The post will entail crafting statistical analyses for a series of eye health trials, being carried out in collaboration between QUB and the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Centre. The post holder will be required to effectively communicate orally and in writing in both English and Chinese, have strong biostatistics, bioinformatics and programming skills using R and Python, and have research experience in a life / health sciences research centre/institute. 

-   To be responsible for designing and managing the conduct of statistical analyses in a suite of eye health trials being conducted in rural China and Northern Ireland

-   To develop and improve upon an R-based existing software tool which will allow users to estimate their required cataract surgical rate based on existing cross-sectional prevalence data

-   To assist in developing a detailed project plan for the research and to liaise with colleagues in China on design of protocols and forms for the data collection

-   To work with other members of the team at QUB and in China on planning for future grant applications which will include statistical analyses and to assist in the preparation of scientific manuscripts and donor reports on the above

-   To assist with the supervision of doctoral students

-   To assist with ethical and research governance procedures in relation to various trials

-   To ensure adherence to project milestones and be responsible for regular production of progress reports

-   To draft and present regular progress reports for the research team or to external audiences to disseminate and publicise research findings

-   To prepare, in consultation with the research team, material for publication in national and international journals and presentations at national and international conferences

-   To carry out routine administrative tasks associated with various research projects to ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget, including organisation of project meetings and documentation, financial control, risk assessment of research activities

-   Read academic papers, journals and textbooks in English and Chinese to keep abreast of developments in own specialism and related disciplines 

-   To draw up Gantt charts and plan for specific deliverables of the research project

-   To plan for the use of research resources and workshops where appropriate

-   To plan own day-to-day activity within framework of the agreed research programme

-   To plan to meet deadlines for journal publications and to prepare presentations and papers for conferences

-   Coordinate and liaise with other members of the research group regarding progress

-   To ensure research resources are used in an effective and efficient manner

-   To provide support and guidance as required to staff and students assisting with the research

-   To liaise on a regular basis with colleagues, students and key stakeholders

-   To maintain existing and establish new internal contacts and participate in internal networks for the exchange of information and to form relationships for future collaboration

-   Have obtained a relevant PhD in a subject related to bioinformatics, statistics or in a discipline in a related area of professional practice

-   First or upper second class honours degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline of professional practice

-   Strong biostatistics and bioinformatics skills

-   At least 3 years’ recent research experience (pre or post-doctoral) and skills relevant to the subject area e.g. experience of biostatistics or bioinformatics data analyses in public health or biomedical studies related to human health and diseases

-   Sufficient breadth and depth of specialist knowledge in research methods and techniques pertinent to the subject areas in public health and biomedicine, including biostatistics and bioinformatics

-   Experience of using data analysis packages such as R, SPSS, STATA, or MPlus

-   Programming / scripting skills in languages such as R or Python

-   Experience of developing analysis scripts for project specific statistical and computational tasks

-   Experience of project management, co-ordination and analyses of large or multiple datasets collected for the project

-   Research experience in a life / health sciences research centre / institute, and proven ability to work in a multi-disciplinary environment as part of a research team

-   Publication track record commensurate with the stage of career

-   Excellent IT skills e.g. Microsoft Office suite

-   Excellent organisational skills

-   Excellent inter-personal skills

-   Excellent oral and written communication skills

-   Evidence of ability to write reports and meet deadlines

-   Evidence of ability to deal competently with administrative tasks and contribute to broader management tasks

-   Clear and confident communicator in English and Chinese

-   Ability to give formal presentations

-   Ability to work independently and on own initiative

-   Ability to act decisively and confidently

-   Requirement to speak and write in both English and Chinese to allow effective interaction with English and Chinese speaking stakeholders

-   Access to transport and willingness to travel to meet the needs of the post

-   Ability to work outside normal hours when necessary

-   MSc in statistics or bioinformatics or computer science or public health

-   Knowledge of relevant public health systems and datasets

-   Proven ability to make significant major contributions to publishable research work, as evidenced by a minimum two first-authored papers in reputable Bioinformatics or Biostatistics journals

-   Experience of undertaking a range of community engagement, outreach and dissemination activities

-   Proven ability to participate in or initiate collaborative research

-   Evidence of having co-ordinated a research project to successful completion

-   Experience of public engagement activities and disseminating research to non-academic audiences

-   Strong commitment to a career in research