Job Opportunity: Senior Operation Research Advisor
Why Choose IntraHealth
At IntraHealth, we are a global team of creative, committed humanitarians on a mission. We are advocates, technologists, health workers, and communicators. Program officers, finance experts, and technical leaders. We are passionate and diverse. And we’re united in our belief that everyone everywhere should have the health care they need to thrive. That’s why we work every day to improve the performance of health workers around the world and strengthen the systems in which they work.
For almost 40 years in over 100 countries, IntraHealth has partnered with local communities to make sure health workers are present where they’re needed most, ready to do the job, connected to the technology they need, and safe to do their very best work. Our programs are designed with a deep understanding of and appreciation for the context of human rights, gender equality and discrimination, economic empowerment, and changing populations. And the longstanding relationships we have built with government agencies, private-sector partners, and members of civil society make our efforts stronger and more effective. Join us and together we can make lasting changes in global health—for all of us.
The USAID Ingobyi Activity is a five-year cooperative agreement to improve the quality of reproductive, Maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) and malaria services, in a sustainable manner with the goal of reducing neonatal, child, and maternal mortality in Rwanda. The Ingobyi Activity builds upon the tremendous gains Rwanda has made in the health sector as well as previous USAID investments in the health sector to provide a healthier, more productive future for all Rwandans. Ingobyi works to improve the availability, quality, and utilization of RMNCH and malaria services with resilience and sustainability.
SUMMARY OF ROLE
The Senior Operation Research Advisor will work as an integral part of the Ingobyi Activity MEL Team. S/he will report directly to the MEL Director. The Senior Operation Research Advisor will lead many of the activities on the learning agenda, particularly implementation science research activities.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Strategic planning and management of research activities
- Develop action-oriented implementation research agenda, program evaluations in close collaboration with the technical team members.
- Draft concept notes and develop protocols for all implementation science activities, submit concepts and protocols to MEL Director for review, HQ and US and local IRBs as required.
- Ensure all learning and research activities follow IntraHealth’s and national standards, including the protection of human subjects and are implemented in a timely manner and according to protocols; particular emphasis on maintaining appropriate regulatory documentation and ensuring informed consent procedures for all aspects of research studies, including, but not limited to, the protection of confidentiality.
- Manage study teams, including field/study coordinators, data collectors, and entry clerks, to implement research/learning activities appropriately.
- Ensure that data collected through research projects are properly handled, entered, and analysed. This will include ensuring that there are appropriate databases to track and analyze data-including ensuring the reliability and accuracy of collected data.
- Conduct workshops to guide the development, implementation and dissemination of learning activities.
- Prepare or oversee preparation of study reports, journal articles, conference posters or presentations to disseminate findings of learning/research activities.
- Ensure high-quality implementation of research activities, consistent with Rwandan national health guidelines, protocols, information and reporting systems.
- Work with MEL and other technical staff to develop high-quality conference papers, abstracts, and presentations.
- Work with MEL and other technical staff to publish project research/studies in national and international journals.
- In collaboration with the other MEL and other Ingobyi team members, work with the MOH and RBC to establish procedures for documenting, disseminating, and adapting or incorporating learning to improve performance of RMNCH and malaria services and outcomes.
- Conduct technical briefing meetings or workshops with the technical teams and MOH/RBC partners to present global advances RMNCH and malaria research, as well as updates from Ingobyi’s learning agenda.
- Work with program staff to ensure that lessons learned from project evaluations are applied to influence improvements in quality of service provision.
- Keep track of learning, document, and recommend scale-up of high impact approaches/interventions.
- Contribute to the development of Ingobyi Activity annual action plans, budgets, and reports.
Collaboration, reporting, and supervision.
- Establish and maintain good working relations and collaboration with the relevant MoH technical working groups, as well as other higher-level stakeholder groups, such as the School of Public Health.
- Provide regular reports and updates on operation research and learning activities.
- Build IntraHealth International Rwanda’s capacity in research.
- Perform other tasks assigned by supervisor.
Requirements
Abilities/Skills
- Master’s Degree in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, demography or other relevant health areas.
- Proven experience as a research/ study coordinator/implementation scientist.
- Minimum 8 years of experience in RMNCH/malaria or other public health research in a development context.
- Proven expertise in quantitative and qualitative research techniques, reporting, documentation, data analysis and presentation
- Proven experience in manuscript writing and publication
- Programmatic, administrative, and financial skills needed for developing research plans, project work plans and budgets.
- Strong technical skills, including ability to process and analyse data using one or more statistical software packages such as SPSS or Stata and MaxQDA.
- Computer skills in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access – others, such as ODK or survey CTO are a plus.
- Basic understanding of RMNCH services and health-related issues, with a global focus.
- Demonstrated management, coordination, teamwork and planning skills with proven ability to function effectively with multiple host-country counterparts in both the public and NGO sectors.
- Ability to work effectively with diverse multicultural teams.
- Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple tasks, short deadlines, and intense pressure to perform.
- Strong oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated technical writing skills for publication and presentations in English; working knowledge of French is a plus.
COMPETENCIES:
Managing Performance: Ability to plan and design practices, processes, and procedures that allow for effective management of people, resources, and processes to optimize overall organizational performance. Managing for performance includes the ability to delegate and encourage growth and leadership across the team(s) as part of maximizing performance and productivity.
Strategic Thinking: Applies organizational knowledge to identify and maintain focus on key success factors for IntraHealth while recognizing, anticipating and resolving organizational challenges. Ability to develop organization- and industry-specific expertise and apply sound decision-making processes to reach productive resolutions that translates strategy into actionable business plans.
Effective Communication (Oral & Written): Understands effective communication concepts, tools and techniques; ability to effectively transmit, explain complex technical concepts in simple, clear language appropriate to the audience; and receive, and accurately interpret ideas, information, and needs through the application of appropriate communication behaviors
Risk Management: Knowledge of processes, tools and techniques for assessing and controlling the organization’s exposure to risks of various kinds; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
Innovation: Develops new, better or significantly different ideas, methods, solutions or initiatives within assigned role that result in improvement of IntraHealth’ s performance and meeting objectives, results and global commitments.
Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for all work activities, research, and personal actions and decisions; follows through on commitments and focuses on those activities that have the greatest impact on meeting measurable high-quality results for IntraHealth’ s success. Exercises ethical practices, respectful words and behaviors, and equitable treatment of others in all activities.
Summary of Benefits
IntraHealth International, Inc. is a great place to work and prides itself on its comprehensive benefits package. We offer competitive salaries and a dynamic inclusive work environment which supports health workers so they can improve the lives of people throughout the world.
IntraHealth International is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law, and requires affirmative action to ensure equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment. This is also to include inquiry about, disclosing, or discussing their compensation or the compensation of other applicants or employees.
Learn more about IntraHealth Careers @: http://www.intrahealth.org/section/careers
Learn more about “Who We Are” @: http://www.intrahealth.org/section/about-us1
Please apply by February 28, 2021
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