The Ifakara Health Institute is seeking a Research Scientist who will work with the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) East Africa (EA) Node team and play a significant and strategic role in continuously assisting core researchers while improving the data science capability and contributing to the development of analytical models, preparing input data, deploying workflows, and disseminating results, including writing reports, papers for peer-reviewed publication, posters, etc., and engaging with relevant collaborators. Each RS will be allowed to design and implement his/her project with specific deliverables contributing to MAP’s overall objective and scope.

Duties and Responsibilities Data gathering and processing

• Provide direct support to geospatial modellers including conducting high quality epidemiological analyses to support strategic analytics for global, regional, national and sub-national projects.
• Perform extensive literature reviews, data mining/extraction and other information from published literature, official reports and other sources as needed.
• Obtain, manage, and conduct preliminary processing and analysis on a variety of datasets, such as geo processing data for surveys, health facilities and data cleaning for surveillance type data (e.g. DHIS2, DHS/MIS/MICS).
• Utilize software including Excel, ArcGIS/QGIS, SAS, STATA, and R, Python and others to examine, manipulate, analyse and process data, create high-quality data visualizations for reports, publications and dissemination activities.
• Select, follow, and adapt data extraction and manipulation protocols.
• Promote the best practice on use of data and conduct analytics by being responsible with others for general IT housekeeping, maintenance of back-ups, documentation of protocols, data processing procedures, and review of procedures. Dissemination and publications
• Understand and abide by the protocols of engaging with project stakeholders for effective collaboration. Contribute to creation of text, maps, figures and other materials as requested for scientific reports, posters, peer-reviewed publications, to be credited via co- authorships.
• Contribute to discussions and translating research findings with colleagues and collaborators including sharing and presenting results to partner institutions and various audiences with different technical understanding.
• Provide mentorship, supervision and training to key partners (e.g. NMCPs), interns, students and internal staff when needed on data science and spatial analytics for public health.
• Maintain the confidentiality of unpublished research data. Workplace safety
• Take reasonable care for your own safety and health and avoid harming the safety and health of others through any act or omission at work.
• Identify and assess workplace hazards and apply hazard controls.
• Report every workplace injury, illness or near miss, no matter how insignificant they seem.
• Abide by institutional policies and procedures.

Qualification and Experience Essential skills and competences

• Completion of a master’s degree in a relevant subject area i.e., statistics, mathematics, data/computer science/engineering, or a similar quantitative discipline, public health, epidemiology and ecology related fields with strong quantitative capacity will be considered.
• Strong computer, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Experience in managing, analysing, interpreting, wrangling and manipulating data using software platforms; Skills on use of R software is essential.
• Ability to communicate (verbal and written) in the English language. Proven project and time management abilities.

Desirable

• An understanding of the epidemiology of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and other infectious diseases, public health.
• Experience of working with spatial data and geometry files using GIS tools is an asset.
• Ability and experience to write codes in R-studio/Pro, develop packages and dashboards, machine learning.
• Interest for career development including joining MSc or PhD program in modelling.
• Experience in teaching, development and delivering training for different audiences.
• Knowledge of other languages including Swahili, French, Spanish, Portuguese.

Remuneration

An attractive and competitive remuneration package will be offered to successful candidates as per IHI salary scales.

Equal Opportunity

IHI is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit intentional biases or discrimination and harassment of any kind at the workplace and during recruitment. All employment decisions are based solely on job requirements and individual qualifications, and our recruitment process is governed by the labour laws of Tanzania.