Sr/Medical Statistician

JOB SUMMARY
 

The Medical Statistician / Modeller in the National Public Health and Epidemiology Unit (NPHEU) provides biostatistical and/or modelling expertise to support the design, analysis, optimisation, and execution of prevention, surveillance, and research into diseases of public health concern. The role necessitates working closely with epidemiologists, analytic and data engineering teams based at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and the Ministry of Health (MOH). The candidate will also work with other professionals (including clinicians, scientists, epidemiologists and researchers) in other government agencies, academic institutions, and clinical professionals, to drive analytics or modelling projects in the field of infectious diseases.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

SPECIFIC

• Work closely with data engineers, epidemiologists, clinicians, and researchers in projects, to provide biostatistical support in the design, enhancement and use of databases, disease surveillance and clinical registries, electronic health record data and epidemiological studies.
• Perform statistical analyses of data, and assist with the interpretation and presentation of quantitative information for presentations, reports, proposals and publications. This includes NPHEU’s routine and ad-hoc epidemiological analyses, clinical studies, and risk assessment.
• Model outbreak and disease burden trajectories, using statistical (e.g. ARIMA) and/or simulation (e.g. transmission dynamics) methods, and also translate these results into cost benefit assessments for different courses of action (e.g. health economics models).
• Review internal and external reports, grant applications (e.g. for studies commissioned by MOH) and publications for appropriateness, accuracy and coherence of proposed or selected statistical analyses.
• Provide biostatistical consultancy as and when required, to provide sound statistical knowledge for appropriate epidemiological analysis of data.
• Mentor and supervise junior statisticians and data analysts to conduct data cleaning, statistical analysis and modelling, as well as interface with epidemiologists, clinicians, and researchers on analytic projects (For Senior and Principal Medical Statistician / Modeller only).

GENERAL

• Fulfil service, research and educational requirements of NPHEU alongside the epidemiologists, data analysts, researchers and clinicians.
• Conduct training to continuously advance the field of biostatistics and modelling to the wider organization (e.g. introductory lectures to new staff, training of junior staff within NPHEU or other NCID/MOH units).
• Conduct research that would lead to publication in peer-reviewed journals as appropriate, including taking the lead on some write-ups.
• Develop strategic collaborations between NPHEU and stakeholders from within and outside NCID.
• Participate actively as a member or team lead for quality improvement projects at the centre or Unit level.
• Undergo specific administrative or technical training necessary to accomplish individual and team tasks.
• Design and prepare reports from secretariats, analyses of databases, literature reviews, and other information.
• Provide cross-coverage of colleagues in NPHEU when necessary.
• Carry out any other duties as may be reasonably required by the Director of NPHEU or the Executive Director of NCID.

It should be noted that the work of the Unit is of a confidential nature and must not be communicated to other persons except when required for authorised purposes.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION

• Candidate must possess a Master’s degree in statistics, analytics, data science, industrial engineering, mathematics or economics; candidates holding PhDs with direct relevance to the post (e.g. statistics, epidemiology, computer sciences, mathematics, economics as applied to human health or animal health domain) are preferred.
• Experience in the knowledge of the principles and practice in the field of biostatistics and/or modelling.
• Proficient in using at least one statistical software solution in the healthcare setting (e.g. SAS, STATA, SPSS, R) and MS Office applications (e.g. Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Access).
• Experience in report writing, manuscript preparation and publication; should have demonstrated through such reports or manuscripts their experience with driving projects in any of the following areas:

• Application of advanced statistical methods (e.g. latent class models, principal component analysis / factor analysis, ARIMA or other time-series methods, hierarchical models, structural equation models, Bayesian statistics)
• Transmission dynamics modelling
• Health economics analysis / modelling

• Ability to follow a problem from conceptualisation to conclusion.
• Ability to exercise patience, effectively communicate with others, and good interpersonal skills with the ability to work both independently and with a variety of people, and under a variety of conditions.
• Possess a strong interest in research.
• Preferably possess previous work experience in a public health agency or health related settings such as hospitals, public health organisations and academic institutions. This includes active involvement in statistical or modelling work in public health, field epidemiology, or clinical epidemiology (e.g. surveillance databases, public health registries and/or medical research and clinical trials).