Job Posting: Research Associate

Job Opening

Title: Research Associate
School: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Department/Area: Department of Environmental Health/The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University

A large research study (The Football Players Health Study at Harvard University) was initiated in 2014 to evaluate and improve the health and wellbeing of former professional football players. The Study is funded by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) and is one of the largest sports research projects ever undertaken. The Study is researching medical conditions that affect the quality and longevity of life of football players and working to identify and prioritize promising new approaches to prevent, diagnose and treat those conditions that afflict them. The Study strives to meet its aims by collecting data directly from players, by supporting innovative research through pilot awards, and by investigating ethical considerations of players’ conditions.

Position Description:

Reporting to Marc Weisskopf, the Research Associate is responsible for identifying and implementing technical and statistical solutions for meeting Study data management and analytical needs, both as an individual contributor and as part of the Epidemiology and Data Management teams. The Research Associate will lead quantitative research analysis, manage data sets, collaborate in publication of findings, and provide leadership for research methodologies for various studies. He/she exhibits a high level of independence, judgment, intellectual curiosity, and technical and statistical skills.

This individual is expected to provide mentoring and support to other team members involved in the design, implementation, or analysis of the work.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Work directly with faculty on statistical and data science projects.
• Address the data needs of faculty and other researchers, identifying and applying computational and statistical tools, and advising and training researchers in the use of these tools.
• Resolve short-term research-related questions and problems, or takes on faculty research projects that may involve statistical analysis, statistical programming, or large/complex data sets.
• Manage the formal data request process through centralized submission of analysis proposals, initiation of approval chains, and dataset creation.
• Manage aspects of the data repository, including data cleaning and verification, and data distribution to other scientists and collaborators.
• Manage the verification of data submitted to the Football Players Health Study data repository to ensure its completeness and accuracy.
• Reviews researcher-developed statistical programs and suggests alternative procedures or statistical packages when appropriate to optimize processing.
• Troubleshoots problems with researchers’ statistical programming code or unusual patterns of results.
• Stays abreast of new developments in statistics, and computer programming; and statistical methods and procedures used in top journals; stays current with new versions of statistical software packages (e.g., R, Python, SAS).
• Works independently with sound judgment, directly accountable for accuracy of methods and results.
• Often works on multiple projects simultaneously, balancing short and long-term projects to meet deadlines and faculty needs.
• Ensures adherence to policies related to the use of data from external sources.
• Collaborates within and across teams through knowledge sharing and promotion of best practices (e.g., code review, technology showcase).
• Learns new technologies and tools as needed.
• Serves as a statistical and computing resource for other members of the Football Players Health Study team.
• Responsible for other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications:

• Doctoral degree in biostatistics, epidemiology, quantitative analysis or related field
• Experience in study design, in particular, survey methodology
• Statistical programming skills for data management and analysis
• Experience with R
• Experience and success in scientific writing, including manuscripts and grant proposals
• Strong quantitative, written, and oral communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Solutions oriented
• Collaborative team player

Additional Qualifications:

• Ability to communicate complex technical topics to lay audiences as well as knowledgeable individuals.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively on a team.
• Ability to work with highly confidential/sensitive information.
• Sound judgment, professionalism, diplomatic skills, and comfort in interacting with prominent individuals.

This position is funded for 2 years with the possibility of renewal.
Three letters of reference and CV requested.

Please submit to: Rachel Grashow, Director of Epidemiological Research Initiatives: rgrashow@hsph.harvard.edu