Data Scientist - Team Participatory System Dynamics

Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research (PAVIR) supports the nation's second largest research program conducted among the VA Hospitals and is seeking a part-time Data Scientist. The Data Scientist position is part of Team Participatory System Dynamics (PSD), which is working to change the way health care quality improvement decisions are made across all layers of the largest integrated health care system in the United States - the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

This position will build capacities for data analyses among health care professionals and facilitate data-based decision-making among diverse VHA stakeholders. Based on consultation with the Principal Investigator, Co-investigators and the Quantitative and Manuscript workflows, the Data Scientist/Statistician will coordinate data analyses, exploration and visualization across the nationally distributed, cross-functional, multidisciplinary team. In addition, the Data Scientist/Statistician will establish data cleaning and coding processes, and lead team statistical analyses for peer-reviewed journal articles and grant submissions.

This position is part time, 4 hours/week.

BENEFITS

PAVIR is delighted to offer a robust and comprehensive employee benefits package with exceptional offerings such as sick pay policies, a 401(k) with a fully vested 6% company match and 3% profit share, commuter benefits, wellness program, employee assistance program, and professional development training.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Data Exploration and Visualization:
  • Identify and evaluate the reliability of source information;
  • Develop structured databases using data compilation and data cleaning;
  • Create figures and tables that are accessible, communicate insights and contextualize data;
  • Design, develop and deploy routinized programs for sustainable and scalable data visualization and analyses based on input and consultation from team members and frontline VHA stakeholders;
  • Prepare and organize graphic, tabular and written/narrative summaries of exploratory analyses and statistical analyses for team meetings, reports for distribution to VHA leadership and frontline staff, grant applications, and scientific manuscripts.
• Data Communication/Dissemination:
  • Draft, proofread and/or edit research materials; recommendations to team members regarding the clarity, organization and layout;
  • Prepare presentations (poster and slide deck) for professional meetings
  • Co-author manuscripts and publications with a reproducibility workflow (e.g., rMarkdown, Github, Open Science Framework);
  • Provide leadership in designing and implementing data infrastructure for a scaling project;
  • Share data and code as appropriate via online repositories.
• Teamwork and Collaboration:
  • Develop goals and timelines with the Principal Investigator and the quantitative workgroup;
  • Collaborate with the Principal and co-investigators in design and implementation of research methods;
  • Coordinate effectively with programmers, engineers, project co-investigators and mentees for an effective data analytic pipeline;
  • Develop data and code management and documentation protocols to ensure high-quality, transparent and reproducible code for use by a variety of colleagues and VHA stakeholders, including the public;
  • Conduct analyses independently, yet solicit input and make adjustments based on input from team members; produce analyses for iterative improvement based on stakeholder feedback;
  • Review analyses and provide recommendations for analyses completed by other team members;
  • Participate in system design, decisions and code reviews;
  • Resolve any methodological issues or data interpretation issues;
  • Provide support and guidance for project work conducted by external consultants.
• Grant Development, Submission and Resubmission:
  • Develop research proposals;
  • Conduct literature reviews to provide citations and justification for data sources within relevant fields;
  • Develop, submit and update data protocols to VA Palo Alto, Stanford and other institutional review boards (IRBs).
• Manuscript Development, Submission and Resubmission:
  • Conduct literature reviews to provide citations and justification for data sources;
  • Prepare and organize graphic, tabular and written/narrative summaries
  • Draft, proofread and/or edit research materials;
  • Provide recommendations to team members regarding the clarity, organization and layout;
• Other tasks as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Required: Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience;
• 1+ years of related programming experience;
• 3+ years of experience in information science, human-computer interaction, statistics, psychology, public health, computer science or related areas.
• Experience consulting or operating at a high-level independence to produce and communicate data-driven insight to internal and external stakeholders
• Preferred: Master's Degree or Ph.D. in information science, human-computer interaction, statistics, psychology, public health, computer science or related discipline (or equivalent combination of education and experience);
• Experience with health systems research, principles, methods, and public health or health economics with graduate-level training in research methods and statistics;
• Experience working with clinical/healthcare datasets;
• Experience completing data analysis for peer-reviewed manuscripts and federal grant applications.
• Advanced data manipulation including experience with relational and complex databases; skill with other statistical software or programming languages is a strength, but is not required;
• Advanced experience with data visualization and tools; skill with software including PowerBI, Tableau, etc. is a strength, but is not required;
• Record of developing or participating in successful research implementation, or have the training, commensurate experience and interest in developing a successful research trajectory;
• Effective collaborator and contributor to multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary teams;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, excellent verbal communication and written skills;
• Demonstrated commitment to complete projects;
• Demonstrated willingness to both teach others and learn new techniques;
• Prior experience managing/leading a data project.

ABOUT PALO ALTO VETERANS INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH (PAVIR)

PAVIR facilitates research and education activities conducted at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. At PAVIR we work with more than 160 uniquely talented medical scientists. We recruit and retain talented employees who believe in making a difference in the lives of others through innovative health research.

READY TO JOIN OUR RESEARCH TEAM?

If you feel that you would be right for this job, please fill out our initial 3-minute, mobile-friendly application. We look forward to meeting you!

PAVIR is a nonprofit foundation affiliated with the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS). As a condition of employment, all PAVIR employees are required to have an approved appointment with VAPAHCS and complete a background check before they can commence work.

PAVIR is pleased to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Minorities, Women, Veterans, and Individuals with a Disability are encouraged to apply. We welcome and encourage diversity in the workplace regardless of race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you need special assistance or an accommodation to apply for a posted position, please contact jobs@pavir.org - Human Resources department.