Analytics Technical Specialist - Manchester
Job overview
The Christie has the ambition to become a leader in real world outcomes. Our ambition is to make greater use of real world patient data collected routinely as part of standard clinical care to make incremental changes in improving cancer patient outcomes, services and experience.In the last decade, the Christie has established a framework, to collect high quality real world clinical, treatment and more recently patient reported outcomes data not only via clinical trials but for patients receiving standard care. More recently, a new 5-year Clinical Outcomes Data Strategy has been approved setting out the Trust plan to deliver on the vision “to improve clinical outcomes through a data-enhanced comprehensive cancer centre where real-world data drives improvement in cancer care”.
This is a new and exciting role created to expand the data access functionality of the Christie Clinical Outcomes and Data Unit (CODU) to support real world data research and outcomes initiatives. We are looking for someone to join our team of analysts, data scientists and statisticians, who will share in our vision to improve clinical outcomes through data.Like us you will be forward thinking, willing to explore, learn and implement new approaches, and enjoy finding innovative solutions even to long standing problems. Like us, you will come ready to meet new challenges, to learn new skills, and to widen your horizons at any opportunity.
Main duties of the job
As our technical specialist you will work closely with our Data Engineering colleagues to lead on the establishment of the inaugural CODU research database, defining data flows, creating SQL queries to link complex datasets, setting up data quality evaluation processes and reports and producing meta data documents for technical and layman audiences.You will ensure anonymization methodologies are appropriately applied and produce data extracts according to research study specifications. You will also support the establishment of our new CODU secure data rooms and a secure RWD environment, incorporating data science techniques for the development of curated datasets and synthetic data.
In addition, as an senior member of CODU Analytics team you will help drive the delivery of our Analytics function, supporting our requests service, providing expertise in technical and complex data wrangling or performance tuning of data processing code, advising on best practice technical solutions, investigating and promoting new and innovative data access tools and making recommendations on service and policy change.You will also have considerable opportunity to contribute to our data science projects where you have relevant specialist knowledge and experience.
Working for our organisation
Christie Digital Services are now predominantly hybrid working and we are very open to and actively encourage flexible working. This is seen as one of the many benefits of working as part of the Clinical Outcomes and Data Unit. On site working is available as much as you want via a hot desk booking system.As a team, we plan days when we all come into the office together to met up, share ideas and take the opportunity to trouble shoot, and learn from each other. We are all readily contactable via Teams both as formal meetings and informal chats and coffee meet ups.
We are a customer facing service working with all members of the organisation, Executives, consultants, admin staff and service users. We pride ourselves on our level of service, our quality of product and our ability to communicate and translate our data into intelligence.We work closely with our customers to ensure we are delivering what they want, we are able to communicate the most advanced analytics and statistics to wide ranging audiences and we try to make our products as interesting and informative as possible.
We are forward thinking, we like to try new approaches, and to find innovative solutions even to long standing problems. We like a challenge, to learn new skills and to widen our horizons at any opportunity.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Supporting Development of Research Databases- Work with digital and clinical colleagues to establish a research database, bringing together data from different clinical systems based on agreed specifications.
- Identify data sources and write queries to populate the database with the required data. Consulting with SMEs where necessary.
- Work with digital colleagues and clinical to establish a pseudo anonymisation process to anonymise data within the research database. This will include fully anonymising imaging files, and other sensitive data.
- Develop data dictionaries and meta data to support database use (for sharing with data users).
- Be the primary contact for any queries relating to the data. Coordinating and delivering extracts and responding to any queries.
- Create data quality reports for extracted dataset to be validated by second analyst, liaising with data access committee on any issues or concerns.
- Feedback on data quality issues and support projects aiming to improve data quality.
- Report to data access committee any data breaches or issues with database.
- Act as mediatory/advisor on dataset (consult with SMEs where necessary)
- Work with Digital and clinical colleagues on database refreshes and updates.
- Postholder will manage their own day-to-day activities including:
- Answering analytics requests. Providing data extracts and analysis - incorporating data science tools and techniques, where appropriate.
- Explain methodologies and recommendations to a wide range of audiences (technical and non-technical).
- Identify the most applicable techniques and variables to meet the customer’s needs, investigating conflicting information.
- Writing programming code in SQL/ R/ Python as appropriate.
- Investigating outliers and data quality issues.
- Providing data to support research and audit projects.
- Completing project documentation and delivering projects to agreed specifications.
- Contribute to team’s peer review process for queries and analytical outputs.
- Interpret and resolve complex data problems by adopting an analytical approach designed to identify the most suitable solution and avoid future recurrence.
- Continually review, and strive to improve, working policies and procedures which may impact across departments. Implement new and improved processes and policies as appropriate.
- Support the delivery of the Clinical Outcomes and Data Strategy in conjunction with CO Director, Head of Analytics, Lead Analyst and Clinical Teams - particularly around improving data access.
