Machine Learning & Data Engineer, Bureau of Data Technology & Strategy

Description

The Center for Population Health Data Science, called CPHDS here, started in October 2023. It aims to speed up data modernization and to link public health, healthcare, and social service data so the city can act in time.

The team wants this data to be more accessible, fair, useful, and protected, and actually used to protect the health of New Yorkers.

Its goals are to build data skills across the agency, improve data sharing within and between agencies, and use current technology to produce trusted, connected data and insights.

Timely, complete information on city needs is essential for better public health action and for better outcomes for the most vulnerable residents.

The role is with the city's health department, which sets population health strategy and policy for NYC.

Job code 21744, City Research Scientist.

Responsibilities

• Help build integrated data pipelines that make data exchange, analysis, surveillance, and reporting more efficient.
• Work with public health data stewards to learn their data needs for health informatics, and bring public health data standards and practices into the integrated architecture.
• Build and maintain scalable, secure pipelines and platforms that take in and process real-time and batch data from internal and external sources.
• Help choose and adopt current data technologies and tools that strengthen analytics and data science work.
• Champion data governance, quality, and security practices, keeping to relevant regulations and standards.
• Work with internal and external partners so infrastructure changes meet the needs of different units.

Requirements

• For Assignment Level I, which covers only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health: a master's degree from an accredited college or university, specialized in a suitable field of physical, biological, or environmental science or in public health.
• For Assignment Level II and above, you need one of the following: a doctorate from an accredited college or university, specialized in a suitable field of physical, biological, environmental, or social science, plus 1 year of full-time experience in a supervisory, administrative, or research role in that field; or a master's degree from an accredited college or university, specialized in a suitable field of physical, biological, environmental, or social science, plus 3 years of responsible full-time research experience in that field.
• Equivalent education and/or experience can be accepted in place of either option above, but you must hold at least a master's degree in a suitable field and have at least 2 years of the research experience described in the second option. 2 years as a City Research Scientist Level I can replace the experience required in both options.
• Preferred: planning and project management skills, with the ability to adapt to new information and needs.
• Preferred: prioritization and time management skills.
• Preferred: experience modeling population-level health outcomes, infectious disease transmission, behavioral dynamics, or health systems operations.
• Preferred: experience working with structured and unstructured datasets, including data from NYC or other municipal settings.
• Preferred: knowledge of statistical inference, uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, and validation techniques for simulation models.
• Preferred: strong interpersonal and communication skills, including managing working relationships at all levels.
• Preferred: self-awareness, humility, and diplomacy.
• Preferred: 4 or more years of data engineering experience, building and managing scalable data pipelines.
• Preferred: experience with cloud data solutions such as Azure, AWS, or GCP, programming in Python or R, Linux systems, and big data technologies such as Hadoop or Spark.
• Preferred: familiarity with health informatics, public health data standards such as HL7 and FHIR, and the particular needs of managing health data.
• Preferred: experience building simulation models such as agent-based models, discrete event simulations, or system dynamics models.
• Preferred: experience identifying and integrating datasets for simulation or predictive modeling.
• Preferred: ability to turn modeling results into clear, actionable insights for stakeholders.
• Preferred: experience running scenario analysis to inform policy or program decisions.
• Preferred: ability to mentor more junior staff, manage projects, and work across diverse functional teams.
• Preferred: strong problem-solving skills and the ability to explain technical concepts to a broad audience.

Conditions

Appointments are subject to a probationary period of at least 1 year.

Depending on the position, you may be able to work from home up to 2 days a week.

The city is an inclusive equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination and harassment based on any legally protected status, including sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

Benefits

• As a city employee you may qualify for federal or state loan forgiveness and repayment assistance, which can lower your payments or fully clear your balance. Details are on the U.S. Department of Education's website.
• A premium-free health insurance plan that the posting says saves employees over $10K a year, based on a 2024 assessment.
• Additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available depending on the position's union or benefit fund.
• A public sector defined benefit pension that pays steady monthly amounts in retirement.
• A tax-deferred savings program.
• A Worksite Wellness Program with resources to help you stay healthy.
• More job security than most private sector employment.