Research Assistant (Qualitative Survey) at Malaria Consortium - 2 Openings

Malaria Consortium (MC) is one of the world's leading non-profit organizations dedicated to the comprehensive control of malaria and other communicable diseases in Africa and Southeast Asia. Malaria Consortium works with communities, government and non-government agencies, academic institutions, and local and international organizations, to ensure good evidence supports delivery of effective services, providing technical support for monitoring and evaluation of programmes and activities for evidence-based decision-making and strategic planning. The organization works to improve not only the health of the individual, but also the capacity of National health systems, which helps to relieve poverty and support improved economic prosperity.

In Nigeria, twenty (20) states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) across the Sahel and non–Sahelian zone have seasonal malaria transmission, with most of the disease burden occurring during a distinct rainy season. Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) is a key approach to prevent malaria among children aged 3 to 59 months in such areas where malaria transmission is highly seasonal. SMC involves the administration of monthly treatment courses of a combination of antimalarial drugs (over 4 or 5 monthly cycles depending on the duration of the malaria transmission season specific to a given geographical area) with the objective of maintaining therapeutic antimalarial drug concentrations in the blood throughout the period of transmission (rainy season) to prevent malaria.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Research Assistant (Qualitative Survey)

Location: Abuja (FCT)
Slot: 2 Openings

Purpose / Scope of assignment

• The purpose of this assignment is to evaluate the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of modified SMC delivery strategies in complex urban settings from the perspectives of implementers, policymakers, and caregivers/beneficiaries.
• The evaluation will focus on several key areas: the coverage of SMC, including the percentage of children receiving doses through various delivery strategies; the effectiveness of supervision and SMS reminders; access to gated households; the number of refusal households; and the reach through religious centers.
• Additionally, the study will gather qualitative data on caregiver and Health Facility Workers (CHW) perceptions of the modified delivery strategy.
• Community awareness and acceptance of the modified SMC strategies will also be assessed, including the percentage of caregivers and CHWs who have heard about the strategies and their level of acceptance. The operational feasibility of implementing the modified SMC strategies will be evaluated by examining resource requirements and identifying facilitators and barriers to SMC access and acceptance.
• This comprehensive evaluation aims to inform future SMC delivery in urban settings, contributing to the design of targeted and effective malaria controls that reduce the burden of malaria and improve health outcomes in urban populations. The evaluation method is segmented into 3 phases with timelines as indicated in Table 1.

Responsibilities

• Support the lead consultant in the conduct of focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) with caregivers, community health workers, and other stakeholders.
• Transcribe audio recordings of FGDs and IDIs accurately and promptly.
• Assist in the thematic analysis of qualitative data using software like Dedoose/Nvivo.

Deliverables:

• Complete and accurate transcripts of all FGDs IDIs and KIIs.
• Thematic analysis reports summarizing key findings from qualitative data.
• Detailed field notes documenting observations and insights during data collection.
• Logistic and administrative support documents, including schedules and contact lists.

Requirements

• A minimum of Degree (BSc Degree / HND) in health-related discipline and social sciences
• Experience in conducting public health research
• Strong experience in conduct of Qualitative research
• Experience in the use of electronic data collection tools (particularly KoboCollect and SurveyCTO)
• Experience in Qualitative research methods including transcription and coding
• Ability to speak local language (Gwari and Hausa, etc.)
• Familiarity with and respect for the tradition and culture of the locality.
• Familiarity with terrain of the locality.
• Preferably a female (preferred in the core northern states).
• Ability to give attention to details.
• Must not be a staff of Government at any level and in any Ministry at the time of engagement/activity.
• Must own functioning android phones (with access to internet).

Application Closing Date
Monday, 19th August 2025, 5:00 pm.