NYC Dept Of Health/Mental Hygiene
The Office of Research, Surveillance, Policy, and Communications within the Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use conducts alcohol- and drug-related surveillance, program evaluation and research, maintains databases, designs research protocols, produces reports, writes scientific articles for peer-reviewed journals, facilitates program and policy development, and develops messaging and other communication materials for provider and public audiences. The Bureau operates a drug-checking pilot using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and immunoassay test strips to gain insight into the unregulated drug supply and provide fact-based information to people using the service. Trained drug-checking technicians currently offer point-of-care drug-checking services at syringe service program locations in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, including two sites that offer overdose prevention services.
- Extract, clean, manipulate, organize, and analyze data for the drug-checking initiative using R, SAS, REDCap, Excel, and other platforms
- Work collaboratively with drug-checking technicians to perform quality assurance data checks and implement quality improvement processes to ensure data quality
- Support the Senior Data Scientist in designing and developing new methods of analyses for the drug-checking initiative in conjunction with the Bureau's drug-related syndromic surveillance data to inform future program direction
- Contribute to the design and maintenance of the drug-checking database, including queries and data entry procedures
- Support the creation and revision of study and data management documentation related to the drug-checking program, including data dictionaries and codebooks
- Assist with data requests and reporting to support program implementation, troubleshoot issues, and address other program needs
- Prepare data products, including tables, datasets, and reports, for internal and external audiences
- Support the development of a drug-checking dashboard and other data visualization activities
- Support the preparation of IRB applications for research study protocols
- Contribute to the development of manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals
- Contribute to the Bureau's racial justice and health equity activities
For Assignment Level I: A master's degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have one of the following:
- A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization
- A master's degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization
- Education and/or experience equivalent to the above
All candidates must have at least a master's degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience in responsible full-time research. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required above.
- Experience (at least 3 years) analyzing public health data in an applied setting using R, SAS, or similar statistical software
- Experience with survey data collection and database management using REDCap, SQL, Microsoft Access or similar platforms
- Experience with QI/QA data processes and implementation
- Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills
- Experience with data visualization and dashboards (e.g., Tableau) and reporting of results for various audiences
- Able to work independently and as part of a team
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- Excellent computer skills, including MS Office
- Able to multitask in a fast-paced, high-volume environment
- Passionate about implementing interventions and conducting analyses with the end goal of reducing drug-related morbidity and mortality in New York City