Grant Funded Researcher Level A/B

(Level A/Level B) $75,888 to $102,040 per annum or $107,276 to $126,894 plus an employer contribution of 17% superannuation applies.

Fixed term position for 2 years with the possibility of extension.

BetterStart are seeking a data analyst to join our team to assist in data preparation, management and analysis of complex linked data from government and non-government sources to support a range projects that inform health and human services in our community.

The BetterStart Health and Development Research group is led by John Lynch, Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health in the School of Public Health. We are an interdisciplinary public health team including epidemiologists, biostatisticians, psychologists, and social workers. We have research interests in the wellbeing of children, young people, families and communities, child maltreatment, justice systems, social and economic inequalities, housing and homelessness, mental health, substance misuse, and early childhood education and care. Our aim is to generate better evidence to inform policy and practice to improve health, wellbeing, and development outcomes.

The role will involve mostly using data from the Better Evidence Better Outcomes Linked Data (BEBOLD) platform. BEBOLD includes a series of 32 electronic open birth cohorts (~ 20,000 births per year) from 1991 onwards. There are ~640,000 children (~28,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) – aged up to their early 30s for those born in 1991. Family files link children and parents to examine intergenerational contact with systems including child protection, and Centrelink. BEBOLD is one of the richest linked data sources of child and family life-course information in Australia. It includes de-identified information about child protection contact, pregnancy, early development, well-being in adolescence, education, youth justice, corrections, hospital admissions, emergency presentations, drug and alcohol services, housing and homelessness, community mental health, and Centrelink welfare payments. BEBOLD is updatable, and we continue to add new birth cohorts, new calendar years of data, and new data sources. We place principles of Indigenous Data Sovereignty at the core of our work in recognition of both the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in many government systems, and the rights of Indigenous people for self-determination.

You will collaborate with a team of researchers as well as policy and service delivery professionals to ensure the accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality of data while facilitating data-driven insights for the betterment of health and human services in our community.

You will:

• Assist in data preparation and management including assembling, checking, preparing and managing complex linked data from government and non-government sources
• Undertake descriptive analysis, and where applicant skills exist, undertake predictive, and causal analysis
• Prepare data-insights in various formats that are suitable for external communications (i.e. writing briefs/reports, producing clear slide packs and infographics)
• Support research translation into policy and practice.

To be successful you will need: 

• Experience in a hands-on role interpreting and telling stories with data.
• Experience in the management and analysis of health and/or social data and reporting of analyses.
• Experience in the use of statistical packages such as Stata, R, SPSS and/or SAS or other relevant package.
• Experience in contributing to publishable research outputs including reports, peer-reviewed publications and presentations.
• Experience or interest in health, human and social services research with strong connections to policy and practice  

Enjoy an outstanding career environment

The University of Adelaide is a uniquely rewarding workplace. The size, breadth and quality of our education and research programs - including significant industry, government and community collaborations - offers you a vast scope and opportunity for a long, fulfilling career.

It also enables us to attract high-calibre people in all facets of our operations, ensuring you will be surrounded by talented colleagues, many world-leading. Our work's cutting-edge nature - not just in your own area, but across virtually the full spectrum of human endeavour - provides a constant source of inspiration.

Our culture is one that welcomes all and embraces diversity consistent with our and our Values of integrity, respect, collegiality, excellence and discovery. We firmly believe that our people are our most valuable asset, so we work to grow and diversify the skills, knowledge and capability of all our staff.

We embrace flexibility as a key principle to allow our people to manage the changing demands of work, personal and family life.

In addition, we offer a wide range of attractive staff benefits. These include: salary packaging; flexible work arrangements; high-quality professional development programs and activities; and an on-campus health clinic, gym and other fitness facilities.

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Your faculty's broader role

The Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences contains one of Australia's largest concentrations of leading health researchers, teachers and clinical titleholders. It's comprised of eight schools and a number of specialist disciplines, institutes and centres, variously focused on world-class research, and training the next generation of: medical doctors; surgeons; dentists; nurses; psychiatrists; psychologists; and other health professionals.

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If you have the talent, we'll give you the opportunity. Together, let's make history.

Click on the ‘Apply Now’ button to be taken through to the online application form. Please ensure you submit a cover letter, resume, and upload a document that includes your responses to all of the selection criteria for the position as contained in the position description or selection criteria document.

Applications close 11:55pm, 4th February 2024.

The University reserves the right to close this advertisement before the closing date if a suitable candidate is identified.

For further information

For a confidential discussion regarding this position, contact:

Dr Rhiannon Pilkington
Senior Research Fellow - BetterStart Health and Development Research
The School of Public Health

P: +61408087636
E: rhiannon.pilkington@adelaide.edu.au

You'll find a full position description and/or selection criteria below: (If no links appear, try viewing on another device)

The University of Adelaide is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. Female applicants, people with a disability and/or and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who meet the requirements of this position are strongly encouraged to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at time of application.