NEST Data Analyst

Special Instructions to Applicants : All interested applicants must attach a cover letter and a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application in a PDF format . Please note that the applicant tracking system does not convert attachments in Word format successfully.

Location : Based in Houston, TX; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and/or Nairobi, Kenya, with potential to split time between locations (e.g. Houston-based, with 3 months in Dar es Salaam)

Position Summary

The Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, at Rice University, through its innovative research and education programs develops highly effective, low-cost technology solutions that address critical healthcare challenges in low-resource communities, as well as a cadre of future leaders to continue to innovate and implement solutions. The Neonatal Essential Solutions and Technologies (NEST360) alliance has developed a NEST program model to enable quality, comprehensive newborn care in hospitals in sub-Saharan Africa. In partnership with the NEST360 international group of engineers, physicians, health experts and entrepreneurs from the United States, the United Kingdom, and sub-Saharan Africa, Rice360 has launched the NEST program in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya and Nigeria

The NEST360 Data Analyst, under the supervision of the NEST360 Director of Quality Improvement Systems and Rice360 faculty co-directors and NEST360 co-PIs Dr. Rebecca Richards-Kortum and Dr. Maria Oden, will provide analysis, visualization, and reporting on patient, hospital, and country-level data for NEST360’s “data for action” initiatives. The aim is to support country teams, Ministry of Health officials, hospital administrators, doctors, and nurses in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, and Tanzania to use data effectively for actions to reduce newborn mortality.

The ideal candidate has significant experience working in R—preferably within global health and international development in Africa and/or maternal, neonatal and child health programs—, with a demonstrated record of accomplishment in successfully managing large datasets with academic, government or private sector partners.

Essential Functions

• Participates in the design, planning and implementation of research projects and data analysis
• Identifies, locates and obtains data / information
• Utilizes statistical software to quantify data
• Designs database models
• Builds automated reporting solutions
• Manipulates and cleans-up data
• Completes data analysis
• Reports research findings
• Ensures information presented is valid and accurate
• Develops presentations and reports
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions/Information

• This is not a research position. This position focuses on providing high quality analysis and reports to NEST country teams and hospitals (hospital managers, doctors, nurses, and biomedical technicians) to support them in using data for action.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Three (3) years or more experience in data analysis, data visualization, and report generation using R.
• Knowledge of statistical software packages, including STATA, Python and R
• Advanced proficiency with R programming for report generation, data visualization, and data manipulation and analysis

• Knowledge of software statistical packages such as Stata, SAS, Python R, or HLM
• Excellent analytical and research skills
• Ability to build reports
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills including proofreading
• Excellent presentation skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree of higher in biostatistics, statistics, computer science, data science, health informatics, epidemiology or other relevant field of study
• Experience in maternal and child health programs
• Experience working in sub-Saharan Africa
• Advanced proficiency in statistical analysis.
• Knowledge of various R statistical software packages, such as shiny, markdown, ggplot2, plotly, dygraphs, dplyr, and/or stats
• Experience working with large datasets (e.g., cleaning, wrangling, manipulating, labelling variables clearly, making codebooks, storing, saving, etc.)

• Experience maintaining and awareness of data security, including understand the basics of responsible data use and storage and access implications specific to the NEST context.

• Experience designing clear and accurate data reports that show case relevant information, are clear to people from a range of backgrounds, and are understandable when stand-alone.
• Experience bringing someone else's designs to a successful end-product.
• Experience balancing requests from multiple interested parties
• Experience with iterative design, i.e., can meet multiple small deadlines on the way to the big deadline.
• Experience in UX design or human factors, especially in terms of varying levels of data literacy.
• Ability to effectively work in a team environment, with active participation, follow-through and excellent interpersonal, collaboration, and negotiation skills
• Excellent critical thinking skills and high comfort level making independent decisions
• Ability to work under deadline with flexibility, tact, good judgment, discretion, and take initiative
• Excellent cross-cultural skills, with demonstrated sensitivity to low resource settings
• Fluency in English
• Strong interest in decolonizing global health.
• Must demonstrate support for Rice360 Core Values: Innovation, Equity, Community, Integrity, Accountability, Empowerment and Transformation

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels, and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

Current Rice University COVID policies, which include vaccination, face mask, testing, gatherings, occupancy limits, and travel policies can be found here: https://coronavirus.rice.edu/policies