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 (IDI) is seeking a highly qualified Senior Health Economist to lead and contribute to a groundbreaking project on Disease burden in Africa. This position is instrumental in synthesizing the burden of disease on the African continent, conducting economic evaluations, and generating high-level reports that will shape health programming and planning across the region. The successful candidate will lead the economic evaluations team and work closely with a multidisciplinary team of researchers, including statisticians, epidemiologists, and data scientists, to develop  scientific questions, refine analysis methods, and identify literature and data sources for the project.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop  scientific questions and analysis methods for the project in collaboration with the research team.
• Conduct literature searches and scoping reviews to identify model parameters that reflect the African context.
• Utilize advanced health economic evaluation methods to analyze the cost-effectiveness of current health interventions for both infectious and non-infectious diseases and forecast disease burden.
• Conduct budget analyses and determine the cost of implementing health care interventions as well as the cost of inaction.
• Work closely with senior statisticians and epidemiologists to refine analysis methods and interpret findings.
• Lead the writing and preparation of  scientific reports, manuscripts, and presentations for high-level scientific audiences.
• Collaborate with donor agencies, collaborators, and stakeholders in African countries to ensure the relevance and impact of the research.
• Engage the already established technical working groups to ensure that the employed methodologies and results from analyses make  scientific and policy sense.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior team members, including junior health economists and analysts.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Advanced degree (PhD preferred) in health economics, epidemiology, statistics, or a related field.
• Extensive experience (at least five years) in health economic evaluation methods for disease transmission, including cost-effectiveness analysis, decision analysis, and modeling.
• Experience working in interdisciplinary research teams and collaborating with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Proven track record of publishing  scientific papers in peer-reviewed journals or experience leading the writing of high-level technical reports.

Required Skills:

• Strong quantitative skills and proficiency in  data analysis, including experience with statistical software (e.g., R, Stata, SAS).
• Experienced in using advanced health evaluation methods such as cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), cost-utility analysis (CUA), cost-benefit analysis (CBA), and other approaches.
• Knowledge of machine learning techniques and data  science methods is desirable.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Maintain excellent organizational skills to manage multiple tasks and deadlines effectively.
• Communicate research findings and implications to diverse audiences, including policymakers, donors, and the  scientific community.
• Work independently and with minimal technical supervision to produce high-quality results under pressure.