Closing date: August 7, 2021
Location: Flexible across countries within which PSI operates
Department: Malaria
Reports to: VectorLink Research Manager
Up to 30% international travel
*Must be authorized to work in country of hire.
Post is contingent on funding
Who we are
Population Services International (PSI) is the world’s leading non-profit
social marketing organization. With our 50 years of insight, PSI reimagines how
to bring quality healthcare closer to those who need it most. We are working to
fix market failures, shape future health markets and shift policy and funding
to better support consumer powered healthcare.
There are over 5,000 PSI employees around the world, who make up a diverse
group of entrepreneurs and professionals with a range of backgrounds –from the
medical industry to the music business, all with unique skills that contribute
to the organization’s dynamism. Across the world, in collaboration with various
partners and stakeholders we contribute to efforts to achieve Universal Health
Coverage through supporting and implementation of multiple health area
programs. For more information, please visit www.psi.org.
Join us!
PMI VectorLink Program
Working across 23 countries in sub-Saharan Africa as well as Cambodia, the
U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative’s (PMI) VectorLink (VL) Project is
equipping countries to plan and implement safe, cost-effective and sustainable
life-saving malaria vector control interventions with the overall goal of
reducing the burden of malaria. Proven to reduce malaria illness, severe
disease, and death due to malaria in endemic areas, insecticide-treated nets
(ITNs) protect people while they are sleeping from the bite of mosquitoes. ITNs
maintain effective levels of insecticide to repel mosquitoes for approximately
three years, even after repeated washing. PMI VectorLink supports ministries of
health to achieve and maintain universal coverage of ITNs, delivered through
all available channels. PMI VectorLink is building capacity for evidence-based
policy and decision-making, social and behavior change communication (SBCC),
and monitoring and evaluation to increase ITN access and ensure ITN use.
PMI VectorLink manages a portfolio of ITN research, including ITN
durability monitoring studies in approximately 10 English- and French-speaking
countries in Africa. We are looking for a Research Advisor to join the team
and support the durability monitoring portfolio across the research cycle, from
IRB submissions to training, quality control to analysis and reporting. The
Research Advisor will be study focal point for a subset of countries and
contribute broadly to technical elements of ITN research. The role will provide
technical assistance remotely and in-country, in accordance with Covid-19
adaptations. There will be opportunity to lead and contribute to peer-previewed
publications.
PSI is seeking a skilled, detail-oriented, and dynamic malaria research
candidate with proven success in leading high-quality research activities
across the research cycle on a multi-country project. Candidates will be
equally at home leading fieldworker training and rigorously analyzing
quantitative research data in Stata. A key to success for this position will be
strong communication skills and experience working effectively as part of a
distributed team.
The location for this full-time position is flexible among countries in
which PSI operates, with a preference for locations on an African time-zone.
The position is contingent on funding.
Sound like you? Read on.**
Your contribution
The Research Advisor will be expected to:
· Lead study
planning for a subset of target countries by:
o Developing study designs, study tools, fieldwork materials, training
slides and other training materials with support from VL staff country partners
as required.
o Supporting the review of agency proposals and budgets as required.
o Maintaining country progress to agreed timelines and proactively
troubleshooting to avoid or advance through delays.
o Ensuring appropriate IRB approvals have been received and are documented
for all study rounds.
o Ensuring study activities comply and remain compliant to required PMI,
PSI and country COVID-19 adaptions.
· Lead and
support training and fieldwork implementation in a subset
of target countries by:
o Programming and/or updating electronic data collection tools in ODK for
implementation using SurveyCTO.
o Facilitating and/or co-facilitating remote training-of-trainers (a
COVID-19 adaptation) and in-person fieldwork training (when feasible).
o Performing remote and in-person (when feasible) fieldwork supervision and
quality assurance, including remote review of data collection and
trouble-shooting while field work is ongoing.
· Lead and
support analysis and reporting in a subset of target
countries by:
o Conducting data cleaning and analysis in Stata according to standard
project syntax.
o Ensuring quality and timely production of study reports in English.
o Participating in country analysis workshops and/or dissemination events
as requested by partners.
o Contributing to peer-reviewed publications and novel secondary analysis.
What are we looking for?
· Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, population studies,
behavioral sciences, or a related field.
· At least five years of professional experience (academic and professional
experience considered together) in applied quantitative research pertaining to
malaria, including fieldworker training and quality assurance experience in
sub-Saharan Africa.
· Fluent in the use of ODK for questionnaire programming; familiarity with
SurveyCTO or similar platform(s) is highly desirable (proficiency in ODK will
be tested).
· Fluent in the use of Stata for data management and analysis (proficiency
will be tested).
· Highly organized, with the ability to multi-task, meet tight deadlines
and provide remote oversight and quality control to keep partners on track.
· Demonstrated ability to work independently on multiple simultaneous
studies.
· Professional experience research ethics procedures and submission of
studies to national and institutional IRBs.
· Ability to interpret and translate research information into technically
accurate and understandable syntheses appropriate for a variety of
stakeholders.
· Strong technical communication skills in English, both written and oral.
· Proficiency in French is desirable.
What gets us excited?
· Experience implementing durability monitoring research.
· Familiarity with PMI.
· French language skills.
How to Apply
Application:
· Interested applicants
should submit a letter of interest and current Curriculum Vitae by 7th August 2021 to jobs@psinairobi.org; Subject: Research
Advisor, PMI VectorLink
· Applications are
currently accepted on a rolling basis.
PSI is an Equal
Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals
regardless of actual or perceived race, religion, color, sex, age, national
origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance,
matriculation, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, gender
identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions or
breastfeeding, genetic information, amnesty, veteran, special disabled veteran
or uniform service member status or employment status.
