Location: Zomba, Malawi
Type of
contract: Full-time fixed-term two-year contract with the
possibility of renewal
Reports to:
Country Director
Suggested start
date: April 2017
Salary and
benefits: Salary commensurate with skills and experience, with
a generous medical and health benefits package.
Dignitas
International (DI)
is a medical and research organization dedicated to improving health care for
people facing a high burden of disease and unequal access to services. We
deliver and support frontline medical care in Southern Malawi, and with First
Nations communities in Canada. We also research ways to improve how health care
is delivered, to make it more effective and accessible. Finally, we share our
findings broadly and advocate for better health care policy and practice for
underserved populations. By coupling the frontline experience of our clinicians
with the expertise of our scientists, we generate, pilot and scale up
sustainable models of care that address barriers and gaps in health services
and policy. More information can be found at dignitasinternational.org.
Dignitas began
working in Malawi in 2004, at the height of the AIDS epidemic. Working in one
of the hardest hit areas of this country, we witnessed the devastating impact
of HIV and AIDS on families, communities and the health care system. By
collaborating with the Government of Malawi and local partners, Dignitas was
able to dramatically increase access to quality treatment and care for HIV, TB
and other related diseases.
Our unique operating
model, with its intersection of medical care, research and knowledge
translation, enables us to engage at all levels of a health system. By
providing frontline medical care we directly improve the lives of patients. In
doing so, and by building frontline clinical capacity, we speak with license
about the gaps and barriers to strong health systems for communities facing a
high burden of disease and unequal access to services. Our research agenda
builds from our medical programming by studying these gaps and barriers,
testing interventions to improve patients’ health and fill gaps in health
services and by developing new models of care to improve patient outcomes. We
utilize three main approaches in carrying out our research: operational,
clinical and social science research. But we do not conduct research for
research’s sake. We design and carry out research that is policy and practice
relevant. We utilize an integrated knowledge translation methodology to engage
policymakers, practitioners and fellow researchers in the development of our
research questions to ensure relevance, during implementation and once we have
generated new evidence during dissemination to maximize impact and research
uptake.
Today Dignitas
operates a large office in Zomba, Malawi with over 250 staff, supported by the
organization’s headquarters in Toronto, Canada. The Malawi program is funded by
USAID, as well as a number of other private and institutional donors.
THE POSITION
Reporting to the
Country Director, the Research Manager ensures effective overall management of
the Dignitas Malawi Research Department, a vibrant department of 30+ staff
implementing high impact research. S/he will focus on study planning,
implementation and oversight as well as grants and personnel management. The
Research Manager maintains relationships with and reports regularly to the
Ministry of Health, donors, partners and the scientific community.
This is a fantastic
opportunity for a driven and experienced global health research professional
and manager who enjoys team and systems building, and is committed to research
excellence. This position offers the opportunity to manage a diverse and
growing research portfolio including ongoing studies in the area of clinical
HIV, TB/HIV, health systems, non-communicable diseases and program evaluation.
S/he will work closely with Malawi and internationally-based scientists.
MAIN JOB
TASKS
· Lead the planning
and delivery of the research department’s annual objectives
· Actively oversee
the high quality implementation of all Malawi-based research through regular
interactions with study teams
· Contribute to
proposal writing to secure new research funding
· Ensure compliance
with grant and financial requirements of donors and partners
· Build team member
research management capacity
· Develop, manage,
and monitor the research department budget
· Support
collaboration between the medical, research, monitoring and evaluation and
strategic information teams to maximize organizational learning
· Support external
knowledge translation strategies in partnership with Malawi Ministry of Health
and other stakeholders
· Contribute to the
formation, design and analysis of qualitative and quantitative operations
research
· Represent DI and
present research results to partners, donors and practitioners within and
outside Malawi
· Participate in the
Malawi Management Team and contribute to the development of organizational
policies and procedures
· Contribute to
organizational strategic planning
CANDIDATE
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
· Master’s Degree in
health management, public health or a related field
· A minimum of 4
years of research management experience, preferably with an international
non-governmental organization, in a low or middle income country
· Proven track
record in developing and managing complex, institutional donor-funded research
portfolios
· Proven experience
in staff recruitment, selection, and mentorship
· Well-developed
interpersonal and team-building skills
· Fluent in English
· Computer skills
(Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
· Previous
publishing experience preferred
· Epidemiology or
statistical training an asset
Qualified applicants
should send a CV and detailed cover letter explaining their interest and
suitability for the post to jobs@dignitasinternational.org with the subject
heading “Research Manager”. Applications will be considered on an ongoing
basis. Deadline to submit an application is February 28, 2017 at 5pm EDT.
Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. DI thanks all
applicants for their interest.