Senior Statistical Scientist

Job Function Summary:

Involves developing and utilizing computational tools and systems to analyze and interpret biological or other research data. Utilizes and develops algorithms, computational techniques, and statistical methodologies. Helps in the design of new experiments. Implements end-user needs in database searching and integration. Maintains the computational infrastructure and tracks the flow of samples and information for large-scale studies. Provides web-based bioinformatics and access to public and proprietary databases.

Custom Scope:

The Division of Geriatrics seeks to recruit a full-time Senior Statistical Scientist who is a highly specialized bioinformatics programming professional with an expert understanding of statistical science and computational methods, recognized organization-wide as the key quantitative expert for a portfolio of multiple research projects of critical importance to the organization. These projects carry substantial consequences of success or failure, as findings and developed tools are used by patients, providers, and researchers across institutions to advance the health of older adults. The candidate is considered a subject-matter expert within the organization and is often recognized externally in the field. The project scope is broad and may extend beyond the university, and the analysis of situations or data requirements may have little or no precedent. The candidate will collaborate with Principal Investigators in the Division of Geriatrics, as well as outside of the Division, as a key scientific team member. The candidate will apply and develop expert-level algorithms, computational techniques, and statistical methodologies for cutting-edge medical solutions, including problems with little or no precedent.

The Senior Statistical Scientist will work with a group of collegial, innovative, and productive epidemiology and health outcomes researchers and clinicians at the University of California, San Francisco, who are focused on improving the health of older persons. The Division of Geriatrics highly values mutual respect and collegiality, and the Senior Statistical Scientist is an essential and highly respected part of our team. The candidate will provide consultation to research teams and national or external collaborators with an expert knowledge of highly complex statistical methods, and will advise investigators on appropriate statistical methods and interpretation of statistics. They will develop and implement computational algorithms and software for novel analyses of the most complex medical and survey data, setting and leading system standards for analysis algorithms, tools, and infrastructure with organization-wide and external impact. They will also lead and coordinate manuscripts, with particular input on advanced computational techniques and statistical methodologies, and will present them at national and international conferences as a recognized subject-matter expert. The candidate leads a team of statisticians and bioinformatics programming professionals in identifying and resolving highly complex issues without precedent, meeting project deadlines, and advancing the team’s capabilities.

Operationally, the candidate’s duties include: working with large, complex databases - including the Health and Retirement Study and Medicare-linked datasets - to derive analytic datasets; formulating extremely sensitive or complex logic for new systems and determining optimal statistical approaches for testing research hypotheses; developing and implementing computational algorithms and software for novel analyses of the most complex medical data; performing extremely complex data modeling and developing, evaluating, and maintaining highly complex analytic systems and algorithms that integrate and link across multiple large-scale databases, including the Health and Retirement Study and Medicare, for a variety of internal and external constituents with broad scope and impact; writing first-author manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings on advanced computational techniques and statistical methodologies; presenting work on complex statistical modeling and computational tools at national and international conferences; conducting expert-level statistical analyses including competing-risks survival regression, Cox proportional hazards model, mixed-effects model, joint model, and linear and logistic regressions using SAS, STATA, and R software; developing and maintaining well-documented software and algorithms for data manipulation and analysis, setting and leading system standards for analysis tools and infrastructure used by statisticians organization-wide and at external institutions; generating and maintaining analytic datasets from large-scale survey data and Medicare datasets used in multiple research projects; overseeing expert support for users and researchers worldwide in the use of large-scale Health and Retirement Study data and Medicare-linked data, including through the NIH Linkage Enclave and the HRS public repository; leading a team of statisticians and bioinformatics programming professionals in identifying and resolving highly complex issues and software bugs in the analysis of complex data, drawing on expert-level knowledge to address unique problems without precedent; providing expert statistical consultation for geriatrics fellows and junior faculty; meeting project deadlines and demonstrating highly developed problem-solving skills across multiple concurrent research projects; coordinating development of documentation and presentations with researchers, scientists, and other project team members; maintaining the computational infrastructure and data flow for large-scale studies, providing expert support to researchers within secure computing environments including the NIH Linkage Enclave; influencing organizational policy and program development in data science and research computing, including through board-level engagement with the NIH Linkage Enclave; and performing other duties as assigned.

% of time Essential Function (Yes/No)

Key Responsibilities

(To be completed by Supervisor)

25% Applies advanced bioinformatics concepts to design, develop, modify, debug, and evaluate the most complex software programs, systems, and web tools.

• Designs, develops, and tests novel algorithms and software for cutting-edge statistical analyses of medical and survey data, including problems with little or no precedent.
• Develops and maintains well-documented software and algorithms for data manipulation and analysis in SAS, STATA, and R. Sets and leads system standards for analysis algorithms, tools, and infrastructure used by statisticians organization-wide and at external institutions.

