Research and Data Associate – Injury Prevention

JOB SUMMARY

Who we are: The Division of Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (CDIP), within the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), works to make healthy living more accessible for residents. We recognize that health is shaped by structural factors including systemic racism and other social, economic, and political forces; thus, we work to change systems, policies, and environments to improve health. We take a data driven approach to program and policy design, looking to evidence-based solutions when possible and contributing to building that evidence base with our own research. Chronic disease focus areas include preventing disease related to tobacco use, poor nutritional environments, lack of physical activity opportunities, and other known risk factors. Our injury prevention work focuses on the gun violence crisis in Philadelphia. We work collaboratively with partners across the City to advance these goals. CDIP’s work focuses on identifying and addressing health disparities in the City and is guided by a commitment to health justice.

The Injury Prevention Program works to create a safe environment for all Philadelphia residents. Our program currently focuses on reducing and preventing gun violence. We work to:

• Support an evidence-based approach to violence reduction.
• Promote the safe storage of firearms, especially around children and youth.
• Promote opportunities for youth that minimize exposure to violence and promote safety.
• Partner with community leaders, law enforcement, and academic institutions to study what works in reducing gun violence.
• Monitor and study injuries throughout the city to modify prevention efforts with real-time information.
• Monitor and study the factors that contribute to violence and injury.

Our values: At CDIP, we value health justice. Our work is guided by a commitment to all people’s health and humanity. We believe:

• All people have the right to live to their fullest potential.

• All communities have the right to create environments that allow them to grow and thrive. 
• Public health policy will be developed in full partnership with the community.
• Knowledge comes in many forms and many places in our society.
• Progress only happens when we treat people, communities, partners, and staff with care and respect.

Join us! We are seeking a skilled and dynamic Research and Data Associate with experience conducting research and using evidence for decision-making. Candidates should have experience with designing and conducting rigorous quantitative and qualitative research and have strong communication and technical writing skills.

The Associate will plan, manage and implement data analytic activities related to the work of the injury prevention program. This will include the work of the Violence Interruption Coalition, which is focused on improving the reach and effectiveness of the Cure Violence and similar models in high-violence neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Work will include collecting, cleaning, and managing data; performing statistical analysis; and summarizing results for scientific, policy-oriented, and public audiences. The Associate will use appropriate data sources to monitor trends, patterns, and changes in risk factors and health outcomes. Most of the work of the Coalition is place-based, so the Associate will work independently to map data and conduct spatial analytics. Factors of interest include the health behaviors of individuals, the demographic and social characteristics of populations, the policy environment, and the built environment. The data associate will also support data flow between members of the coalition so we can determine reach more effectively. While academic journal publications are encouraged, the primary purpose of our work is to inform and advise policymakers and the public and support the operations of the coalition. 

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

            Responsibilities/Duties

• Reviews and synthesizes existing literature on topics related to injury prevention, specifically firearm violence prevention.
• Manage data requests relevant to Cure Violence, violence interruption, and violence reduction
• Develops and fields data collection efforts, including surveys
• Manages, cleans, analyzes, and interprets data 
• Performs regular data matches between health-related data sources 
• Guides research projects through Institutional Review Board approval
• Collaborates with academic, medical, and policy partners
• Reviews, analyzes and assists with policy research and evaluation
• With a team, develops new research and data analysis tasks based on the coalition’s needs
• Contributes to research and data products including reports, data briefs, charts, presentations, and manuscripts
• Works collaboratively with other Associates and Analysts to develop the analysis skills of the entire team
• Contributes to program evaluation planning
• Contributes to writing grants
• Contributes to manuscript development for peer-reviewed journals
• Participates in division meetings

Qualifications

• A master’s degree or PhD in epidemiology, demography, economics, data science, statistics, or a related field.
• Two to five years of experience in public health or social science research.
• Demonstrated experience in data analysis with statistical software such as R, Stata, or SAS.
• Demonstrated experience in mapping and geospatial analysis with software such as ArcGIS.

OR

• Any equivalent combination of education and experience determined to be acceptable by the Department of Public Health which has included a bachelor’s degree as an educational minimum. 

Desired Skills and Experience

• Knowledge of and experience with epidemiological or social science research methods, including study design, methodology, and preparation of scientific reports
• Strong mapping skills using software (e.g., ArcGIS, Leaflet)
• Ability to analyze data, write project proposals, and write technical reports
• Ability to summarize findings for a variety of audiences, e.g. scientists, policy makers, and the public 
• Interest in using data skills in an applied setting to advance health policy goals
• Strong analytic abilities with statistical software (e.g., R, Stata, SAS, etc.)
• Experience with interactive data visualization (e.g. Shiny, Tableau)
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Experience working with sensitive health information
• Able to work as a team, prioritize and handle multiple tasks and deadlines, and work independently
• Experience with community violence prevention
• Experience collaborating with and coordinating data efforts with multiple stakeholders

Work Environment:

Standard office setting with extended periods at workstation and periodic use of office equipment. Staff are expected to come into the office; based on conversations with supervisor, a combination of in-office and remote work may be allowed per City and Department policy, currently up to 60% (3 of 5 days) remote.

Position Type and Work Schedule:  Full time position, typical hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.

Travel:  Some local travel between sites to attend meetings.

Physical Demands:  Limited physical demands. Associate will work primarily in an office setting.

Salary and Benefits:  Our employees are our most valuable resource, so we offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, which can include:

• Medical with vision benefits
• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending accounts
• Life, AD&D and long term care insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• 403(b) Retirement Plan, with a company contribution
• Paid time off including vacation, sick, personal and holiday
• Employee Assistance Program