Witztum Lab – Junior Specialist

Witztum Lab – Junior Specialist

The Department of Radiation Oncology at UCSF, in the laboratory of Dr. Alon Witztum (Clinical Automation and Data Driven Insights – CADDI Lab), is seeking a highly motivated scientist/programmer for a Junior Specialist position focused on building the next generation of radiation oncology data infrastructure.

Position Overview: The Junior Specialist will assist in developing and automating data pipelines that integrate Epic, ARIA, and departmental databases into a unified informatics environment aligned with the O3 (Operational Ontology for Oncology) data model. We are looking for an organized, detail-oriented individual who can standardize heterogeneous clinical data, support real-time data requests, and contribute to multi-institutional data collaborations.

The position will involve preparing datasets for clinical and research initiatives and supporting the development of research-ready databases.

This role offers valuable experience at the intersection of clinical informatics, data science, and radiation oncology, preparing candidates for future growth in research, data engineering, or graduate/professional programs.

Required Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, or a related quantitative field and / or equivalent experience / training. • Proficiency in SQL, including table design, joins, stored procedures, and optimization. • Working knowledge of Python for data manipulation, transformation, and visualization. • Understanding of the concepts underlying relational databases. • Knowledge of secure software development. • Demonstrated software repository skills. • Demonstrated ability to follow software specifications. • Demonstrated effective communication and interpersonal skills. • Demonstrated problem-solving skills. • Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical users. • Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and capable of working both independently and collaboratively. • Able to learn effectively and meet deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications: • Minimum of 1 year of related experience. • Advanced SQL knowledge. • Experience with Health Care related data. • Experience with Epic, Cogito, and/or Clarity. • Familiarity with HL7-FHIR. • Experience with Streamlit, Shiny, or similar front-end tools. • Experience with Tableau or similar self-service analytics tools.

Key Responsibilities: • Maintain detailed documentation of data pipelines, workflows, and results. • Extract, clean, and organize clinical data from Epic and departmental databases. • Assist in developing automated scripts and ETL processes aligned with the O3 data model. • Generate descriptive analyses, visualizations, and summary reports for clinical and research teams. • Collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, and trainees to support project progress and data needs. • Contribute to the development of self-service analytics tools. • Ensure adherence to data governance, HIPAA requirements, and UCSF security standards.