Epidemiologist

Working as Epidemiological Activity Manager in the field

Defining, designing, coordinating, supervising, analysing and communicating on the epidemiological activities ensuring the development of appropriate methodologies in line with MSF standard tools and protocols. He/she contributes to the mission/project strategy regarding epidemiological and medical activities.

Responsibilities

  • Defining, scheduling and organizing, 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. Leading the implementation of the protocols and epidemiological methodology, ensuring all related staff follows them in order to improve the epidemiology activities efficiency.
  • Supervising the epidemiological activities according to annual plan, ensuring that contacts with community groups and authorities are aligned with the objectives of the those activities . Reporting on the progress of data collection, on ongoing analysis or on any issue causing delay, in order to achieve epidemiological goals on time.
  • Defining in coordination with the MSF medical team on epidemiological activities that would contribute to the MSF social mission (eg. Surveillance, surveys, research, advocacy,…).
  • Supervising the implementation of epidemiological activities (including for example 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
  • Ensure that the outcomes/results of the epidemiological activities are analysed, contextualized and used for the MSF social mission
  • Planning and supervising, 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, to improve staff technical capabilities, contribution and commitment to MSF values.
  • Participating in operational reports and organizing and/or assisting medical staff in preparing epidemiological reports
  • The epidemiology activity manager should also assume the responsibilities of the Epidemiologist if required (view Epidemiologist job description).
  • Ensuring and maintaining technical collaboration with the Epidemiology Advisers in the Medical Department (HQ).
  • Participating in workshops organised by the Medical Department (HQ) on topics related to the Epidemiology domain.
  • While the final responsibility of the quality and analysis/interpretation of the routine data should remain on the PMR/MedCo, the Epidemiology Activity Manager could provide feedback and should work together with PMR/MedCo to improve the quality or the analysis/interpretation of the routine data.

Requirements

  • Master degress in Epidemiology, Public Health or equivalent with extensive training in statistics and epidemiology
  • Medical or paramedial profile with extensive field experience in MSF or another humanitarian NGO, including having worked in the context of health systems in a developing country.
  • Essential experience in protocol writing and use of different quantitative study designs
  • Essential working experience of at least two years in epidemiological activities related jobs
  • Essential experience on epidemiological data analysis
  • Essential mastering in (at least) one statistical packages (eg. R, Stata, etc.)
  • Fluency in English and/or French; any other languages are an asset (Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian)
  • Available for a minimum two months or six months

General skills

  • Commitment to MSF’s work and values
  • Strong team player
  • Willingness to work in all kinds of contexts worldwide, including unstable areas
  • Adaptable and able to work in a multicultural team
  • Flexible and able to manage stress
  • Self-driven with a solution-oriented approach
  • Ability to train others
  • IT skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Assets

  • Desirable, medical or nursing related diploma
  • Desirable specialization or training in tropical diseases
  • Experience working in contexts similar to our contexts of intervention
  • People management experience
  • Qualification as a medical doctor or paramedic
Diversité

Depending on our activities and needs, your responsibilities may be adapted and evolve. You will not face these challenges alone; other MSF team members (both international and locally hired staff) will support you.

We encourage applications from people of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, backgrounds, religions, beliefs, abilities and all other characteristics of diversity.

MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo reference and criminal record checks.

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