Managing Research Scientist, Future Health Scenarios

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 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.

The FHS team is growing and is eagerly seeking both academic and staff candidates for several positions. We warmly invite you to review this position as well as our other position for a Lead Research Scientist (req 238490). If you find roles that align with your qualifications and spark your interest, we strongly encourage you to apply. You can view more positions for the Future Health Scenarios team on our website found here:https://www.healthdata.org/about/careers. This is a wonderful opportunity to join our dynamic team and contribute to our growth. We look forward to reviewing your application(s).

IHME has an excellent opportunity for a Managing Research Scientist on the Future Health Scenarios (forecasting) team.

POSITION PURPOSE

The Future Health Scenarios (FHS) team at IHME produces forecasts and alternative health scenarios for more than 300 causes of disease and disability, over 70 risk factors contributing to health loss, and many other determinants of health, such as fertility, education, and vaccine coverage. The FHS platform produces probabilistic forecasts as well as alternative scenarios that quantify the lives saved resulting from effective policies that reduce risk exposure or scale up new or existing interventions. Results from the FHS team are used by stakeholders around the world to chart the course for improving health outcomes in their communities.

We are looking for someone ready to advance in their career in global health research. As a Managing Research Scientist, you will drive forward analytic innovation to improve upon existing methods or develop new methods, as well as supervise, train, and mentor junior staff. IHME researchers analyze and produce key estimates for their assigned research team, and on the future health scenarios team they also develop custom scenarios that mimic what the future may look like if different risk factors or interventions scale up or down over time. Managing Research Scientists play a critical role in supervising and managing research team staff, accelerating methodologic advancements, and presenting our work to internal and external audiences.

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

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Research Command

• Exhibit command of team research area, including the methodology, components, and how it intersects and intertwines with the larger Global Burden of Disease enterprise in order to effectively manage the work, engage partners in the research process, as well as lead trainings, give presentations, and conduct seminars on substantive research topics to internal and external partners.
• Independently carry out quantitative analyses and participate in reciprocal research projects. Interpret and vet results from staff, formulate conclusions, and inform team leaders.
• Review research outputs from staff for validity.
• Develop and implement new computational and statistical methods. Create, test, and use relevant computer code (Python).
• Support staff in implementing and executing methods to produce research outputs.
• Contribute to research design of new methods and construction of custom forecast scenarios.
• Draft presentations and manuscripts and contribute to funding proposals. Lead and co-author scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.
• Maintain scientific awareness and intellectual agility with data, methods, and analytic techniques.
• Growing peer network where sought out as having solid command with engineering/technical areas, relevant methodological area, and the related scientific underpinnings.

Supervision and Management

• Supervise employees to include hiring and training, leading workflow; priority setting; reviewing work and establishing quality standards; conducting regular performance assessments, providing mentorship and professional development for employees, and making recommendations for disciplinary action as needed.
• Identify training needs and opportunities for team members to grow their skills and advance their careers; Ensure that the team has the necessary resources to complete their tasks effectively.
• Promote positive morale and positive progress towards objectives across all teams; lead effective and efficient team meetings that are structured, inclusive of consultation and constructive feedback, and result in identifiable next steps for team members.
• Keep team members motivated and engaged, recognizing their achievements, and addressing any issues that may affect morale.
• Monitor individual and team performance, provide feedback, and help resolve any performance issues; assist the team in overcoming obstacles, making decisions, and resolving conflicts.
• Ensure that the team adheres to company policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure the team delivers to the highest standards of the organization.
• Ensure the team works effectively with other groups at IHME; promote cross-organization teamwork.
• Assess and map project deliverables to resource needs and allocate resources accordingly; advise PI on short- and long-term team structure. Provide ideas and content and support for the development of internal trainings, for your team, IHME, and external audiences. Teach established trainings.
• Attend required trainings about team leadership, management, and related topics as designated by ODT and the IHME Director.

Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree in statistics, applied math, public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, economics, quantitative social sciences, or related discipline plus four years' related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Previous supervisory experience with hiring, developing employees, priority setting, setting quality standards, and performance coaching.
• Excellent analytic, critical thinking, and quantitative skills.
• 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.
• 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 Python.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including track record of success in co-authorship on scientific papers, presenting results, and representing research at meetings.
• Ability to work both independently and in collaboration with a team.
• 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.
• A long-term interest in global health research 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.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• PhD in statistics, applied mathematics, public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, economics, or quantitative social sciences plus two years’ experience preferred.
• Experience with Bayesian statistical modeling, machine learning, and time series analytic techniques.
• Experience mentoring and developing junior employees on soft and technical skills.
• Experience with project management methods.
• Peer-reviewed publication record.
• Experience working with large datasets and computational coding practices for big datasets.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Weekend and evening work is 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 adhere to IHME office hours, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific Time as agreed upon between employee and supervisor.