PROGRAM SPECIALIST
University of Washington
Seattle, WA
Full-time
Education
Posted on January 24, 2019
PROGRAM SPECIALIST Req #: 163901 Department: INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH METRICS AND EVALUATION Job Location: Downtown Seattle Posting Date: 01/18/2019 Closing Info: Closes On 01/25/2019 Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience and education Limited Recruitment: Open to Department employees only If you are a UW employee and would like to be considered for this position, please login to your UW employee profile to apply. Shift: First Shift As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem solving skills and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world. UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. All of which has allowed the UW to be nationally recognized as a “Great College to Work For” for five consecutive years. The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent research center at the University of Washington. Its mission is to monitor global health conditions and health systems, as well as to evaluate interventions, initiatives, and reforms. IHME carries out a range of projects within different research areas including the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors; Future Health Scenarios; Costs and Cost Effectiveness; Geospatial Analysis; Resource Tracking; and Impact Evaluations. The aim is to provide policymakers, donors, and researchers with the highest-quality quantitative evidence base to make decisions that achieve better health.IHME has an exciting opportunity to join the team as a Program Specialist. The primary purpose of the position is to manage and facilitate the resources and efficiencies of the Institute Director’s Office. The Program Specialist will manage the Director’s correspondence, ensure efficient management of the Director’s time, and prepare the Director for all meetings and external engagements. This role is critical to the Institution as a whole and has a high level of visibility both within the Institute and externally.Responsibilities include:Research learning Develop a command of the intellectual material and key concepts that relate to the Institute including the scope, major aims, and interdependencies of IHME’s projects and products.Develop an understanding of the key institutional and individual actors in population health science – including inter-governmental organizations, donors, government agencies, research organizations, and other key stakeholders – their key competencies, constituents, and how they relate to one another and to IHME.Become familiar with the details of complex interdisciplinary projects, including their goals, objectives, and activities. Learn the key personnel involved in each project including their roles, responsibilities and interactions with one another.In select circumstances, support research the Director is directly involved with through publications support, proposal development, events management, and relationship management.Project managementCreate briefing materials for the Director and other senior staff by obtaining information from relevant parties, synthesizing key objectives and activities, and writing and editing materials to fit a format that is comprehensible and concise. Briefings will summarize logistics alongside of key background information and focal points.Catalog, prioritize, offer recommended actions, and respond to correspondence for the Institute Director.Perform background research for briefings, presentations, and other related purposes.Facilitate the efficient management of the Director’s time by having complete awareness of the daily calendar including the purpose behind each meeting and related interdependencies of meetings, and by ensuring the timely transition from one meeting to the next.Facilitate logistical preparations and draft detailed travel itineraries for the Director and other key senior IHME leaders.Confidently and successfully communicate with senior staff and decision-makers internally and externally from across a variety of organizational contexts, areas of expertise, and professional experience. Represent IHME through high-caliber, timely, and considerate written and oral communication.Create and prepare PowerPoint presentations and related materials for the Director and other key senior IHME leaders to deliver to a variety of audiences. Task will require an understanding of the key concepts being conveyed, the main findings of the research or other activities undertaken, and the intended audience.Maintain an actively updated and searchable bank of PowerPoint slides and template content that can be used across different presentations and meetings.Arrange logistics (including travel and managing external vendors) and prepare agendas, presentations, and related materials to ensure the smooth functioning and achievement of desired goals for key institute-wide events and pivotal research meetings.Copy/edit and format written materials including reports, articles, and meeting materials for external dissemination.Facilitate institute-wide projects as requested. Major activities could include providing support to publications creation, dissemination events, donor development, or other activities aimed at elevating IHME’s external profile and widening its influence and reputation.Create and maintain project management tools as needed and manage them with other internal parties to ensure effective coordination.Effectively manage more than $170,000 in air travel, hotel stays, and related travel costs per year. This includes projecting travel costs, controlling expenses, ensuring proper receipt of funds, and reviewing post-travel actual expenses.Responsible for the budget and procurement of equipment and supplies, for the Director’s Office and related events and projects, often under very unusual and urgent circumstances. Manage the required documentation related to shipping, customs declarations/documents (foreign deliveries), and invoices.Develop short/long term measurable goals, evaluation tools, and use to implement operational efficiencies within the Director’s Office.General Create and maintain updated web content related to the Director’s Office, including profiles, CVs, publication lists, and other related components.Facilitate the effective completion of required authorizations and compliance matters for the Director’s Office related to funding proposals, publication submissions, IRB applications, data use agreements, and other key considerations.Help to identify efficiencies and opportunities, and give input on ways to best maximize the value of different meetings, events, and visitor interactions with senior staff when planning Director’s Office activities.Organize and facilitate responses to sets of external requests such as requests by individuals for short-term residencies at IHME, affiliation requests, letters of recommendation, letters of support for proposals, etc.Facilitate clear and concise communication internally to help expedite organizational priorities and guarantee exceptional support to the entire IHME team.Perform additional duties as assigned that fall within the reasonable scope of this position as a member of the Director’s Office.As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, business, or related field, plus three years of related experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Additional Requirements:Must exhibit strong desire and ability to learn new intellectual content across different disciplines in a timely fashion.Demonstrated management supervisory experience.Incumbent must be able to work independently and must be able to take multiple priorities and translate them into project completion through expert planning.Strong oral and written communication skills and relationship management skills are critical.Must be extremely detail-oriented and organized.Strong project management skills, including demonstrated ability to think independently, while coordinating resources needed to meet deadlines.Must be a problem-solver, self-motivated, and require minimal supervision.Excellent interpersonal skills; a cooperative team player, energetic, able to develop productive relationships with colleagues and external collaborators.Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment is critical.Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT Weekend and evening work sometimes required.Application Process:The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Workforce Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your ""My Jobs"" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed. The University of Washington is a leader in environmental stewardship & sustainability, and committed to becoming climate neutral. The University of Washington is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 / 206-543-6452 (tty) or dso@uw.edu. Open to Department employees only If you are a UW employee and would like to be considered for this position, please login to your UW employee profile to apply.