Biostatistician, Senior

School of Medicine

Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked sixth among medical schools in the nation, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve human health locally and around the globe. Composed of more than 2,600 faculty physicians and researchers, nearly 2,000 students, and more than 6,200 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke University Health System comprise Duke Health, a world-class academic medical center. The Health System encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Duke Primary Care, Duke Home Care and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

OCCUPATIONAL SUMMARY

Under the leadership of the Biostatistics Core management team in the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, lead and oversee quantitative staff and staff operations within BERD collaborations and the Research Design & Analysis Core (RDAC) at the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI). Collaborate closely and effectively with a cross-functional project team, including clinical investigators, quantitative scientists, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students, with regard to statistical aspects of each project. Perform a variety of intermediate- and advanced-level statistical and technical activities for the design, analysis and interpretation of statistical data in conjunction with an academic research program based in one of the departments, centers or institutes of the University. Participate in collaborative efforts to provide statistical support for the projects coming through BERD collaborations.

RESPONSIBILITIES

LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT (40%)

• Serve as primary statistical advisor/mentor for staff biostatisticians in BERD collaborations
• Work with BERD collaboration leadership to identify how staff can add more value to the organization and hence expand their contributions
• Teach junior biostatisticians in BERD collaborations to:
  • Clearly communicate statistical concepts in the context of research
  • Engage with the scientific questions being addressed in collaborations and clearly communicate statistical concepts in the context of the research
  • “Translate” ideas from clinical collaborators into statistical considerations
  • Perform and report on literature reviews for advanced statistical methodology
• Serve as a leader in data initiatives within RDAC
• Assist the RDAC Associate Director of Education in leading education-related initiatives within RDAC
• Actively lead and participate in creating solutions to issues within the statistics group
• Communicate consistently with confidence and proficiency, both verbally and in writing, to internal and external collaborators, colleagues, and functional group leadership
• Recognize and resolve potential statistical and operational risks, while communicating them promptly to relevant personnel and leadership
• Give oral presentations of results/status at investigator/project/other meetings with no guidance
• Building on project experience, disseminate knowledge and/or solutions within professional communities (e.g. writes manuscripts or gives presentations describing novel solutions or concepts related to a specific project)
• Manage multiple concurrent projects successfully and independently with minimal oversight or faculty/statistical expert effort assigned
• With increasing levels of independence, develop and manage new collaborations such as, submission of new grants that cover biostatistical effort, development of new internal or external collaborative agreements that cover biostatistical effort

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PLANNING, SPECIFICATIONS, AND ANALYSIS (20%)

• Serve as a resource to less experienced staff biostatisticians within BERD collaborations for analysis-related consultation
• Lead the statistical team responsible for designing and validating analysis data sets, programs, and output products
• Guide and teach junior biostatisticians to:
  • Write statistical analysis plans and analysis data set specifications following the standard guideline and template
  • Write methods and analysis sections of reports/manuscripts

STATISTICAL AND DOMAIN KNOWLEDGE (30%)

• Demonstrate expertise in one or more statistical methodology areas, develop new areas of statistical and scientific expertise as necessary, and serve as a resource for junior biostatisticians, investigators, and quantitative methodologists
  • Specifically, demonstrate expertise in commonly used methodologies in global health research
• Keep abreast of the novel advanced statistical modeling and computing tools in all areas of statistics, but particularly in areas related to global health research
• Serve as co-investigator or lead statistician independently on grants as approved by the Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Department and the leadership of DGHI
• Lead collaboration discussions with statistical rationale and challenge any threat to research or statistical integrity with support of statistical experts and/or faculty
• Understand and actively contribute to or lead discussions on clinical methodology, outcomes, and implementation within collaborations and serve as a resource to the department in these clinical/domain areas, particularly in areas related to global health research
• Identify gaps in statistical and clinical knowledge andconsult biostatisticians and/or clinical collaborators with appropriate expertise as necessary

DATA MANAGEMENT AND PROGRAMMING (10%)

• Lead and delegate efforts to establish open science and reproducible analysis standards and processes
• Have in-depth knowledge of data collection data generation for ongoing projects
• Anticipate database issues impacting statistical analysis and identify solutions in partnership with BERD collaboration research teams
• With no guidance, develop and reviews simulation studies, code novel methods, and use advanced statistical programming packages as needed
• Learn new packages/programming languages without guidance and as needed
• Act as an in-house expert to help less experienced statisticians enhance their programming skills

DEPARTMENTAL PREFERENCES

Experience

Contribution to analysis of clinical trials and/or clinical research projects, and/or participation in preparation of grant proposals, academic manuscripts or other written summaries of analysis results, thorough experience with Stata, SAS, and R, and solid command of the English language is required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Position requires a minimum of a Doctoral degree in (bio) statistics or or related field and 0-2 years of relevant experience, or a master's degree in (bio) statistics or related field and 4 years of relevant experience, a bachelor's degree in (bio) statistics or related field and 6 years of relevant experience.

Experience

Experience as a lead statistician on clinical trials and/or clinical research projects that have consistently provided high quality end products on time, and prior supervision and/or guidance of lower level or less experienced employees is required.

Thorough experience with SAS and solid command of the English language is required.

Strong technical writing skills and multiple and varied prior trial/project experiences desirable.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

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