Data Scientist

Contract length: 3 years (project-related)
Location: Stockholm
Indicative number of candidates to be employed: 1

Is this job for you?

ECDC plans to recruit a data scientist for the EU Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) project. You will work in the Global Epidemic Intelligence and Health Security section in the Surveillance, Preparedness and Response unit.

Reporting to the Head of Section Global Epidemic Intelligence and Health Security, you will be part of a team of approximately seven people supporting the Centre’s work related to the EWRS, threat detection, preparedness and response.

In this position, you will have a wide variety of tasks that will give you the opportunity to contribute to the further development of the EWRS application by:

• Implementing artificial intelligence tools in EWRS and other linked applications such as EpiPulse for enhancing the user experience, situational awareness and data quality;
• Supporting ECDC’s activities and the collaboration with the European Commission in the development of an ontology for crisis management;
• Developing and automating analyses of data from EWRS and other alert and epidemiological information systems to support situational awareness and activity monitoring;
• Further developing the EWRS data model, ensuring it is interoperable with other ECDC databases and contribute to the linkage of EWRS with other alert and epidemiological systems such as EpiPulse;
• Designing and implementing statistical analyses to identify patterns, trends and associations;
• Designing and implementing outputs in the form of interactive reports and dashboards, targeted to specific audiences as needed;
• Contributing to the linkage of EpiPulse with other threat detection tools, such as the Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources tool developed by the World Health Organization;
• Designing and implementing statistical analyses to identify patterns, trends and associations;
• Supporting related activities within ECDC’s mandate of threat detection, emergency preparedness and response to serious cross-border health threats by contributing to threat detection duty rosters, risk assessments, general data science support and implementation of artificial intelligence;
• Participating in ECDC missions relevant to the EWRS project, travelling within and outside Europe;
• Coordinating public procurement procedures for outsourcing research and analysis tasks related to the project, providing strategic direction to external contractors and monitoring the quality of their work;
• Performing any other tasks related to your area of work as requested.

What are we looking for?

Formal requirements

For your application to be considered eligible you must fulfil all the following requirements by the application deadline: 

• A level of education which corresponds to completed university studies of at least 3 years attested by a diploma[1];
• Thorough knowledge of one of the official EU languages and a satisfactory knowledge of another official EU language to the extent necessary for the performance of your duties[2];
• Nationality of one of the EU Member States or of Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and to be entitled to your full rights as a citizen;
• To have fulfilled any obligations imposed by the applicable laws on military service;
• Meet the character requirements for the duties involved[3]; and
• Be physically fit to perform the duties linked to the post.

You will need to provide appropriate documents to show that you meet all of the above criteria.

Selection criteria

For your application to be evaluated further, you will also need:

• At least 3 years, following the award of the diploma, of professional experience acquired in positions relevant to the job description;
• Academic degree in a quantitative field, e.g., science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), or equivalent degree;
• Experience in developing projects using R or Python involving data extraction from SQL databases (SQL server or PostgreSQL), data pipelines, APIs, and data analysis. These projects should include the use of version control systems and include monitoring of processes and use of quality standards;
• Experience in ontologies, knowledge graphs and similar concepts;
• Knowledge of version control systems such as GIT or SVN;
• Experience in designing, implementing and maintaining pdf, html reports and basic web applications (such as dashboards) using common R/Python libraries;
• Experience developing, deploying and maintaining machine learning/artificial intelligence models and services in Azure cloud environments and CI/CD pipelines;
• Excellent command of English, both written and spoken.

Additionally, we will assess the following competencies:

• Quality driven and service minded;
• Results oriented;
• Analytical skills and innovative thinking;
• Very good oral and written communication skills;
• Ability to work collaboratively and build strong working relationships.

Depending on the number of applications received, the selection committee may apply stricter requirements within the aforementioned selection criteria.

Why ECDC?

You will play an active role in making a tangible difference in public health. 

At ECDC you will join a team of more than 400 colleagues with diverse backgrounds and professions who work together for the common goal of helping countries prevent and respond to outbreaks and public health threats. Every position at ECDC plays an important part, and we cooperate closely for our collective goals. 

ECDC is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from all suitably qualified candidates without any distinction on grounds of age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, ethnic or social origin, religion, or belief. 

As an ECDC staff member, you will have the chance to own or support initiatives impacting the health and well-being of people in Europe. You will have access to the latest European-level surveillance data and dedicated expertise in your field, collaborate with various experts and organisations across Europe and beyond, and you will be part of public health-relevant infectious disease networks. 

You will be joining ECDC at interesting times. In October 2022, the European Parliament endorsed an extended mandate that will allow ECDC to adopt a stronger role in supporting EU Member States in the prevention and control of infectious disease threats and improve European preparedness and response. This includes real-time surveillance systems, mobilising an EU Health Task Force to assist local responses in Member States and building a network of EU reference laboratories. 

What can we offer you?

We offer a competitive salary and a range of benefits, including health insurance, learning opportunities and flexible work arrangements such as flexible working hours and teleworking in the Stockholm area for part of the week. Additionally, you can work up to 10 days a year from outside the Stockholm area.

Depending on your experience, the monthly basic salary usually starts at € 5,034 and may be supplemented by various allowances including, as applicable, expatriation and/or generous family allowances. Salary is exempt from national tax and instead an Agency tax is deducted. We also provide financial support when relocating to Stockholm.

Our benefits package is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and we are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive work environment that values the well-being of our employees. 

Learn more about the benefits of joining ECDC.

How does our selection process work?

Our selection process takes, on average, three months from the application deadline. All selection processes include a remote written test and a video conference interview; some selection processes may include additional steps.

After a candidate has been selected for the position, additional shortlisted candidates can be placed on a reserve list. The reserve list may be used when ECDC needs to fill similar positions at the same level in the future. The reserve list is valid until 31 December 2027 and may be extended. 

See the overview of the different steps in the selection process and the ECDC-candidate-guide.pdf (europa.eu) for a detailed explanation of the selection and recruitment process. 

When starting a new contract under the EU staff regulations, all new staff must successfully complete a probationary period of nine months.

How do you apply?

To apply for this vacancy, please create/ log in to your ECDC e-recruitment user account.

See detailed instructions on how to apply.

Please submit your application well ahead of the deadline in case of technical issues and/or heavy traffic on the website. After submitting your application, you will receive an automatic email message confirming receipt of your application. Ensure that the email address you provide for your applicant account is correct and that you check your email regularly.

ECDC does not accept applications submitted after the deadline or applications submitted by email, mail or any other means.

Only candidates selected for interviews will be notified. You can see the progress of the selection process from within your e-recruitment account. 

Translations of this vacancy notice in all EU languages can be obtained by using the automatic translation function on this website.

Note: 

While this vacancy notice can be translated into all official EU languages from its English original, the language of day-to-day operations in the Agency is generally English. ECDC therefore prefers to receive the application in English.

Disclaimer: Please note that in the event of any differences in meaning or interpretation between the original English version of this content and a translation, the original English version takes precedence

We welcome your application!