Job Title: EHR Data Specialist

Reports to: PRCCI Research Grants Project Manager

Location/Hours: San Juan, Puerto Rico / Full Time

The EHR Data Specialist is a resourceful, detail oriented and collaborative team member with excellent client and people management skills. The primary technical areas of activity include database design, database administration and data transfer. Develop and maintain database and supporting software infrastructure for data warehouses, perform systems and database analysis, tune performance, ensure data integrity and database security. Implement databases and data-entry and reporting applications to manage biomedical data ranging from clinical to genomic and other experimental datasets. The Data Specialist communicates with the principal investigator (PI) and project manager to obtain the necessary documentation ensuring compliance with all laws regarding the health and privacy of trial participants. This person will provide support to the PI, Project Manager, Lead CRC and the project staff as needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Assists Project Manager, Lead CRC and other staff as needed with the day-to-day operations and provides support to the clinical staff to ensure high quality, high volume, and efficient productivity.
• Applies advanced bioinformatics concepts to design, develop, modify, debug, and evaluate highly complex software programs and web tools. Applies advanced knowledge of multiple complex data systems within UCSD; Clarity, Caboodle and SlicerDicer design, implement and test complex algorithms to transform clinical data to the various common data models such as the OMOP, PCORnet and I2B2. Uses existing tools such as SlicerDicer, Accrual of Clinical Trials (ACT) and OHDSI's Atlas and Athena to test and evaluate the data quality of the transformations.
• Conducts advanced bioinformatics programming and testing of new algorithms that will interact with other related databases. Develops, implements, and tests new systems such as the identity management system that interacts with other related databases such as OMOP, Redcap and All of Us HealthPro systems.
• Formulates logic for new systems, devises logic procedures, prepares flowcharting, performs coding and data analysis, and tests / debugs highly complex programs. Performs designing, coding, testing and analyses of complex ad-hoc research data requests from customers. Shares the code with other participating sites. Provides support and troubleshooting to resolve issues at cross-team and cross institutional levels. Problem solves protocol issues with staff, as necessary.
• Recommends and implements changes in development, maintenance and system standards for analysis algorithms, tools, and infrastructure. Provides recommendation on various ETL tools (e.g., SSIS, Talend) and data quality tools (e.g., Atlas, Athena) etc.
• Works with research staff and outside collaborators to produce data summaries and statistical analysis to support ongoing data quality assurance; feed scientific analysis and hypothesis testing; feed arguments, discussions, and figures for papers and proposals. Reviews and research existing data sets, platforms, operating systems currently in use for biomedical data management. Analyzes dataflow and research needs.
• May lead a team of bioinformatics programming professionals.
• Provides knowledge and support as well as writes algorithm and scripts to help other consortium sites to develop and test their data transformation algorithms.
• Participates actively in team meetings, goal-setting and other team activities by providing suggestions and expertise, reviewing, and establishing procedures and goals, and developing skills to enhance teamwork and leadership.
• Pursues continuous professional growth through active participation in skill development and training as appropriate.
• Supports the preparation of progress reports for the PI, funding agency and stakeholders.
• Develops and implements web interfaces to share and display bioinformatics analysis and content with collaborators and other users.
• Enables implementation of advanced features in the applications.
• Works with developers to find and fix bugs or develop new features.
• Provides technical information to other groups or institution's personnel when data exchanges are required.
• Contributes to the planning and writing grant proposals.
• Manages tracking of document components and develops automation for rapid repeated assembly of successive versions.
• Contributes to writing articles and abstracts for conferences and scientific journals. Provides training to division personnel.

Qualifications and Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in biological science, computational / programming, or related area and / or equivalent experience / training. Advanced degree preferred.
• In-depth knowledge of bioinformatic’s methods, applications programming, data structures.
• Programming design, modification, and implementation.
• Advanced understanding of relational databases, web interfaces and operating systems.
• Advanced project management skills.
• Experience in data science and visualization, including use of Excel, Python, JavaScript, SQL Databases, Tableau.
• In-depth knowledge of modern biology and applicable field of research desired.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills in order to work with both technical and non-technical personnel at all levels in the organization, including senior project leadership.
• Ability to communicate technical information in a clear and concise manner.
• Ability to interface with management on a regular basis.
• Ability to meet deadlines and demonstrate advanced problem-solving skills.
• In-depth knowledge of application and data security concepts and methods.
• Expertise in MySQL administration and features is required. Expertise in SQL Server or Oracle is desirable. The ability to set up MySQL Cluster on Linux or Unix is desirable.
• Expert knowledge and experience in relational databases, database modeling, E-R diagrams, object-oriented systems, UML, and software engineering. Experience working with and writing code for XML.
• Expertise in installing, designing, maintaining, configuring, administering (access control, back up recovery), and performance tuning relational database management systems.
• Expertise in designing and implementing data warehouses and databases containing large numbers of records. Knowledge of star-join schema. Knowledge and skills necessary to create ETL scripts.
• Experience in Java/J2EE language is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in programming applications that make useful use of direct access to relational databases via technologies such as JPA/Hibernate, and JDBC.
• Experience working with healthcare or biomedical research data is highly desirable. Understanding HIPAA and other privacy regulations is desirable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Spanish.
• Outstanding customer service and diplomacy skills when interacting with clients and participants.
• Ability to work collaboratively with team members in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment.
• Manages time effectively by prioritizing tasks, managing competing priorities.
• Applies new skills and concepts quickly and displays a willingness to learn and improve.
• Superior working knowledge of office applications and online collaboration tools, such as Microsoft Suite, Google products, SharePoint, One Drive, Dropbox, Adobe PDF, DocuSign, Zoom, etc.
• Ability to learn and use company-specific software.
• A strong work ethic, ability to maintain and model high personal, ethical, and professional standards, as well as an outgoing and positive personality.
• Occasionally, will be required to work outside regular business hours to complete special projects and reports or to attend company events.