The Biomedical Statistician and Statistical Programmer is a senior technical specialist within the Strategic Value Unit (SVU) of Central East ICB. The postholder will provide expert statistical design, analysis, programming and assurance across evaluation, health economics and population health management.
The postholder will lead the selection and application of statistical methods to complex health and care questions, including evaluations of programmes and pathways, analysis of linked routine data, causal inference, risk and outcome modelling, health economic analysis and assessment of inequalities. The postholder will ensure that statistical conclusions are valid, transparent and proportionate to the available data and the decision being supported.
The postholder will also lead the development of reproducible statistical code and analytical pipelines. This will include establishing standards for programming, validation, documentation, peer review, testing and reuse of analytical assets.
Working alongside a multi-disciplinary team, the postholder will translate complex analytical questions into robust statistical approaches and communicate findings, assumptions, uncertainty and limitations clearly to decision-makers.
The postholder will provide senior statistical expertise within the Strategic Value Unit, supporting strategic commissioning through analysis of healthcare activity, utilisation, outcomes, costs, inequalities and population need.
The postholder will lead complex statistical workstreams from problem definition through study design, data specification, analysis, validation, interpretation and reporting.
The postholder will work autonomously, exercise substantial professional judgement and provide authoritative advice where methods, evidence or conclusions are complex or contested.
The purpose includes:
- To provide senior statistical and statistical programming expertise across the SVU and wider ICB.
- To lead the design and delivery of complex statistical analyses that support strategic planning, commissioning, evaluation and population health management.
- To develop statistical analysis plans and select proportionate methods.
- To provide expert advice on observational study design, causal inference, model development, uncertainty and interpretation.
- To establish reproducible, maintainable and quality-assured statistical programming practices.
- To provide statistical assurance, peer review and constructive challenge across multidisciplinary analytical work.
- To translate complex statistical findings into clear, actionable evidence for decision-makers.
- To develop statistical capability across the SVU.
We are committed to promoting equal opportunities to achieve equity of access, experience and outcomes and to recognising and valuing people’s differences. We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity; we see this as a strength and part of our founding mission, values and behaviours. We know through experience that different ideas, perspectives and backgrounds create a stronger and more creative work environment that delivers patient outcomes.
We are committed to creating the best place to work, where your contribution is valued, your wellbeing is supported and all our colleagues can reach their full potential. We welcome and encourage applications from all areas of the community, who meet the criteria for the role, regardless of their protected characteristic. We work to ensure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone, including making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition and support with the recruitment process for people with lived experience.
We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles.
We operate a Carer friendly working environment that is supportive and inclusive. We actively encourage Carers to self-identify themselves.
We are a Disability Confident Employer and commit to shortlisting suitable applicants who meet the essential criteria for an interview. Please inform us of any adjustments you may require.
A. Statistical design, analysis and evaluation
- Lead the statistical design and analysis of complex evaluations and health and care studies, defining appropriate populations, outcomes, comparison groups, analytical approaches and sensitivity analyses.
- Apply advanced statistical methods, including regression, survival, longitudinal, time-series, causal inference, predictive modelling and simulation approaches where appropriate. Identify and address confounding, selection bias, clustering, missing data, measurement error and other sources of uncertainty.
B. Statistical programming, data quality and reproducibility
- Develop and maintain robust statistical code and analytical pipelines using R, Python, SQL, Stata or equivalent tools.
- Work with data engineering and analytical colleagues to specify data requirements, define cohorts and variables, and assess the completeness, validity and fitness for purpose of linked health and care data. Apply reproducible analytical practices, including structured code, version control, testing, documentation, peer review and automated reporting.
C. Modelling and decision support
- Develop, validate and interpret statistical, prognostic and predictive models, assessing their validity, calibration, stability, equity and operational usefulness.
- Provide statistical input to economic evaluations and decision models, including estimation of effects, parameters, uncertainty and outcomes. Ensure consistency between statistical evidence, model assumptions and the decisions being supported.
D. Reporting, governance and assurance
- Develop proportionate statistical analysis plans and produce clear technical reports, methodological appendices, visualisations, automated outputs, committee papers and presentations.
- Establish and maintain statistical quality-assurance standards, including code review, validation of key outputs, review of assumptions and transparent documentation of methods, limitations and material departures from agreed analysis plans.
E. Professional advice and communication
- Provide authoritative statistical advice to multidisciplinary colleagues and senior decision-makers.
- Explain methods, findings, uncertainty, limitations and generalisability clearly to technical and non-technical audiences. Provide constructive professional challenge where analytical approaches or conclusions may be misleading or unsupported.
F. Leadership, capability and delivery
- Lead a portfolio of complex statistical work, managing priorities, risks, dependencies and delivery timescales in proportion to the importance and complexity of the decision.
- Provide professional leadership, supervision, peer review and coaching to analysts, statisticians and multidisciplinary colleagues. Develop reusable code, methods guidance, templates and training resources that strengthen statistical capability across the ICB.
- Evaluate emerging statistical methods and analytical technologies where these may improve quality or efficiency, ensuring appropriate governance, testing and professional oversight.
