Job

Researcher, Health Systems - University of Washington | Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation

Description:

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 excellent opportunity for a Researcher to join our Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Health Systems team with a primary focus on the use and quality of reproductive and maternal health services. Other areas of focus include infrastructure (hospital beds, hospital capacity, health facility characteristics, etc.) and health system performance broadly defined (universal health coverage (UHC) effective coverage index, Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index, financial risk protection, etc.). 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. The Health Systems team produces high-quality health systems data (including human resources, physical resources, capacity, coverage, utilization, etc.) to help policymakers, donors, researchers, and the general public make decisions that improve health.

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 availability.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop a core understanding of the content and estimation of key reproductive and maternal health service indicators (e.g., unmet need, modern contraceptive prevalence, method mix, etc.).
• Develop a core understanding of the health systems analytic framework and models and measures of health system performance, including the UHC effective coverage index, the Healthcare Access and Quality (HAQ) Index, and financial risk protection.
• Develop a core understanding of the content and estimation of infrastructure indicators (e.g., hospital beds, hospital bed utilization, and health facility characteristics as identified through facility surveys).
• Under the guidance of experienced scientist and/or faculty, carry out quantitative analyses and statistical modeling to produce results for the GBD Health Systems team. Analyze designated reproductive and maternal health, infrastructure, and other health system indicators on a given timeline as part of collaborative research projects for both internal and external audiences.
• 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 and reproductive 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 long-term interest in a research scientist position contributing to the overall mission of our research.
• 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/careers/dei

DESIRED:

• Proven interest and some experience in broader health systems analysis with knowledge of health facility, infrastructure, or health system performance indicators.
• Track record of success in co-authorship on scientific papers, presenting results, and representing research at meetings.

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