When you work with data all day long, you tend to read between the lines to look at the finer details. As a hiring manager, you should be conscious of this specific trait when you’re sourcing candidates for your information and data teams. We’ve created the information specialist job description sample below to help you reach the applicants with the skills necessary to keep you competitive in your industry.
Information Specialist Job Summary
We’re seeking a highly collaborative information specialist to work out of our brand new Houston office. You will be responsible for gathering, managing and interpreting data for a variety of market research projects. This position will supplement our research team and involve advanced statistical analysis and significant client contact.
Information Specialist Job Duties and Responsibilities
- Collaborate with market research team to determine project needs.
- Identify relevant data sources; gather information through surveying and research.
- Design survey and collection methods in accordance with state and federal regulations.
- Specify appropriate regression models and analyze findings using applicable software.
- Work with internal programmers to build and maintain multiple databases.
- Write and tailor testing procedures to each unique sample group.
- Maintain full confidentiality with all client and participant information.
- Foster purposeful relationships with clients and communicate results professionally and concisely.
- Prepare internal and external summary reports.
- Attend workshops and ongoing training to ensure the company remains current.
- Assist with sample recruiting as needed.
Information Specialist Job Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in a quantitative or technical field required
- Experience in market research highly preferred
- Solid data project experience, including collection, design and analysis
- Must know SPSS or similar regression software
- Programming knowledge a big plus
- Proficient with Office Suite, especially PowerPoint
- Excellent communication skills
- Capable of presenting technical information to varying audiences
- Works well under pressure with minimal supervision
- Keen eye for detail
Company Profile
Delroy Research was founded in 2002 and has become one the most recognized market research firms in the South. We’re excited about the recent opening of our new Houston office, and we’re actively expanding in all four major Texas metros. We take a holistic approach with all of our clients, and we’re highly specialized in every industry we serve. We enjoy helping companies identify their markets. Delroy employees have fun, work hard and reward those who keep us in business.
Best Practices When Writing a Job Description
- Feel free to tailor this information specialist job description sample to your specific position. As you prepare to publish your job position, here’s a list of common do’s and don’ts to help guide you through the process.
- Do use bullets. A good job description is organized, simple and easy to read. Just because your candidates are good at sifting through data, doesn’t mean they won’t get bored with long paragraphs.
- Do be specific. Whether you’re looking for advanced technical knowledge or someone who can command an audience, be clear about what you expect.
- Don’t reject candidates who haven’t used your specific software package. Look for experience with similar programs. The best techies are highly adaptable.
- Do specify a focus. Consider providing a percentage breakdown of daily activities. For example, how much time will be focused on design versus presentation? Candidates should know the role’s emphasis, especially if it’s technical.
- Don’t get wordy. Data professionals can sense fluff from a mile away. Keep your descriptions concise and purposeful, and avoid talking about trivial tasks.
- Do emphasize culture. You can do this subtly through your duties list or strictly in your company profile. Either way, make sure you talk about your organization in a positive light. Collaborative people care a lot about office politics, work atmosphere and assignments that have meaning. Try to show the value of what your company has to offer its employees, its clients and society.
- Do think about your platform. Most information specialists are current with technology. Don’t expect to attract competitive candidates if you use outdated methods. Consider developing a mobile app for your application process if you haven’t already done so.
- Don’t forget to include contact information. Whether you provide a name or directions for applying, be sure that interested applicants have a clear way to proceed. If you’re advertising on an external job board, always provide a direct link to your internal application page. You may not get those passive candidates if you simply tell people to apply on your website.
Information Specialist Job Responsibilities
If healthcare information specialists are the gatekeepers with the key to patient information, then a strong job responsibilities section in a posted description is the key to finding the right hire to meet your needs. Optimize your job advertisement to stop attracting the wrong candidates and boost the overall quality of your applicant pool. A well-written information specialist job description opens the doors to highly talented jobseekers just waiting to find a position that’s a perfect match for their drive, dedication and skills.
To attract better candidates, your information specialist job description actually needs to be attractive. Craft the language using action verbs and a dynamic voice that mixes professional and personable tones. A dryly factual list of job responsibilities makes tasks sound like a drudge, when you want to portray the role as actively involved with goals, duties and expectations that challenge the applicant to grow with the company.
We advise no more than eight bullets for your description, but take a look at these six sample bullets covering information specialist job responsibilities:
- Present a courteous, friendly attitude as hospital representative on most inbound calls
- Answer inbound calls in a timely fashion; respond to inquiries or route appropriately as needed
- Respond to requests for release of medical information
- Preserve hospital relationships with the local community and community partners
- Provide internal telecommunications support
- Protect confidential and sensitive information in compliance with patient privacy laws
Information Specialist Job Specifications
Cut down on unqualified applicants, save time and clear your inbox by including a list of required criteria. These requirements are your line in the sand; if a candidate doesn’t meet them, they won’t pass the initial screening and shouldn’t even apply. The job skills and qualifications section is short but critical, and no good information specialist job description is complete without it.
While the list can include a few optional items that are more preferences than must-haves, ideally keep your list between six and eight bullets covering the essentials for the job. Depending on the needs of your organization, those essentials may vary from a particular level of education to certain key certifications or training courses. A smaller private practice might not require as many years of experience, while a large, multi-site hospital system might need a veteran with over 10 years of experience. The important factor is to tailor these requirements to suit your organization’s individual needs, and match them with the expectations laid out in the information specialist job description. If your criteria are excessive for the role, you’ll only confuse applicants.
Here’s an example of a brief but effective list of information specialist job specifications:
- Deep knowledge of HIPAA and Protected Health Information compliance
- Completed Registered Health Information Technician certification
- At least 3 years of experience in a hospital setting
- Ability to work weekend or late night shifts
- Innate ability to determine suspicious situations or attempted breaches of security