Department: MED-Medical Social Sciences
Salary/Grade: EXS/6

Target hiring range for this position will be between $55,128-$68,911 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Job Summary:

Overview/Background:

This position will be based within the Department of Medical Social Sciences (MSS) and the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH)

MSS is a leader in advancing and applying outcomes/effectiveness research to improve patient care and influence policy. Our strong academic ties across the university and the medical school encourage comprehensive collaboration in disease management, prevention and control. We intend to meet a growing need for expanded interdisciplinary scientific collaboration, to promote discovery of multidimensional mechanisms of health and disease, to improve adult and pediatric health status and outcome assessment, and to collaborate with partners in genetic, epidemiologic, biologic and behavioral translational research paradigms. While part of our work serves to reduce health disparities of groups that are traditionally underrepresented in research, we acknowledge that there is always room to grow. MSS is committed to creating a world of inclusion, health, and well-being for all. We hire the best people from a wide variety of backgrounds because drawing on their diverse perspectives and experiences will be the foundation of our department's future success.

ISGMH is a Northwestern university-wide institute. ISGMH's mission is to connect scholars from numerous disciplines with the SGM community to forge collaborations and stimulate innovative research to improve SGM health and wellbeing. The institute provides unique opportunities for high-level research and training for the next generation of SGM scholars. The institute utilizes innovative modalities to disseminate knowledge widely to the SGM community, the public at large, scholars, service providers, educators, and policymakers.

Project Description and Role Expectations:

The Cardiovascular Health Associations with Minority Stress: Biobehavioral Evaluations and Self-Reported Sociopsychological Outcomes by SOGI Status (CHAMBERS) is an ancillary study to the CARDIA cohort that investigates cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular health among sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations at the intersections of race, sex, and socio-economic status.

The CHAMBERS study seeks a Research Data Analyst Associate (RDAA). The RDAA will serve as data manager and analyst for CHAMBERS, a complex social-behavioral research study involving multidisciplinary teams of colleagues, sponsors & other external project stakeholders. The RDAA will utilize multiple quantitative and qualitative datasets from a variety of sources and interpret results using various techniques, ranging from assessing data missingness to simple data aggregation to statistical analysis and data mining. The RDAA will assist in the design, development and implementation of business solutions and will partner with clients to identify data management and analytical requirements. They will compile reports, charts, and tables based on established statistical methods.

The primary job activities will include data collection, management, and analysis activities. The Research Data Analyst Associate will be responsible for developing data cleaning/management protocols for all data collected within the CHAMBERS study, and to develop analysis plans for cohort, survey, and electronic medical records data that include extensive use of R and RStudio. The Research Data Analyst Associate will also be responsible for assisting the CHAMBERS team to develop a process to manage multiple data sources, which will include supporting analytic activities, developing data visualizations, and contributing to dissemination materials including posters, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and community-facing reports. Of note, the RDAA will work closely with

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Partners with clients to define requirements based on business objectives

Administration

• Develop standardized templates, policies, and procedures for internal and external reporting.
• Designs and prepares documentation for qualitative and quantitative data analysis

Development

• Completes a variety of statistical analyses using appropriate data and software
• Merges data from multiple sources in preparation for analysis.
• Interprets results of analyses for use in reports and presentations

Performance

• Completes data cleaning and organizes data files for analysis.
• Reviews data and Identifies quality issues

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• Enterprise Applications
• Other: REDCap

Infrastructure (extends across applications)

• Windows Operating System
• Other: Slack
• Other: Microsoft Teams
• Other: Github
• Other: SharePoint

Programming Languages and Frameworks

• Perl
• PL/SQL
• Python
• Other: R
• Other: RStudio

Compliance

• HIPAA
• IRB

Analytical

• critical thinking
• data mining
• data modeling
• data warehouse design/develop
• database design/ data structure
• Debugging
• decision making
• judgment
• metadata creation and management
• problem solving
• Troubleshooting
• use-case analysis

Project

• agile environment
• Code documentation
• collaboration and teamwork
• facilitate collaboration
• functional documentation
• iterative & incremental development
• organizational skills
• Planning
• workflow development & documentation
• write proposals and project charters

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Prior experience in quantitative data analysis and working with large datasets.
• Knowledge and application of reproducible research practices.
• Ability to prioritize tasks.
• Effective time management skills.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and ability to adhere to instructions/procedures.
• Efficient and resourceful in problem-solving.
• Good communication skills; demonstrated effective spoken and written communication.
• Ability to conduct data management, data analysis, and data visualizations within R and RStudio.
• Experience cleaning and reshaping cohort and/or electronic medical records data in a reproducible and well-documented fashion.
• Ability to generate data cleaning and analytical summary reports in both R markdown and using Microsoft Office.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in public health research.
• Experience working with LGBTQIA+ individuals.
• Experience in health disparities research, particularly with an intersectionality lens.
• Familiarity with using Github in a team coding environment.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Ability to work in a remote and/or hybrid team environment.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision and guidance.
• Ability to receive and benefit from feedback.
• Willingness to expand skill set and improve.
• Ability to write scientifically for dissemination activities.
• Ability to disseminate research findings to lay communities.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
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We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
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