Senior Epidemiologist – Disease Burden Analysis
Location | Kampala, Uganda |
Date Posted | June 23, 2024 |
Category |
Management
NGO |
Job Type |
Contract
|
Currency | UGX |
Description
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About Organisation:
Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) is an independently governed institute within the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University and has the mission “To strengthen health systems in Africa, with a strong emphasis on infectious diseases, through research and capacity development.” IDI has operations across Uganda as well as in a number of other African countries and has a staffing of over 1,000 managing multiple projects in research, clinical services, public health and training.
Job Summary: The Infectious Diseases Institute is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Epidemiologist to lead the analysis and documentation of the comprehensive disease burden in Uganda and some selected African regions. The successful candidate will play a critical role in shaping scientific questions, refining analysis methods, and identifying relevant literature and data sources for the project. Working closely with a senior statistician, the Senior Epidemiologist will be responsible for conducting literature searches, scoping reviews, and synthesizing findings into high-level scientific reports. The primary objective of this role is to produce a robust evidence base that informs advocacy, health programming, and planning efforts across the African continent.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to define research questions, study objectives, and analysis methodologies for disease burden assessment in Africa.
- Lead literature searches and scoping reviews to identify relevant studies, datasets, and evidence sources related to disease epidemiology and burden in African countries.
- Work closely with a senior statistician to refine data analysis methods, interpret statistical findings, and integrate epidemiological insights into scientific reports.
- Conduct comprehensive data synthesis and interpretation, including meta-analyses, systematic reviews, and meta-regression analyses where appropriate.
- Write and contribute to the development of scientific reports, manuscripts, and presentations summarizing key findings for publication in peer-reviewed journals and dissemination to high-level scientific audiences.
- Serve as a liaison with collaborators, and stakeholders, including technical working groups) to ensure alignment of project objectives and deliverables with strategic priorities and funding requirements. He/she will be responsible for convening meetings with technical working groups regularly.
- Engage the already established technical working groups and the donor to ensure that the employed methodologies and results from analyses make scientific and policy sense.
- Provide technical guidance and mentorship to junior staff members involved in literature reviews, data extraction, and report writing activities.
- Stay abreast of advancements in epidemiological methods, data analytics, and public health research, integrating new methodologies and best practices into project activities.
- Represent the organization at scientific conferences, workshops, and meetings, presenting research findings and networking with key stakeholders in the field.
- Work independently and collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams to meet project timelines and deliver high-quality results under tight deadlines.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- Master’s or Ph.D. degree in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Public Health, or a related field. A Ph.D. is desirable but not mandatory.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in conducting epidemiological research, literature reviews, and data synthesis in a relevant field, preferably within the context of infectious diseases or global health.
- Previous experience in health policy analysis, program evaluation, or strategic planning is advantageous.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, multicultural environment, with strong organizational and time management skills.
- Experience working with donor-funded projects, international organizations, or research consortia focused on health programming and planning in Africa is advantageous.
- Knowledge of infectious and non-infectious diseases, epidemiological transitions, and public health challenges specific to the African context.
Preferred Skills:
- Strong methodological skills in epidemiological study design, data analysis, and interpretation, with proficiency in statistical software packages (e.g., R, SAS, Stata).
- Experience in Geo-spatial analysis techniques to document regional variations in healthcare access, utilization, and outcomes will be an added advantage.
- Experience in conducting comprehensive literature searches using various search engines.
- Proven track record of first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals and active engagement with the scientific community, including serving on editorial boards or peer-reviewing for top scientific journals.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex scientific concepts to diverse audiences in a clear and compelling manner.
- Fluency in English is required; proficiency in additional languages commonly spoken in Africa is desirable.