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; Costs and Cost Effectiveness; Local Burden of Disease; 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 is 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 Postdoctoral Scholar to join the Pandemics team. This position will work on IHME's groundbreaking COVID-19 projections project, developing and conducting novel analysis to measure the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, this Postdoctoral Scholar will sit on the methods development team, and will be responsible for jointly developing and experimenting with alternative modeling and data approaches to measure COVID-19 epidemics.

We are looking for someone ready to advance their career in global health research. As a Postdoctoral Scholar you will be a lead on your research team by contributing to research design and training and mentoring junior staff. IHME researchers analyze and produce key estimates for their assigned research team and assess all available relevant 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.

You will be integrally involved in producing, critiquing, improving, and disseminating results. You are someone that is capable of keeping your team on track to meet deadlines and research objectives. You have experience with the publication process, and at IHME, you will build out your portfolio with several peer-reviewed papers. You thrive in a collaborative work environment and are capable of working on multiple projects concurrently while meeting deadlines. You keep current of recent scientific, engineering, and technical advances and are able to translate these into your research. Anticipated start date is Fall 2020. This position is contingent on project funding availability. 

Postdoctoral Scholar appointments are initially for 12-months with opportunities to renew. Appointment not to exceed 5 years, including postdoctoral experience(s) at other institutions. 

Postdoctoral scholars are represented by UAW 4121 and are subject to the collective bargaining agreement, unless agreed exclusion criteria apply. For more information, please visit the University of Washington Labor Relations website.

Responsibilities

• Exhibit command of future health scenarios, infectious diseases, Global Burden of Disease (GBD), Financing Global Health (FGH), and Microsimulation, among the research areas at IHME, including the methodologies and respective components.
• Independently carry out quantitative analyses and participate in reciprocal research projects. Interpret and vet results from junior staff, formulate conclusions and inform team leaders.
• Develop, quality check, and distribute complex data sets to be used in epidemiological and statistical analyses.
• Develop and implement new computational and statistical methods. Create, test, and use relevant computer code (R and Python). Maintain, modify, and execute analytic machinery that generates publicly-available results.
• Contribute to drafting of presentations, manuscripts, and funding proposals. Lead and co-author scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.
• Maintain scientific awareness and intellectual agility with data, methods, and analytic techniques.
• Provide ideas and content for the development of internal trainings. Teach established trainings.
• Contribute to research design.
• Other duties as assigned that fall within reasonable scope of research team.

Conditions of employment:

• Weekend and evening work sometimes required.