Director of Data and Analytics

Job Summary

The Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies (HCPDS) is a university-wide initiative dedicated to interdisciplinary research focused primarily on the quantitative social science of population change, socioeconomic development, and public health. Our goal is to produce population-based evidence that will better inform policies needed to create healthy and resilient societies.

The HCPDS is seeking a full-time, experienced Director of Data and Analytics to serve on its NIH-funded study, Health and Aging in Africa: Longitudinal Studies in South Africa (HAALSA). ...

Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Leads and oversees research plans for papers related to project aims
• Supports and reviews manuscript development, including co-authorship and contribution to scientific publications with coinvestigators
• Supervises data management processes, including quality assurance protocols and public-use dataset development to ensure consistency across outputs
• Directs technical project activities, including analytic dataset production and data analysis
• Oversees the public release of data and ensures timely and appropriate dissemination of research findings
• Leads the identification and adoption of innovative statistical methods to address evolving analytic challenges and enhance the scientific impact of HAALSI outputs
• Oversees and coordinates statistical and data management activities across projects to ensure alignment with study goals and timelines
• Oversees the development of analytic tools and resources addressing key data challenges
• Provides strategic oversight and guidance on statistical approaches across HAALSI projects, ensuring methodological rigor and alignment with study objectives
• Reviews and advises on the selection and implementation of statistical method, including complex longitudinal analyses and advanced modeling techniques, working closely with the Senior Statistical Analyst
• Reviews statistical outputs, models, and results to ensure quality, reproducibility, and readiness for publication and reporting
• Oversees the preparation of analytic datasets and ensure adherence to data management and documentation standards
• Leads cross-team coordination of analytic workflows and communication among investigators, data managers, and collaborators in the US and South Africa
• Oversees progress on analytic deliverables and timelines across multiple analyses and studies
• Provides direct supervision of the Senior Statistical Analyst and Data Manager, including direction on task prioritization, workflow, and project activities
• Other duties as assigned

PLEASE NOTE: This position has a term appointment of May 31, 2027 with the possibility of extension. The position may require travel to South Africa for short durations up to twice a year.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Biostatistics, Statistics, or a closely-related field
• 5+ years of related experience
• Experience with statistical software (such as SAS, R, Stata, etc.)

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Master’s degree or higher in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, or related field with two or more years of post-doctoral training/experience preferred
• Doctoral level degree a plus
• Prior experience with longitudinal observational studies
• Experience managing budgets
• Experience working on NIH studies
• Experience with IRB protocol preparation/compliance
• Prior capacity building experience
• Experience with US Health and Retirement Survey or sister study (with longitudinal data)
• Experience and/or strong interest in low-income, low literacy settings
• Experience managing or contributing to longitudinal observational research studies, including primary data collection and cohort-based research
• Experience supporting NIH-funded research and IRB protocol preparation/compliance
• Experience working with health-related research in low- and middle-income countries, including field-based research, medical record data, or longitudinal cohort studies
• Experience with large-scale longitudinal datasets such as the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) or related international sister studies
• Experience developing survey instruments and working with computer-assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) systems
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency with statistical software such as Stata, SAS, and/or R
• Record of scholarly publications and research dissemination