15% Conducts highly specialized bioinformatics programming and testing of new algorithms that will interact with other related databases, requiring extensive expertise in the field.

• Conducts highly specialized programming and testing of novel algorithms that integrate and link data across multiple large-scale databases, including the Health and Retirement Study and Medicare, requiring extensive expertise.
• Conducts expert-level statistical analyses, including competing-risks survival regression, Cox proportional hazards model, mixed-effects model, joint model, and linear and logistic regressions.
• Leads other statisticians in identifying and resolving highly complex issues and software bugs, drawing on expert-level knowledge to address unique problems without precedent.

15% Formulates extremely sensitive or complex logic for new systems, devises logic procedures, prepares flowcharting, performs coding and data analysis, and tests / debugs highly complex programs.

• Formulates extremely complex analytic logic for novel systems and leads other statisticians in identifying and resolving highly complex issues and software bugs.
• Performs extremely complex data modeling, performance and integration testing, and builds screens for a variety of internal and external constituents with broad scope and impact.
• Performs extremely complex data modeling and integration across multiple large-scale databases, including the Health and Retirement Study and Medicare.

Performs extremely complex data modeling, performance and integration testing and builds screens for a variety of internal and external constituents with broad scope and impact.

• Develops and implements novel algorithms to integrate and link data across multiple large-scale databases, including the Health and Retirement Study and Medicare.

20% Develops and implements web interfaces to share and display the bioinformatics analysis and content with national or other external collaborators and other users.

• Maintains the computational infrastructure and data flow for large-scale studies, providing expert support to users and researchers within the organization and at external institutions worldwide.

Oversees support system for users and researchers worldwide.

• Leads and trains other statisticians in the use of large-scale Health and Retirement Study data and Medicare-linked data.
• Provides consultation to research teams and national or external collaborators with expert knowledge of highly complex statistical methods.

Coordinates development of documentation and presentations with researchers, scientists and other project team members.

• Writes first-author manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and presents work at national and international conferences as a recognized subject matter expert. Submits proposals to the NIA to enhance the NIH Linkage Enclave experience, directly influencing organizational policy and program development.

15% Leads changes in development, maintenance and system standards for sequence analysis algorithms, tools, and infrastructure.

• Sets and leads system standards for analysis algorithms, tools, and infrastructure used by statisticians organization-wide and at external institutions.
• Submits proposals to the NIA to enhance the NIH Linkage Enclave experience, directly influencing organizational policy and program development.

10% Interacts with senior level internal and external personnel.

• Presents and interprets research findings in meetings with Principal Investigators and senior-level internal and external personnel.
• Coordinates development of documentation and presentations with researchers, scientists, and other project team members.

Leads a team of bioinformatics programming professionals.

• Leads other statisticians in identifying and resolving highly complex issues and software bugs, drawing on expert-level knowledge to address unique problems without precedent.

100% (To update total %, enter the amount of time in whole numbers (without the % symbol - e.g., 15, 20) then highlight the total sum (e.g., 1%) at the bottom of the column and press F9. The total sum should add up to 100%.)

Knowledge, Skills and AbilitiesReq / Pref

Expert knowledge of statistical and computational methods, algorithms, and data structures applied to large-scale survey and medical data.Req

Expert knowledge of statistical software design, development, and implementation in SAS, STATA, and R.Req

Expert understanding of large-scale relational databases, including the Health and Retirement Study and Medicare-linked datasets.Req

Highly developed project management skills. Ability to lead multiple concurrent research projects and meet deadlines.Req

Expert knowledge of aging research, health outcomes, and applicable epidemiological and statistical methods.Req

Highly developed interpersonal skills in order to work with both technical and non-technical personnel at all levels internally and externally to the organization, including national collaborators.Req

Ability to communicate complex statistical information clearly and concisely, both verbally and in writing, to diverse audiences.Req

Highly developed ability to interface regularly with Principal Investigators and senior-level internal and external personnel.Req

Ability to lead and train a team of statisticians, meet deadlines, and demonstrate highly developed problem-solving skills for unique issues without precedent.Req

Expert knowledge of data governance and security standards for sensitive health data within secure computing environments such as the NIH Linkage Enclave.Req

Previous experience working in the field of aging research.Req

Education Req / Pref

Bachelor's degree in biological science, computational / programming, or related area and ten or more years of relevant experience and / or equivalent experience / training.Req

Master’s or PhD degree in statistics or related fieldPref

Licenses Req / Pref

N/A

Certifications Req / Pref

N/A