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At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary

The Senior Research Analyst will manage a team of research analysts and data analysts to perform pharmacoepidemiology studies for the BC Ministry of Health (MoH), Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies (CNODES), or/and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

The Sr. Research Analyst is responsible for ensuring the successful completion research goals and achievement of deliverables of the whole team (~30 projects/year). This may involve directly managing complex projects, as well as overseeing and providing guidance on lower-complexity projects led by other research analysts.

The first key responsibility is to provide research analysis for MoH funded complex projects requiring advanced statistical design. This includes evaluation of different drug policies announced by PharmaCare, monitoring of prescribing habits, and assessing adverse effects in drugs. The Sr. Research Analyst will be developing, conducting, interpreting, and reporting on complex research projects. These activities include, but not limited to, identifying and planning research activities; assessing feasibility and reviewing background literature; analyzing data and interpreting findings; writing of research protocols, reports, and manuscripts; presenting research findings to MoH executives and at academic conferences, and publishing in peer-reviewed journals and identifying, planning, and executing knowledge translation activities. The Senior Research Analyst is responsible for the quality of research and results for the different research projects. This includes travel to participate in conferences and meetings as needed.

The second key responsibility is to manage research projects of the BC site for the Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies (CNODES). The Senior Research Analyst will be planning and executing the largest studies or/and most rushed queries; analyzing data and interpreting findings; preparing reports; writing research abstracts and manuscripts, publishing in peer-reviewed journals in cooperation with team members across Canada.

Other responsibilities include overseeing research protocols and study design; providing complex analysis for large research project grants; assessing the analysis resource needs of other working groups in the Therapeutics Initiative and providing analysis resource support as required; other duties as required.

The Senior Research Analyst will make professional decisions and recommendations on all aspects of work, and will work with considerable latitude and independent thinking.

Organizational Status

The Sr. Research Analyst will supervise a team of research/data analysts and will report directly to Dr. Greg Carney, Chair of the Pharmacoepidemiology group (PEG) of the Therapeutics Initiative (TI).

Liaisons with:

- Dr. Colin Dormuth, Associate Professor, TI Co-Managing Director and BC Lead of CNODES

- Clinicians, Executives, and staff of the TI

- CNODES team members

- Research project members

- Directors in the BC MoH concerned with TI projects and services.

- Data Access Services, BC MoH

- Ethics Review Boards of UBC

- UBC employees

- Professors, students, and researchers at UBC and other universities

Work Performed

Plans and manages different research projects related to adverse effects of drug use and the effects of drug policy on health services utilization and health outcomes using very large administrative databases and chart data and with CNODES cohort studies, as needed.

Duties include:

1. Human Resources Management. Manages a team of research analysts and data analysts to complete research projects. This includes training of new analysts with adequate follow-up support, and co-managing HR for the PEG: writing job descriptions, conducting interviews, conducting performance evaluations, providing salary level recommendations, and other duties as required.

2. Research Planning. Writes complex research proposals; gathers, reviews, and synthesizes literature relevant to research projects; plans and conducts feasibility analysis and interprets findings; and develops and implements project work plans and timelines.

3. Research Analysis. Designs research project and develops advanced methodology for data assembly, analysis, and presentation; uses statistical analysis packages (SAS, R, SQL) to analyze administrative database; writes, executes, and assess quality of SAS code to support CNODES projects and MoH deliverables; documents quality assurance testing and coding methods; interpret results; and responsible for quality of research and results.

4. Physician prescribing portrait feedback development, production, and evaluation. Uses SAS, SQL, and R software to produce physician prescribing portraits by patient subgroups. Work with physicians and project staff on formats for presenting results, in combination with evidence from literature, into portraits that are visually appealing to end users.

5. Writing. Conducts review of literature, and drafts summaries incorporating feedback from team members; writes and submits research protocols; writes abstracts, summary reports, and conference submissions; writes articles for submission to peer-reviewed high impact journals.

6. Communications. Manages differences of opinion among the dispersed members of the research team, the Sr. Research Analyst develops and maintains an efficient communication system that is respectful of how busy the collaborators are.

7. Collaborations. Collaborates with multiple institutions, PIs, government bodies, and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to advance research collaborations.

8. Knowledge Translation and Exchange. Interacts one-to-one with users throughout the analysis, and documents queries and responses; presents research results at academic conferences and stakeholder meetings; publish articles in peer-reviewed journals; presents findings to the MoH, and CNODES; and makes decisions regarding content of manuscripts and manage the submission and review of manuscripts to high impact journals.

Presentation at national meetings and international conferences is required (minimum 1 per year)

9. Development. Contributes to the advancement of the PEG by seeking new research opportunities, new funding sources and new collaborations to improve efficiencies of research operations.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

This position requires initiative and attention to detail. Errors or missteps in communication could produce friction among collaborators due to strong differences of opinion to how drug safety and effectiveness studies should be designed and implemented.

Accuracy and timeliness of tasks are critical in keeping research projects on time and on budget. Errors can lead to significant project delays.

Supervision Received
The work is largely independent. Works under the supervision of Dr. Greg Carney, Chair of the PEG, who conducts analyses for both the BC MoH and CNODES observational studies, provides guidance on the databases and advice on analyses.

Supervision Given
Research analysts, data analysts, research assistants, contractors and medical/co-op students conducting short-term projects.

Minimum Qualifications
For research work, a post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Otherwise, an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline is required with a minimum of six years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Graduate degree in epidemiology, economics, or biostatistics with successful completion of graduate-level quantitative methods courses preferred. Required minimum 6 years and preferred 10+ years experience in data analysis, experience in manuscript writing, or the equivalent combination of education and experience. At least 6 years of experience leading and conducting pharmacoepidemiology studies and scholarly research on healthcare with a strong publication record. Must be familiar with university research environments and manuscript writing processes. Candidates should have advanced knowledge of statistical methods and should have had a central role on complex drug safety and effectiveness studies. Knowledge of pharmacoeconomic modeling and experience conducting cost-effectiveness studies are strong assets. Training in a health profession and clinical experience are assets. The candidate should have the ability to take a leadership role within a multidisciplinary team of scientists and professionals in a synergistic and productive manner, with skills in supervising and training other research analysts.

The following skills and abilities are necessary to be successful in the position:

- Extensive experience with data management and programming (SAS, R, and SQL)

- Experience with advanced statistical design and dataset creation for analysis of expensive drugs for rare diseases.

- Ability to manage a team and train new team members

- Ability to deal with multiple tasks and priorities

- Ability to act with discretion and maintain confidentiality
- Ability to identify and implement research methods appropriate for quantitative research questions.
- Critical understanding of issues related to health and health care analysis.

- Ability to conduct statistical analyses of health-related data and/or surveys.
- Ability to work effectively in an interdisciplinary team.  

- Excellent oral and written communication skills.

- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationship with team members, external collaborators and stakeholders.

- Ability to design, complete, and publish a research project in pharmacoepidemiology.