Description
ROLE PROFILE
Position: Chief Scientific Officer
Reports to: Director, Institute of Global Health Equity Research
Contract Type: Part time (6 months; 0.50FTE)
Location: Kigali, Rwanda
Role summary
The IGHER is seeking to recruit an experienced and well established thought Rwandan leader to serve as IGHER’s first Chief Scientific Officer. The CSO is a leadership position that reports directly to the IGHER’s Director with responsibility for leading development and implementation of a transformational research agenda for the Institute. Research conducted at IGHER seeks to address questions of global importance that directly address health inequities in the local communities. To achieve this goal, IGHER strives to involve collaborators and other key stakeholders in all aspects of the research process, including securing partnerships, identifying and prioritizing research questions for funding. The CSO role requires that:
- Candidates should have training and familiarity with clinical research, laboratory, clinical trials/biobank, clinical epidemiology and/or health research, with evidence-based medicine and the translation of research into practice.
- A record of creative thought leadership in Rwanda research administration research is of particular interest to IGHER.
- Direct experience in conducting empirical research, either experimental or observational, and experience in conducting systematic reviews and evidence synthesis are highly desirable.
- The CSO will have primary responsibility for recruitment, supervision and mentoring of IGHER scientific staff
- The CSO will strive to raise funds for the institute and participate in partnerships and fundraising activities
- The CSO will have as main responsibility the supervision of the staff, good functioning of the institute and be accountable for administrative function
- The institute is looking for an innovative leader with initiative and good local and international network
- Leader in developing, promoting and implementing IGHER’s initial Research Agenda
- Ensuring organizational learning from IGHER’s funded Research and defining the research agenda over time in response to input from other stakeholders
- The CSO will also participate in studying and evaluating IGHER’s own processes for engaging the research community and other stakeholders in the research enterprise.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Guides recruitment of IGHER’s scientific staff and leads the staff in developing research priorities and expanding IGHER’s research agenda
- Supervises Lead scientists in each priority area in development of targeted research funding proposals in response request for proposals from funding agencies.
- Convenes and participates in IGHER’s sponsored meetings of scientists and other stakeholders, to focus attention on critical questions in global health equity research
- Participates in multi-stakeholder advisory panels to review IGHER’s research agenda, its portfolio and the findings of ÍGHER-funded research, and to prioritize new research ideas.
- Collaborates with UGHE Communications and partnership teams in evaluating and improving the processes used by IGHER to engage stakeholder communities in the research and dissemination of study findings.
- Contributes to Africa regional dialogues on practical clinical and global health equity research through presentations and through contributions to the peer-reviewed scientific literature.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
To be successful in this position, the CSO should be a senior level researcher with doctoral-level training in a clinical, biomedical and/or research discipline relevant to global health equity research.
Required qualifications:
- Holder of a PhD in biomedical sciences, population health, public health, community health sciences, epidemiology, global health, medicine or a combination of relevant education and training, with extensive experience administering research; or
- A Master’s degree in one of these disciplines mentioned above with at least 15 years of experience in as a CSO or related position.
- Have a distinguished record of research leadership, including experience building a successful research program, recruiting and mentoring of scientific staff, and a record of scientific contribution in a focused area of clinical or applied global health equity research.
- Have a keen interest in working collaboratively with investigators at local and international level and other stakeholders in the planning and conduct of clinical and applied global health equity research.
- Have a keen interest to represent the interests of the institute locally and internationally and strive for bringing external funding
- Be able to thrive in a start-up environment that is staffed by senior level researchers and early career scientists.
- Good written and verbal communication skills in English. French is an advantage. Familiarity the conduct of scientific research in a LMIC and sub-Saharan Africa setting.
- Highly organized, accountable, analytical, proactive, and deadline-oriented
Organizational Profile
The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) is a new kind of university focused on training the next generation of global leaders in health care delivery. The university launched in Rwanda in September 2015 with its flagship degree program: the Master of Science in Global Health Delivery. Through an academic experience uniquely rooted in the values of equity, students are empowered to both ease suffering at the bedside and drive transformational, systemic changes to the health system.
UGHE is an initiative of Partners In Health (PIH), an internationally recognized non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. In over nearly three decades of operating alongside public sectors in countries around the world, PIH has developed a model to deliver high quality health care to some of the world’s most marginalized communities. Nowhere has this impact been more profound than in Rwanda, where Inshuti Mu Buzima—PIH’s sister organization—and our government partners have driven innovation for a decade.
Members of the UGHE community are tenacious and resolute in our drive to attain social justice, make common cause with those in need, listen to and learn from others, and operate with honesty and humility as we uphold academic integrity and intellectual curiosity. The University of Global Health Equity seeks individuals committed to these values to join the team.
Partners In Health is an equal opportunity employer and 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.
Commitment to Safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment:
At UGHE, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including community members – as well as our students, contractors, staff and visitors to our campus are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and any form of systemic abuse, whilst reducing risk and vulnerabilities. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with UGHE’s policy.
UGHE will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of fraud, harassment, sexual harassment and any form of systemic abuse or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.
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