Epidemiology Activity Manager at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) – Holland Full Time

Job Title: Epidemiology Activity Manager

Location: Abuja (with requirements to travel and support the projects)
Employment Type: Full-time

Main objective and responsibility of the position

• Define, implement and follow up epidemiological activities, ensuring the proper implementation of protocols, the development of appropriate methodology and the quality of studies to identify risk factors for diseases and determining optimal treatment approaches to clinical practice and for preventive medicine to be used in the missions.

Accountabilities

• Define, schedule and organize, in close collaboration with other medical team members, the annual epidemiological activity plan as well as its associated budget in order to improve early detection of risk factors to better define treatment approaches and preventive practices.
• Lead the implementation of the protocols and epidemiological methodology, ensuring all related staff follows them in order to improve research efficiency
• Supervise, according to annual plan, epidemiological research activity ensuring:
  • that contacts with community groups and authorities are aligned with the objectives of the research
  • that the population participating in the research is properly informed
  • reporting on the progress of data collection, on ongoing analysis of research or on any issue causing delay is done in order to achieve epidemiological goals on time.
• Advise the MSF medical team on epidemiological matters that arise in the course of their activity research, and, when necessary, design and implement epidemiological tools and data collection to meet new epidemiological needs.
• Ensure , in coordination with logistics department, that national or international shipment of laboratory samples acquired for research purposes is done within datelines and according to protocols, following security rules and keeping conditions needed for the sample
• Supervise data filing procedures ensuring that all epidemiology software tools are properly used and are updated regularly, in order to ensure full data traceability and availability
• Plan and supervise, in close coordination with the HR department and the MSF vision, policies and values, the associated processes (job description, recruitment, training, performance evaluation, development and internal/external communication) of the epidemiological staff in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required, improve people technical capabilities, contribution and their commitment to MSF values.
• Supervises, in close coordination with the logistic manager, that research equipment and material is properly maintained and stock level is above minimum point in order to ensure availability and research activity continuity.
• Organize and/or assist medical staff in preparing epidemiological reports related to health facilities and to researched areas and participate in operational monthly reports.

MSF Section / Context-Specific Accountabilities
General:

• To organize the MSF-OCA epidemiological objectives in the mission in collaboration with the MedCo.
• To provide supervisory, training and practical epidemiological support to projects for surveillance system/data collection, data analysis and to ensure proper implementation of data systems during emergency response.
• To complete routine weekly and monthly epidemiological analysis and reports.
• To serve as the focal person for data collection, and analysis in collaboration with the MTL and data processor for the respective project.
• Assist MoH in training MoH surveillance officers and clinicians in principles of Disease Surveillance and Outbreak Response.
• Where needed, to design and implement surveillance system in the community and/or in MoH health facility, ensuring that the mission has the information it needs to respond effectively to the needs of the population.
• To assist in designing and implementing methods to determine prevalence and causes of diseases in accordance with mission needs and advocacy objectives.
• To develop and maintain monitoring and evaluation plans for targeted diseases, research/outbreaks/surveillance/training/communication in general and context- and mission-specific projects

Outbreak response:

• Establish line listing in case of outbreak and provide analysis and epidemiological advice on outbreak response;
• Guide activities of medical staff for surveillance or active case finding, including ensuring understanding of reasons for case definitions and data recording (briefing of all new staff);
• Ensure the appropriate documentation of case information & application of case definitions, and continually check data quality;
• Recruit and manage data collection/entry staff
• Provide concise, relevant and timely updates on trends to coordination staff, and when appropriate to external collaborators/networks (MoH, other NGOs);
• Analyse the surveillance/outbreak and mortality data to provide epidemiological input to project activities, such as locations for active case finding, interventions (Water and Sanitation) etc.
• Potentially, support vaccine campaign related data collection
• Potentially carry out vaccine coverage or other vaccine related studies.
• Prepare the analysis for SitRep.

Conduct surveys, such as vaccination coverage, nutrition or mortality surveys:

• Elaborate concept note and protocol adapting the methodology of the standard MSF protocol to context of the survey
• Elaborate the survey micro plan
• Recruit the survey staff (interviewer, data encoder etc.)
• Train the survey staff
• Supervise the survey implementation and ensure that survey staff follow the survey procedures
• Ensure the consistency and the completeness of the data collected
• Analyse the data
• Write the survey report.

Mission-level surveillance:

• Ensure regular, timely receipt MoH surveillance data for ongoing analysis of epidemic diseases;
• Maintain regular contact with other surveillance partners (NCDC, WHO, UNICEF, etc )
• Represent MSF-OCA Mission at surveillance/cluster meetings;
• Based on incoming data and analysis, write and disseminate weekly surveillance reports to share across coordination;
• Provide input on project-level medical strategy and interventions;
• Assist MedCo with planning and overall medical strategy using surveillance analysis.

Communication and Advocacy

• Contributes to the advocacy strategy as expressed in the Country Policy.
• Submits monthly Mission Epi reports (or weekly when indicated in case of outbreak) to the Medical Coordinator (MedCo) and relevant Project Coordinator(s) during emergency responses.

Requirements (Qualifications / Experience / Knowledge)
To apply for this role applicants MUST meet the following criteria:

Education:

• Essential Degree (or Master’s) in Epidemiology or Public Health with extensive training in statistics and epidemiology.
• Medical or nursing related diploma (Desirable). Specialization or training in tropical diseases (Desirable),

Experience:

• Essential working experience of 1 – 2 years in field epidemiology: Surveillance, disease outbreak management, implementation of surveys or quantitative data analysis.
• Desirable working experience with MSF or other NGOs.

Languages:

• Mission working language Essential; Local language desirable.

Others:

• Essential: computer knowledge and skills (e.g. Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Desriable: experience working within multi-disciplinary and multi-national teams.
• Experience in training of data manager
• Experience in epidemiology report writing.

Knowledge:

• Proven practical skills in design, implementation and evaluation of epidemiological research methods.
• Ability to design and implement surveillance system and other data collection systems for monitoring epidemic and nutritional interventions.
• Essential computer literacy: Microsoft Office and Statistical program (R or STATA) and desirable: mapping software (QGIS or equivalent).

Competencies:

• People management, Commitment to MSF principles. Behavioural flexibility, Results & Quality orientation, Teamwork & cooperation.

Application Closing Date
14th September 2023 (5:00 PM).

And
Submit their CV, Cover Letter, Licenses and necessary credentials only to this email: [email protected] using “EPI Manager” as the subject of the mail.

Note

• Only applications submitted online will be accepted.
• Lastly, only one online application form should be submitted as multiple submissions will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates would be contacted.
• Any documents sent to MSF-OCA (CV, cover letter, copies of diploma, recommendations letters) will not be returned by MSF-OCA.
• No Transportation and Allowance will be provided during the recruitment process.
• MSF is an equal opportunities employer and promotes diversity within the organization.