- Execute other duties appropriate to the skills and experience of the post holder which may be identified by the manager.
- Take a proactive approach to developing own skills and experience.
- Support team members. Mentor and coach junior members and undertake line management duties as required.
- Demonstrate the agreed set of values and accountable for own attitude and behaviour.
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Expertise in database management and data flows.
- Practical knowledge and experience of a range of data analysis and visualization methods and practices
- Knowledge of metadata design, how to apply appropriate metadata repositories and manage changes to existing metadata repositories.
Experience
Essential criteria- Extensive experience of working with and linking complex datasets using programming code.
- Experience of creating and establishing new data collection flows and processes.
- Experience of data insight analysis and intelligence reporting.
- Experience of producing documentation and reports to a Trust Board level standard.
- Staff management/supervisory experience
- Experience in NHS or Health related analytical role
- Experience of working with Unix-based operating systems
Qualifications
Essential criteria- Post graduate qualification in an analytical/ statistics/ data science discipline or demonstrable equivalent experience.
- Able to demonstrate ongoing commitment to own personal development
- Evidence of statistical training or application of statistical techniques.
- Database / dataflow / reporting practitioner certificates, e.g. SQL, Microsoft server tools etc.
- PRINCE 2 Foundation or equivalent project management
Other
Essential criteria- Evidence of continuing professional and personal development
Skills
Essential criteria- Advanced SQL skills
- Data Science/advanced statistical skills
Knowledge
Essential criteria- Good understanding of current state and future trends in business intelligence and analytics, and proven track-record of keeping up with this fast-moving discipline.
- Awareness of Information Governance requirements
- Understanding of the concepts and principles of data modelling.
- Awareness of how to design and build ETL/ELT, data pipelines, and data wrangling processes.
Experience
Essential criteria- Experience of identifying data quality issues and developing data quality reports.
- Experience of interpreting and presenting information in a meaningful manner
- Experience of identifying, and applying, appropriate analytical techniques to task in hand, and learning, and applying, new skills and methodologies where appropriate.
- Experience of providing oversight and advice to more inexperienced members of the team.
- Experience of working on projects/assignments involving a range of stakeholders with differing priorities.
- Experience of identifying areas for impactful innovation in data tools and techniques
- Experience of the operational implementation of new technologies and processes
- Experience of creating metadata, designing appropriate metadata repositories and managing changes to existing metadata repositories.
- Project management
- NHS Data Dictionary
- NHS Datasets
Skills
Essential criteria- Demonstrable ability to design, develop and implement innovative data, BI, and analytics solutions, including:
- Technical analysis of requirements and specifications
- Writing and management of code for the analysis and processing of data
- Performance tuning of data processing and analytical analysis code
- Excellent communication skills, with ability to translate technical concepts to non-technical audience.
- Ability to focus on complex problems, pay attention to detail, identify issues, and provide trouble shooting solutions
- Ability to understand the needs of technical, business, and clinical stakeholders and interpret them into technical requirements which can be implemented.
- Able to influence and negotiate with peers and senior managers to ensure best practice and successful development and implementation of change in your work area.
- Ability to be organised and to manage competing priorities
- Proficient in writing clean, readable, and efficient Python code.
Values
Essential criteria- Ability to demonstrate the organisational values and behaviours
Other
Essential criteria- Office based role for first 3 months minimum then Hybrid (2 days a week on-site)
- Maintain confidentiality relating to patient data and sensitive information relating to the business of the Trust
- Ability to work flexibly to meet key deadlines and core service coverage
The closing date for this post may be extended if there are insufficient applicants or brought forward if there is a high volume of applicants.
We want to ensure that everyone who works at the Christie or uses our services is welcomed, valued and treated with dignity and respect. The Christie values diversity and is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all and fair representation across the organisation at all levels.In support of these commitments, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people and people with disabilities for this post. Appointment will be only on merit.
We are committed to creating a balanced and diverse workforce. As such we welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. Together we will foster inclusion and tackle inequity and health inequalities in cancer care.
As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy
All positions within the Christie are subject to the receipt of satisfactory written references, medical clearance and evidence of your Right to Work in the UK. Some roles will require a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. Please note if you are successfully appointed to a post with this Trust, you will be required to pay for your own DBS Disclosure.
By applying for this post you are agreeing to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.Please note, all communication regarding your application will be made via email, please ensure you check your junk/spam folders as emails are sometimes filtered there.
If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date, I regret that on this occasion your application will have been unsuccessful.
The Inter-Authority Transfer (IAT) process is a critical and beneficial component of ESR and will form part of the recruitment process. In the event that you are successful following interview your previous NHS employment data, if applicable will be transferred from your current / most recent employer.
Overseas candidates wishing to apply for this position and who would require immigration sponsorship, may wish to self-assess the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the post on the UKVI website.
You should be aware the Trust operates a No Smoking Policy and therefore employees are not permitted to smoke at work.