Senior Biostatistician

NSW Ministry of Health

POSITION DETAILS

Position Title: Senior Biostatistician
Branch: Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence
Position Number: 50345
Division: Population and Public Health
Grade: Clerk 9/10
Location: North Sydney

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THIS POSITION

The Senior Biostatistician supports the development and implementation of programs and projects in the Epidemiology and Evidence portfolio and provides high-level biostatistical and epidemiological advice and analytical expertise. The Senior Biostatistician will undertake statistical analyses of large health administrative datasets for reporting in HealthStats NSW; develop and operationalise new statistical methods for the analysis and creation of new indicators; contribute to the development and implementation of enhancements to the HealthStats NSW software including metadata and database re-design and improved data visualisation.

KEY ROLES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES

Provide high-level biostatistical advice and support for statistical data systems and applications in the Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence.

Undertake analysis of priority population health data and indicators for HealthStats NSW, targeted projects or data requests;

Provide timely expert biostatistical advice and support regarding the analysis and interpretation of population health data, indicators and review reports produced by the Centre and other relevant organisations.

Provide biostatistical supervision and mentoring for Trainees on the NSW Biostatistical Officer Training Program as well as advice on competencies, placement development and strategic issues for the Program.

Manage projects aimed at developing new methods and indicators for population health monitoring and surveillance and to assess the validity and reliability of epidemiological and surveillance data.

Support the development of statistical systems for the warehousing and curation of health administrative data for epidemiological use in surveillance and research;

Develop systems for producing automated reports for surveillance purposes from health administrative data systems;

Respond to requests for advice and for the preparation of reports, external report reviews, analysis, house notes and briefings from the Director Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Executive Director Epidemiology and Evidence, and the Chief Health Officer.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Postgraduate degree in biostatistics.

Sound knowledge of population health surveillance systems

Extensive experience in the use of data management and statistical analysis software, including proficiency in SAS, R or similar programming languages.

Experience with / knowledge of the principles of reproducible research with particular reference to readable, reusable and reproducible code and analyses;

Experience with / knowledge of the principles of epidemiology

Knowledge of databases and software quality principles

High level written and verbal communication, interpersonal and consultation skills and demonstrated experience in preparing written reports and scientific papers for publication which include statistical analyses.

KEY CHALLENGES

The ability to transform complex data into clear information accessible to a range of audiences.

Anticipating and planning for the technical complexities inherent in epidemiological/biostatistical analyses across highly complex, dynamic and expanding medical fields with a commensurate growth in demand for epidemiological/biostatistical and related information

Maintaining a strong grasp of current developments in the rapidly changing statistical analysis, data management and analysis, and data governance fields within the health sector, particularly as these apply to business intelligence applications for reporting on health data

Contact inquiries can be directed to Helen Moore on (02) 9391 9225 and a direct link to the job can be found here:
http://www.jobs.nsw.gov.au/job/ref16-03-senior-biostatistician-clerk-grade-9-10-centre-for-epidemiology-and-evidence-17785?job=000046ds.