"Research Area Specialist"

The Michigan Public Health Integrated Center for Outbreak Analytics and Modeling (MICOM) housed in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Michigan School of Public Health is seeking an independent and motivated Research Area Specialist to join our team. The Centers for Disease Control are funding MICOM as part of an outbreak response network, with the goal of using data to support decision makers during public health emergencies. Co-Directors Drs. Marisa Eisenberg and Emily Martin and their colleagues have an active research program to integrate mathematical modeling with community-based surveillance to understand various facets of public health. The ideal candidate for this position will be an individual with experience in managing the many details of a complex project/initiative. This is a full-time position and provides the successful applicant with an opportunity to contribute to the Center's work in building relationships with local public health departments and developing analyses or other tools with the new MI-SUPPORT program.

Within MI-SUPPORT, a successful applicant will be part of a small, agile team responsible for responding to partner projects with local health departments. These projects will be related to data analysis, modeling, forecasting, and visualization. They will take on projects that are larger in scope and complexity, and may be asked to travel for extended periods of time in order to complete those projects. They will also support state and local capacity building by training public health practitioners in analytics and modeling.

• In collaboration with other team members, perform statistical analyses, develop data visualizations, and create data pipeline systems to confirm data quality, as determined by the projects undertaken by the MI-SUPPORT program.
• Coordinate MI-SUPPORT analytics and computational modeling projects at the request of local health departments and MI-SUPPORT leadership. Build and maintain relationships with local health department team members. Work collaboratively with MICOM staff to complete projects. Handle multiple complex projects. Assist with tracking health department requests and help MI-SUPPORT leadership track progress on assigned projects.
• Provide ad hoc quality assurance and control support for other MICOM investigators and teams. Responsible for data uploads to stakeholder systems as needed or requested.
• Support training efforts in analytics and modeling with local health department staff. Assist with developing training agendas and materials, and provide on-site support during training.
• Create or update detailed system documentation, including documentation of program code, data dictionaries, and functional processes.
• At the discretion of Center leadership, provide assistance with other research-related tasks. Liaison with collaborators for multi-site network modeling and analytic initiatives.

For the Intermediate level, a Master's Degree in public health, epidemiology, or related health science field and 4-5 years of relevant research experience is required. For the Associate level, a Bachelor's Degree in public health, epidemiology, or related health science field and 1-3 years of relevant research experience is required. Demonstrated experience using R or Python for data processing and/or statistical analysis; ability to work independently in R or Python with limited supervision. Experience working in a team environment with collaborators and professionals and knowledge of how to build relationships with external partners. Strong organizational skills including experience prioritizing tasks in a fast-paced environment. This includes being able to multitask between multiple investigators, projects and timelines.

This position may be underfilled at the Associate level depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate. The salary range for the Associate level is $45,084 - 55,692, and the salary range for the Intermediate level is $55,011 - 67,955. This position is term-limited for one year in duration from the start of the appointment, with the possibility of extension contingent on funding and performance. Michigan Public Health is seeking a dynamic staff member with a commitment to contributing to a welcoming environment for all members of our community.