NGO Research Medical Specialist Job in Kenya,Salary over Ksh300,000
Reference Number: RMS-21/02/18
Employment Type: Part time
Category: Clinical Healthcare and Research
Job Grade: 9.05
Country: Kenya
Location: Nairobi
JOB PURPOSE:
The KWTRP Health Services Unit based in Nairobi works closely with the Ministry of Health, the University of Nairobi and multiple county hospitals in a collaboration called the Clinical Information Network (CIN). The CIN has worked predominantly to improve paediatric inpatient care. Going forward the CIN would like to extend its work to develop a better understanding of the quality of neonatal care and the outcomes of those admitted to newborn units while also developing and testing intervention strategies to improve care.
The CIN team are looking for a paediatrician qualified to PhD level to help lead this new area of neonatal research. The individual will be supported by a team of more junior scientists and will work alongside clinical post-doctoral scientists leading CIN work on paediatric care. In particular, the individual is expected to help establish with participating hospitals an information system that will support improvement work and evaluation of outcomes and interventions. They will liaise with senior hospital staff and policy-makers and managers at county and national levels. They will help analyse data and write reports for hospitals as well as writing scientific manuscripts. They will lead the design and conduct of intervention studies, including randomised controlled trials and observational studies, working with collaborating scientists in Kenya and internationally. They will help foster the conduct of multidisciplinary research by engaging in collaborative work with social scientists and also support efforts to build capacity by supervising junior researchers as appropriate.
Description:
REPORTS TO:
Study PI
DIRECT REPORTS
Junior researchers and data manager/s
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Together with study PI the post-holder will:
- Coordinate activities across the partnership spanning University of Nairobi, the Ministry of Health, the Kenya Paediatric Association and County Health Departments
- Communicate with counties and hospitals to explain activities and develop partnership agreements as required and communicate on a regular basis with hospitals’ paediatricians, doctors, senior nurses and senior health records officers
- Help design an appropriate information system and supervise its implementation and operation including activities to optimize data quality while having managerial oversight of the work of data entry staff located in hospitals
- Develop analytic strategies enabling the use of hospitals’ own information to support their local quality improvement work and oversee the work of data managers and statisticians to deliver these reports 2 monthly to hospitals
- Develop research proposals as principal investigator for submission to scientific and ethical review panels and in collaboration with all partners to conduct observational studies on neonatal outcomes and quality of care and those testing interventions
- Lead the analysis of data and writing of reports for submission to international medical research journals
- Supervise the conduct of MSc level research and contribute to the supervision of PhD students as appropriate to experience
- Supervise a team of junior researchers and data managers so that project goals are achieved, conduct staff appraisals and liaise with the human resources department
- Take responsibility for managing research budgets and work with senior administrative staff to track expenditure and prepare budget reports
- Present at national and international meetings on the work being conducted
- Help develop a portfolio of neonatal research including the writing of new grant proposals
QUALIFICATIONS:
- PhD in epidemiology or health services research (PhD must have at least been submitted)
- MMed in Paediatrics and clinical experience in neonatology
- At least 1-2 years’ experience in a senior role as a paediatric consultant in a county (or district) hospital in Kenya
SKILLS AND COMPETENCE:
- Demonstrable experience of managing databases and conducting advanced statistical analyses
- Evidence of prior scientific publication in international medical journals
- Good knowledge of REDCap
- Advanced skills in use of the statistical programme ‘R’
- Good communicator and evidence of prior leadership roles
- Should be able to work flexibly and travel for field related work within Kenya and where appropriate internationally
- Ability to act independently
- Ability to meet deadlines
DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS:
- Evidence of prior engagement with the Ministry of Health
- Excellent understanding of evidence-based medicine and quality of care literature