Job Opportunity - Data Analyst/Statistician/Epidemiologist - Faculty of Human & Social Development, U Vic

Job opportunity: Data Analyst / Statistician / Epidemiologist

Description: Reporting to Dr. Nathan Lachowsky (me), you would provide health research data management and analysis support for numerous quantitative projects under development and being implemented. You would be responsible for ongoing management and analysis of health data, obtained from participant surveys and biological specimen testing.

You will prepare and review analytic protocols as well as analyze these data from conceptualization through written presentation for academic, policy, and community audiences. You must be knowledgeable of quantitative study design, data analysis methodology, and statistics as well as proficient with analytical software (Stata/R/SAS/SPSS, Excel).

As an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health and Social Policy and Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Scholar, I have a vibrant and dynamic program of research focused on community-based health equity research. Our team focuses on empowerment of and social justice for marginalized communities such as LGBTQ2+ people, Indigenous and ethnoracialized minorities, and those living with and affected by HIV, Hep C, and STIs. We’re looking to support enthusiastic folks from the diverse communities that we work with. We believe that no research about these communities should be developed without the communities in question being involved every step of the way. “Nothing about us, without us”. As a research environment, the University, our Faculty and our School espouse values for social justice, Indigenous knowledges, interdisciplinarity, health equity, social justice, and ethical professional conduct.

Location: currently, you could work remotely from anywhere in Canada; ideally, you would eventually work in-person at the University of Victoria, Victoria, BC once COVID-19 control measures are lifted

Hours: Generally, work hours are flexible, but you would be expected to be available for a few meetings per week during regular business hours (9am-5pm) Monday to Friday. You could work either part-time (no less than 21 hours/week) or full-time (35 hours/week); please indicate your preference in your cover  letter, and if part-time how many hours a week you would like to work.

Term: Flexible, but ideally you would start as soon as possible. Your initial contract will go until March 31, 2022 (~18 months), with possibility of renewal.

Pay range: Your hourly rate would range between $25/hour-$40/hour depending on your level of training and years of work experience. 

Job description: Recognizing that no single person may possess all these skills and experience, you will provide support to Dr. Lachowsky and team members (e.g., collaborating faculty, community partner agencies, staff, postdoctoral fellows, students) with the following tasks:

Provide analytical support for research by using quantitative data analysis (descriptive and analytic statistical 

• methodologies). This includes synthesizing results into meaningful outputs for research collaborators.
• Design, write, test, debug, document and maintain program code for statistical analysis and data management
• Contribute to the writing of reports and research papers. This includes providing statistical results, writing methods and result sections, and preparing tables and figures as required.Collaborate on epidemiological and health research grant proposals (e.g., proofing proposals, conducting a priori power and sample size calculations, drafting analysis plans)
• Maintain database organization and storage of research data
• Manage access and use of research data by other team members and collaborators
• Perform data cleaning and linkage
• Program and test survey data collection tools (e.g. SurveyMonkey)Participate in periodic Community-based Health Equity Research group meetings.
• Act as a resource on study design and statistical methodology
• Evaluate and recommend statistical methods for data analysis
• Training and support can be provided in whichever areas are necessary 

Qualifications:

Minimum requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in any relevant field (e.g., health, statistics, sociology) with high achievement in statistics, data analysis, and research methods coursework;
• Knowledge of quantitative research designs and methods;
• Extensive experience with at least one statistical software (e.g. Stata, R, SAS, SPSS) is required;
• Experience conducting data cleaning and linkage as well as programming online surveys;
• Experience working with a variety of data files, including large and complex files, and being able to transform raw data into finished products;
• Experience writing statistical analysis plans and reports is essential;
• Ability to synthesize and present results effectively to both technical and lay audiences Ability to perform statistical analyses with an understanding of assumptions made, and the extent of inference possible based on the design of study
• Passionate for social change to address health inequities for the communities we work with;
• Understanding of and commitment to community-engaged research;
• Strong attention to detail and sense of ethics; Ability to exercise tact, discretion and safeguard confidentiality;
• Proficient with electronic technology (hardware, software), especially Microsoft Office software (i.e., Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint);
• Ability to work independently and in a remote collaborative environment. 

Preferred requirements:

• Advanced education and training (diploma, certificate, graduate degree) in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Public Health, Population Health, Health Informatics, Sociology, or any other relevant field
• Experience working in a research environment;

If you are interested in a position, please send a cover letter, your resume/curriculum vitae, and 2 written examples reporting on statistical analyses you have completed to Anya Slater at anyaslater@uvic.ca. References are not needed at this stage. If you have questions, feel free to write to me at nlachowsky@uvic.ca or call at +1(250)472-5739. We will start reviewing applications September 14, 2020, but the posting will remain open until filled.