Job Description

The Syphilis and HIV Integrated Epidemiologic and Economic Local-level Dynamics (SHIELD) team is looking for a Sr. Programmer Analyst to help us develop and maintain our core simulation models.



The SHIELD model is closely linked to the Johns Hopkins Epidemiologic and Economic Model (JHEEM) of local HIV transmission in the US. JHEEM is a modeling platform that addresses high-level public health questions– such as “how much would increasing HIV testing reduce incidence over a decade?” – using a rigorous, statistical framework. JHEEM runs large numbers of simulations at the city- and state-level to project a range of possible outcomes after implementing HIV-related interventions, to help inform decision-making. The model is coded in R, and large-scale simulations are carried out on cloud computing servers. Our projections are freely available online at https://jheem.shinyapps.io/EndingHIV/



Using a similar approach, SHIELD is a suite of mathematical models covering 40 US cities with the highest rates of syphilis and HIV diagnoses. SHIELD will encompass syphilis transmission, progression, HIV co-infection, STI care engagement dynamics, and demographic elements such as age, racial and ethnic disparities, risk profiles, and selected social determinants of health. Using this model, we aim to evaluate the potential impact of scaling up existing and emerging syphilis interventions, such as increased testing, expanded partner tracing, faster treatment initiation, and doxy-PEP. The objective is to determine the conditions under which these interventions would be cost-effective and impactful at a local level. Finally, we aim to develop a user-friendly online toolkit to empower decision-makers at local, state, and national levels to obtain customized projections of the impact from diagnostic or biomedical prevention interventions.



We are seeking a Sr. Programmer Analyst who will join a team of researchers and students working with both the JHEEM and SHIELD models. We are looking for someone who is motivated, excited to learn, and interested in applying computational skills to improve public health and help end the HIV epidemic.



Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Develop and Maintain Web Interface:
Design and implement a user-friendly web interface to present new simulation results and support interactive data exploration.
Ensure the interface is intuitive and responsive, providing a seamless experience for users.
Execute Simulation Models:
Run simulation models on high-performance computing (HPC) services, utilizing cloud-based platforms or local clusters as required.
Optimize model performance and manage computational resources effectively.
Data Management and Preparation:
Write queries to automatically extract, transform, and load data from diverse sources, including the CDC and local public health agencies.
Create and maintain scripts for data manipulation, cleaning, and filtering.
Prepare data outputs for visualization and integration into the web display, ensuring accuracy and consistency in the data presented.


Supporting Tasks:

Complete and maintain professional documentation for projects and deliverables.
Assist in writing grant proposals, particularly the approach section, utilizing specialized knowledge with discretion and judgment.
Co-author scientific reports, abstracts, and publications, contributing original thoughts, hypotheses, and analysis.
Use professional judgment in handling information and be sensitive to project team, individual, and organizational concerns.
Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.




Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's Degree.
Three years related experience.
Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.


Preferred Qualifications
Master's or PhD Degree in Mathematics, Statistics, Biostatistics, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related field.
Proficiency in R and experience with Shiny for building interactive web applications.
Familiarity with Shiny Server and ShinyProxy for deploying Shiny apps in production environments.
Experience with R Markdown and flexdashboard for creating interactive reports and dashboards.
Knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and frameworks like Bootstrap to enhance the front-end of Shiny applications.
Ability to integrate Shiny applications with backend databases like PostgreSQL or MySQL.
Experience with deploying Shiny applications on cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) or on- premise servers.
Familiarity with Docker for containerizing Shiny apps and Kubernetes for orchestration.
Experience with parallel computing or HPC environments: To manage computationally intensive simulations if integrated with Shiny.
Coursework or job experience in epidemiology and/or statistics.
Solid planning and organizational skills, ability to prioritize work independently, and work for periods without daily direction from investigators.