Data Analyst

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

The Department of Biostatistics is seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Data Analyst to provide analytical and technical support for several health research projects focusing on the health impacts of environmental factors and extreme weather. Many of these projects are based in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda under the umbrella of the NIH funded Global, Environmental and Occupational Health (GEOHealth) Hub for Eastern Africa. Studies focus on investigating the effects of ambient air pollution on respiratory, cardiovascular and cognitive outcomes of cohorts of school children and their mothers. Additional studies focus on the impact of extreme heat stress on the productivity and health of agricultural workers. All studies aim towards promoting air pollution and extreme heat management regulation. The Data Analyst will work closely with investigators from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and partners from the Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University and University of Maryland. The data analyst will also work closely with data teams at Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), University of Nairobi (Kenya) and Makerere University (Uganda).

• This is a one (1) year temporary position from the date of hire with the possibility for extension. The selected candidate must live in the New York tri-state area. Subject to business needs, we may support flexible and hybrid work arrangements. Options will be discussed during the interview process.

Responsibilities

The Data Analyst will be responsible for a variety of tasks, including, but not limited to,

• providing data science support to international partners with primary data collected locally and regional energy use datasets;
• managing high frequency sensor-based and questionnaire-based data sets on pollution concentrations and exposure;
• transforming sensor data and raster data into usable air pollution exposure statistics;
• exploring research questions using study data and other public use and bespoke datasets;
• and developing impactful data visualizations of research findings for both scientific and general audiences.

The successful candidate will have strong quantitative and coding skills, a creative and solutions-oriented mindset, and the ability to effectively communicate scientific results to stakeholders, scientists, and policymakers.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus three years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in biostatistics, data science, statistics, computer science, environmental science and management, or a related field at time of appointment with 2-3 years of experience providing analytical research support to projects related to economic evaluation, data exploration and visualization.
• Excellent quantitative and statistical skills including experience collecting, processing, and / or analyzing survey data.
• Coding skills and proficiency with statistical programming tools (R preferred, but Matlab, Stata and / or Python are viable too), and experience working with GitHub or other version control systems.
• Experience with data management and the creation of data archives.
• Data exploration and visualization skills.
• Familiarity with environmental raster data (e.g., gridded pollution and climate data).
• Experience with machine learning (e.g., gradient boost models for imputing missing air pollution sensor data)
• Ability to synthesize and communicate scientific results to a variety of partners and stakeholders.
• Excellent creative problem solving and troubleshooting skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to take initiative, self-manage, and work independently as well as collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational and time management skills.
• Excellent computer skills including fluency in Microsoft Office and Google tools.
• Master's degree in similar fields with 1 year of related experience will also suffice.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.