Research Scientist 2 (Temporary)

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

About The Position

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 Kidney Research Institute (KRI) functions as the research arm within the Nephrology Division of the UW Department of Medicine, with a goal of conducting innovative clinical research to improve the health and quality of life of persons with kidney disease and related conditions. The KRI carries out a diverse portfolio of research in areas such as nephrology, cardiology, endocrinology, critical care, and others. The Division of Nephrology in the Department of Medicine has an outstanding opportunity for a Full-Time , Temporary Research Scientist 2. The Research Scientist will provide data management support for a wide variety of scientific research projects involving human subjects with kidney disease and related conditions. This position entails working directly with multiple KRI investigators on a wide range of scientific research projects related to kidney disease. The scope of work will include management and curation of data from all phases of research, including development and maintenance of datasets originating from the electronic health record (EHR), performing data quality checks to ensure optimal quality and accuracy of data, programming in REDCap, and preparing final analytic datasets. The position may also have some overlap with quantitative data analysis, reporting of results, and manuscript development and grant writing and support as needed by the study teams and depending on the experience and interest of the applicant. The successful applicant will be highly organized, detail-oriented, able to work independently on multiple tasks, and can communicate effectively with a diverse group of collaborators.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in biostatistics, informatics, computer science, or related field and two years of relevant experience.
Equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license, certification, and/or registration.
Experience in at least one database management system (DBMS) such as MS SQL, Oracle Database, or PostgreSQL
Experience in at least one programming language such as Python, R, or SQL

Nice To Haves

Strong capacity for teamwork, collaborative, critical thinking, and attention to detail
Excellent organizational skills and strong attention to detail
Excellent written and oral communication skills required
Ability to prioritize competing demands to successfully meet deadlines
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Responsibilities

Perform complex data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) from the EHR for use in analyses
Generate reports from clinical databases
Create complex EHR data queries to allow for direct import into case report forms
Create, manipulate, and merge large and complex datasets in SQL
Develop reusable functions using appropriate software packages; document and package code and follow standards for reproducible research
Implement statistical programs using STATA, SAS, and/or R and parallel computing
Learn about and implement novel/unfamiliar statistical methods, depending on the candidate’s skills and project needs
Perform statistical analyses of data for grant preparation and for publication in peer reviewed journals
Develop SOPs for development of datasets originating from the EHR
Perform quality checks and quality assurance measures to ensure results accuracy
Problem-solve computational and analytic challenges by investigating and rectifying data issues
Work directly with researchers to develop alternative analytic strategies in response to challenges
Develop and maintain study protocols
Produce research products such as well-documented algorithms and code, software, and research publications
Prepare results for publications, work with collaborators in writing publications, and, in some cases, take the lead in writing publications
Contribute to research design, including exploring varied analytic approaches and coding techniques to improve on results
Other duties as assigned that fall within reasonable scope of the position