Epidemiological Activities Manager at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) is an international, private, non-governmental, non-profit humanitarian organization. Our organization offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters, to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. We have been working in Nigeria since February 1996.

A Memorandum of Understanding between Medecins Sans Frontieres and the Federal Government of Nigeria facilitates this. We are at present co-operating with the Federal Ministry of Health, State and Local Government departments of health on various health projects.

Médecins Sans Frontières is recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Epidemiological Activities Manager

Location: Sokoto

Main Objective and Responsibility of the position

• Epidemiological support to the mission and projects in developing and implementing epidemiological objectives for the missions.

Description of the Responsibilities/Activities

• Define, schedule and organize, in close collaboration with the Medical Coordinator 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 medical activities in the projects and research efficiency
• Supervise, according to annual plan, epidemiological research activity ensuring:

1. That contacts with community groups and authorities are aligned with the objectives of the research
2. That the population participating in the research is properly informed
3. 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 medical 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.
• Organize and/or assist medical staff in preparing epidemiological reports related to health facilities and to researched areas and participate in operational monthly reports.
• Any other duty assigned as per the programmer’s needs.

Requirements (Qualifications)

Education:

• Essential, medical or nursing related degree. Desirable degree (or masters) in Epidemiology or Public Health with extensive training in statistics, tropical diseases and epidemiology.

Experience:

• Essential working experience of at least one year after medical degree or at least three years after nursing degree in surveillance, outbreak management and quantitative and qualitative data analysis
• Desirable working experience with MSF or other NGOs

Languages:

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written English and also local Hausa language desirable

Knowledge:

• Essential computer literacy (word, excel, power-point, internet) 

Competences:

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills.

Application Closing Date
5th December, 2014.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should forward their application Letter, latest Curriculum Vitae (CV) and photocopies of all necessary credentials with telephone contact details (daytime) in an envelope (specify on the envelope - Application for the post of Epidemiological Activities Manager to the address below:

Human Resources Officer,
Médecins Sans Frontieres - OCA,
No. 26 Agaie Road,
Behind State CID,
Sokoto.

NB: Only successful applicants will be called for interview, and only successful applicant will be notified to come to start work.