Research Scientist, Disease Modeling

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

The goals of IDM's Modeling, Integrated Surveillance, and Translational science (MIST) team are to utilize mechanistic modeling, statistical analyses, and tailored approaches to accelerate impact and optimize systems. We utilize a cross-cutting lens for surveillance and diagnostics to inform disease verticals such as enteric and diarrheal diseases and TB, as well as engagements across AMR, nutrition, and gut microbiome. We aim to develop reusable resources and support capacity strengthening to maximize our impact at the foundation and larger global health community.

Your Role

The Research Scientist will be utilizing modeling approaches to maximize the value of surveillance and diagnostics data for decision-making across local and regional scales. The inherent complexity of these data requires the ability to triangulate policymaker needs, local resources, bias, diagnostic sensitivity and epidemiological dynamics, to feed into models for insight. This role will be to have a ‘wide lens’ to the complexities and site-specific considerations to enable successful surveillance from the ground-up, as well as towards tools and methods that create more opportunities for this data to be included in the feedback loop to policy. As a cross-cutting role, you will engage with disease-specific program and IDM teams, as well as partner deeply with surveillance systems on the ground. This work will contribute to the development of a long-term surveillance initiative at IDM with a focus on innovation, generalizability, and resourcefulness.

What You’ll Do

• Execute on key surveillance pilot projects spanning TB, nutrition, and enteric and diarrheal diseases
• Align key public health questions with appropriate modeling solutions
• Identify and apply effective and rigorous statistical techniques to address key questions, including custom analytical approaches and existing IDM tools
• Work with team to identify exemplar sites based on strategic areas of focus, data availability and quality, partner engagement, and program team support
• Collaborate with team members to accelerate existing workstreams
• Keep a ‘birds-eye’ view across disparate projects to help drive long-term surveillance strategy and inform technical gaps
• Implement best practices for LMIC surveillance collaborations, ensuring effective communication of results, and uptake/ acceptance of work to translate to impact or policy
• Grow and maintain collaborator relationships for key initiatives in surveillance and diagnostics, including travel as required
• Maintain knowledge of ongoing literature in the field and awareness of cross-IDM and program team surveillance efforts

Your Experience

• PhD or equivalent experience required in subjects relevant to quantitative epidemiology and statistics
• Demonstrated experience in statistical methods: exploratory data analysis, geostatistical modeling, time series analysis, and multivariate analyses. Effective interpretation and communication of model uncertainty
• Extensive experience working in LMIC settings, including health systems at local or regional scale. Experience identifying innovative approaches for complex challenges, translating modeling results to on-the-ground solutions, implementing changes to maximize impact
• Experience identifying modeling solutions for complex challenges
• Strong programming skills in R. Additional skills using Python, MATLAB, or C++ is an asset

Other Attributes

• Ability to identify common themes and opportunities across complex and diverse topics
• Strong skills in scientific communication through presentations and peer-reviewed publications
• Curiosity around and tolerance for ambiguity
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex work and outcomes to concise policy recommendations, interface with diverse stakeholders

Please apply with CV and cover letter.

The salary range for this role is $169,700 to $254,500 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $185,000 to $277,400 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

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Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.