Applied Statistician - Public Health & Biostatistics

Quantitative Engineering Design; Scottsdale (AZ); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Unusual, socially conscious projects

Little bureaucracy

Travel to exotic places around the world!

Job summary

Quantitative Engineering Design is seeking an Applied Statistician to analyze health data related to HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria for meaningful public health projects. The role requires relocation to Sub-Saharan Africa, working closely with local teams to drive impactful research and policies. Ideal candidates should have strong statistical skills, experience in real-world data analysis, and an eagerness to collaborate across cultures. Passion for international development and commitment to the mission is essential.

Qualifications

• Willingness to physically relocate long-term to Sub-Saharan Africa.
• High proficiency with core ideas in statistics.
• Publications in peer-reviewed journals are a plus.
• Practical proficiency in analyzing real-world datasets with traditional statistics.
• Familiarity with public health or willingness to develop expertise in epidemic control.
• Computer programming skills for data analysis, high fluency in SQL and R/Python.
• Working proficiency in English (≥C1) and typing speed of at least ≥45 words per minute.

Responsibilities

• Conduct statistical analysis of national-scale health data.
• Co-direct ground teams to convert data into action.
• Collaborate with governmental and medical teams.
• Construct dashboards for data visualization.

Skills

Statistical analysis

Data cleaning and validation

SQL

R/Python

Machine learning

Logical reasoning

Curiosity and tenacity

Education

Formal studies in statistics and data science

Tools

Git version control

Job description

Use your talent to make a positive change in the world.

QED offers unique opportunities to talented people that are determined to positively affect the world.

For most software engineers and mathematicians, work is easy to come by, but meaningful work is nearly impossible to find. We select our partners and design our projects very carefully, so they can direct their talents on worthwhile problems whose solutions will clearly benefit the welfare of others.

Location

Global

Employment Type

Full time

Department

Country Teams

QED.ai (https://qed.ai) is a technology and data analytics company focused on public health in Sub-Saharan Africa. We build the digital infrastructure and A.I. that empowers the intersection of aid and scientific inquiry, including epidemiological surveillance of HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis at national scale. Our funding comes from organizations such as the Global Fund, CDC, and the Gates Foundation.

We are looking for an Applied Statistician with experience in public health and biostatistics and be based in Sub-Saharan Africa. Possible countries of initial placement include Malawi, Cote d'Ivoire, and Mozambique.

Scope of Work

Statistical analysis of national-scale health data related to the control and elimination of epidemics such as HIV, TB, and malaria, including:

• Construction and analysis of key epidemiological performance indicators, such as prevalence, testing and re-testing rates, adherence to testing protocols, retention and persistence on treatment, lab turnaround times, co-infection rates, survival rate analysis, and socio-demographic disaggregations.
• Analysis of data quality, including timeliness, completeness, and correctness.
• Co-direction of ground teams, including healthcare workers and epidemic intelligence officers, to urgently convert data into action and save lives.
• Collaborate on a daily basis with governmental, medical, and computer science teams in the co-composition of impactful public policies, research papers and impact reports.
• Construct dashboards to present and visualize data analytics, implemented using SQL and git version control.

Requirements

Technical

Willingness to physically relocate long-term to our sites in Sub-Saharan Africa to be immersed with public health officers, data analysts, and governmental chiefs that are working on the sustainable development goals.

Formal academic studies in statistics and data science.

High proficiency with core ideas in statistics.

Publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Practical proficiency in analyzing real-world datasets with traditional statistics, such as regression, hypothesis testing, experimental and survey design, time series, and RCTs.

Proficient in cleaning, validating, and reconciling complex real-world datasets -- preferably medical or epidemiological in nature -- and working alongside domain experts.

Familiarity with public health, or a strong willingness to rapidly develop deep expertise in epidemic control through hands‑on work and self-driven study.

Practical proficiency in analyzing real-world datasets with modern machine learning methods, such as decision trees, boosting, and neural networks.

Computer programming skills in wrangling, inspecting, and analyzing data statistically. High fluency in SQL and R/Python. Proficiency with git version control.

Curiosity, tenacity, and creativity. Ability to work effectively through the many challenges and realities of international aid in the Global South.

General

Working proficiency (≥C1) in speaking and reading English, and capable of typing English with a speed of at least ≥45 words per minute.

Logical reasoning and ability to express oneself clearly, both orally and in writing.

Willingness and interest in working with people from other cultures. Emotional resilience and social intelligence to communicate and work with collaborators from around the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and the USA.

… and you have to care about the work that you do!

Bonus

Additional skills that are a bonus, but are not required:

• Past participation in STEM‑related national or international competitions.
• Fluency in French or Portuguese to assist with potential relocation to Francophone and Lusophone countries.

If you are

Passionate about your craft

Interested in international development

It looks like a perfect match! We would like to learn more about you.

Culture and Expectations

We are the opposite of a big corporation. We impose extremely light bureaucracy. There is no matrix organization structure, careerism, or politicking ... we focus only on the mission and delivering excellent work.

We are willing to take unconventional paths and learn quickly through rapid scientific experimentation, unconstrained by excessive regulations. We are highly motivated to work cleverly and succeed, as no one is there to bail us out and inefficiencies cannot be sustained.

Regardless of one’s age or position in life, we ask that job candidates make serious time commitments if they choose to work with us, which will be reciprocated by equal devotion to the cause from others.

We seek people who are eager for a challenge, willing to take on responsibility, passionate about their craft, and genuinely interested in doing good works for the developing world. If this sounds like you, we would love to learn more about you.

Perks of working with QED

• Unusual, socially conscious projects
• Little bureaucracy
• Travel to exotic places around the world!