensions and uses of health data and the analytic underpinnings of different research streams, including the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors enterprise, forecasting, cost-effectiveness and efficiency, resource tracking, and geospatial analysis.
• Understand key elements of the details, drivers, and conceptual underpinnings behind different methods, tools, and approaches employed within various complex, multidisciplinary, quantitative projects.
  
  Analytic investigation and consistency
• Problem-solve computational and analytic challenges by investigating the data, understanding the root questions, and coming up with alternative measurement strategies.
• Carefully review IHME’s preliminary results to identify inconsistencies or problems that need to be addressed prior to publication.
• Maintain a repository of issues that have been flagged for follow-up by various research team members including through formal review processes, from collaborators, and other means of review, and to assist with their follow-up and continued status for implementation.
• Perform quality assurance and routine diagnostics on data and databases.
• Using standardized protocols, identify problems with datasets, rectify issues, and systematize data for future analysis.
• Develop novel solutions to the problem of comparing highly different quantitative datasets.
  Diagnostics
• Assist with the design and implementation of diagnostics to iteratively assess the quality of results for a variety of research teams.
• Learn about data and results verification needs. Identify possible areas where solutions from one project could be applied to another.
• Provide analytic and diagnostics support to the IHME Scientific Advisor, as needed.
  General
• Communicate clearly and effectively while contributing as a productive member of the Director’s Office and the Institute as a whole. Work closely with other team members to help them with relevant tasks, show them how to learn new skills, and help resolve emerging problems on different projects. Attend relevant meetings, adhere to deadlines, and participate as a vital member to collectively advance team-level objectives.
• Contribute to fulfilling publication, presentation, and data requests by generating tables or figures and running data queries to optimally address team needs.
• Work with data visualization developers, data indexers, and other staff as needed to support the needs of the project.
• Participate in the overall community of the Institute, carrying out duties as required as team members with other Institute members.
• Participate in and/or lead internal trainings to share knowledge and ensure consistency across the Institute.
• Other duties as assigned.As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs.  For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, science, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and two years’ work experience.
  Additional  Requirements:
• Exceptional focus and attention to detail.
• Strong facility with analytic tasks and ability to participate productively in interdisciplinary research teams.
• Pattern recognition ability; recognizes patterns in data and easily spots inconsistencies.
• Demonstrated quantitative aptitude, desire to learn new skills and information, and ability to interpret complex analytic quantitative information.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, self-motivation, flexibility, strong communication skills, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, energetic, highly creative, entrepreneurial environment.
• Knowledge of global health research preferred.
• Experience with developing code in R, Python, Stata, SQL, or other coding language optimal.
• Experience with epidemiology trends and/or statistical modeling methods optimal.
• Experience writing novel code to handle complex analytic tasks optimal.Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

• Weekend and evening work sometimes required.Application Process:
  The application process for UW positions 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 Workforce Authorization, Criminal Conviction History, 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.