Job Description

Main purpose of the job:

• To advise on, conduct and contribute to research study design, protocol development, analysis and publications pertaining to the social determinants of health, the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases and wastewater levels of vaccine-preventable diseases under surveillance by NICD in Gauteng Province

• Centre for Vaccines and Immunology, Modderfontein - Johannesburg

• Prepare and produce routine reports on findings from wastewater-based epidemiology surveillance network through collaboration with Wastewater Genomic team members including data manager, bioinformaticist, wet lab scientists and technologists and project leads
• Investigate relationships between wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance data and clinical incidence and prevalence of communicable diseases under surveillance by the Centre for Vaccines and Immunology and other NICD Centres
• Clean clinical and wastewater data and further conduct basic and complex epidemiological analyses including creating epidemic curves, case descriptive statistics, reproductive rates (R0), inferential and predictive modelling to understand the relationship between wastewater and clinical disease, and the impact of interventions of disease control
• Conduct appropriate cost-effectiveness evaluations related to disease surveillance and interventions
• Support outbreak investigation activities including site visits, case investigation, assessment of interventions and reporting on outbreak progression
• Report on findings internally and at academic meetings, conferences, and international meetings to appropriate stakeholders including academia, public health authorities, local, provincial, and national government and international interest groups and publish findings in peer-reviewed literature
• Conceptualise new studies to answer emerging epidemiological questions and further develop new research proposals and grant applications
• Collaborate closely with other investigators on related studies within CVI and other NICD Centres and provide advice or guidance on study design, protocol, research tools, data analysis and other research-related activities, and contribute towards the development of the research agenda by identifying relevant research questions, topics and training needs
• Implement new protocols including obtaining ethics approval from regulatory authorities, permission to conduct studies from appropriate health institutions, employing and supervising staff, and then overseeing study implementation
• Conduct training and capacity building within and outside the Centre

• MPH in Field Epidemiology or MSc in Biostatistics or related field

• Previous work experience in a Research/Educational or Corporate institution

• A good working knowledge of the epidemiology of pathogens under surveillance would be advantageous
• Field outbreak investigation experience, including conducting site assessments, case investigation, field interviews data collection and analysis, and producing situation reports
• Ability to code in R/Stata/Python
• Proven ability to conduct mathematical modelling related to pathogens under surveillance at the Centre for Vaccines and Immunology
• Ability to conduct cost-effectiveness evaluations under supervision
• Proven ability to self-manage in an environment with multiple stakeholders with competing objectives

• Only if you do meet the minimum job requirements and experience as mentioned above, you may submit a detailed updated CV.
• Please Apply Online.
• Please take note that the applicants who do not adhere to the above criteria will not be considered for the respective position.
• The closing date for all applications: 04 December 2023.
• Note AJ Personnel is fully POPI compliant.
• Note WHC, in accordance with their Employment Equity goals and plan, will give preference to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and subsequent amendments thereto.

• AJ PERSONNEL is only responsible for the advertising of the advertisement on behalf of their client Wits Health Consortium.
• Wits Health Consortium will only respond to shortlisted candidates.
• Candidates who have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date can consider their applications to be unsuccessful.
• AJ Personnel does not have any salary or other information regarding the position.