Position 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; 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 three Postdoctoral Scholars to join the Gender Equality Metrics team. This position will work on developing and conducting novel analyses, leading efforts to develop and experiment with alternative modeling and data approaches. Using established modeling tools and through creation of novel code, postdoctoral scholars incorporate all relevant data to produce the most up-to-date and scientifically credible results. There are multiple research areas within the team, including (1) measuring the primary and secondary impacts of COVID-19 by sex, quantifying gender gaps across all diseases and risk factors estimated by the Global Burden of Diseases Study; (2) assessing social and economic barriers to gender equality in health, and developing an index of gender equality in health; and (3) modeling need, demand, and use of family planning services at a local geographic scale (e.g., district level).

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 early Spring 2021. 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

• Develop a core understanding of gender equality research methodology and its components. This may include relevant sources of data on contraception, fertility, and other related variables; and geostatistical modeling, small area estimation, and other hierarchical modeling approaches.
• 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). 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.

Qualifications

Required

• PhD, MD or foreign equivalent in public health, epidemiology, statistics, biostatistics, math, economics, quantitative social sciences or related discipline plus two years related experience preferred.
• Excellent analytic, critical thinking, and quantitative skills.
• Results and detail-oriented individual that 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.
• Experience devising and executing statistical modeling techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly recognize problems in results and identify root causes in data, methods, and code.
• Ease in designing, executing, and troubleshooting code in R.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills required, including track record of success in co-authorship on multiple scientific papers, presenting results, and representing research at meetings.
• Ability to work both independently and in collaboration with a team.
• A long-term interest in a research driven position contributing to the overall mission of our research.

Desired

• Demonstrated ability with machine learning, data mining, and analytic techniques.
• Record of mentoring and developing junior employees on soft and technical skills.
• Demonstrated experience with project management methods.
• Peer-reviewed publication record.
• Knowledge of small area estimation or geostatistical modeling techniques.
• Experience analyzing health survey data, including data from major survey series such as the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS).

Instructions

Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a brief statement (500-word limit) outlining research interests and one letter of recommendation via Interfolio : https://apply.interfolio.com/81260

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All
qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed,
religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information,
gender identity or expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status.