Early Post-Doctoral Researcher Job – KEMRI Wellcome Trust, Nairobi

The KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) is a world-renowned health research unit of excellence. The programme was formed in 1989 when the Kenya Medical Research Institute formed a partnership with the Wellcome Trust and the University of Oxford. The Programme has grown from a small group of 12 to a state of the art facility hosting over 100 research scientists and 700 support staff working across Kenya, Uganda and the region. We have over the years excelled in use of novel ideas working with local community’s to achieve better health for Africa while also developing African scientific leaders. 

Job Purpose: 

The post-doctoral researcher will be responsible for 1) co-leading a body of work to examine the impact, implementation, and political economy of health facility autonomy reforms in Kenya 2) supporting and contributing to the health economic capacity-building initiatives of the Health Economics Research Unit (HERU), 3) Supervision and mentorship of Ph.D. students and research assistants, 4) Contribute and support policy engagement initiatives of HERU, and 5) develop own body of work and mobilize research funding to support their transition to research independence. 

Description: 

 

Position: Early Post-Doctoral Researcher – Health Economics

Reports To:  Study PI and Study Supervisor.

Directly Supervises: Research Officers and Assistant Research Officers.

Indirectly Supervises: Ph.D. Students and Research Assistants.

Budget and Resource Responsibility:  None

Job Dimensions:

The primary responsibility will be to coordinate and support a body of work focused on evaluating health facility autonomy reforms aimed at achieving universal health coverage in Kenya.

Key Responsibilities:

For the Health Economics Research Unit (HERU) to:

• Develop research proposals for ethics and scientific review.
• Lead the implementation of studies once ethics review has been obtained.
• Lead the analysis and write-up of study findings.
• Support HERU policy engagement initiatives.
• Support supervision and mentorship of PhD Students and research assistants.
• Support HERU capacity development initiatives.
• Develop grant applications for funding.
• And any other duties that may be assigned from time to time. 

Qualifications:

Essential qualification:

• A Ph.D. in health systems, health economics, health policy, or related areas.
• Experience and skills in assessing health financing mechanisms (e.g. catastrophic costs and impoverishment analysis, equity analysis, etc).
• Experience and skills in econometrics and its application to the economics of health systems such as equity or efficiency analysis.
• Strong quantitative data analysis skills using R and Stata as a minimum. 

Desirable Criteria:

• Excellent organizational and communication skills 

Competencies:

• Good writing skills
• Good presentation skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills a meticulous approach to documentation (including word processing and spreadsheet skills)
• Team working and ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability to work with limited supervision and meet deadlines. 

Physical Environment/Conditions:

Office based

• Field work in selected counties.
• Willingness to travel throughout the country. 

Working hours

• Requires flexibility in the hours worked, with the priority being meeting the team’s research goals. 

Application Procedure: 

If you are excited and meet the above qualifications, please CLICK HERE to visit our careers website and apply for the position. The application closing date is 25th March 2024. 

Tags: KEMRI Wellcome Trust Jobs, Research Officer Jobs Kenya

Research Officer Job at KEMRI Wellcome Trust, Nairobi

The KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) is a world-renowned health research unit of excellence. The programme was formed in 1989 when the Kenya Medical Research Institute formed a partnership with the Wellcome Trust and the University of Oxford. The Programme has grown from a small group of 12 to a state of the art facility hosting over 100 research scientists and 700 support staff working across Kenya, Uganda and the region. We have over the years excelled in use of novel ideas working with local community’s to achieve better health for Africa while also developing African scientific leaders. 

Job Purpose: 

Governance is a critical determinant in the performance of health systems. However, it is still relatively under-researched in health systems. Consequently, limited studies have been conducted on the role of governance on containment of antimicrobial resistance especially in low- and middle-income countries. Through a qualitative international study, we are seeking to understand how health system governance structures and functions affect antimicrobial resistance containment using Kenya and Vietnam as case studies. Kenya has a decentralized health system while Vietnam has a centralized one. Although both countries have national action plans (NAPs) which prescribe the governance structure and functions for antimicrobial resistance containment, implementation realities, priorities and concerns from the perspective of diverse stakeholders at national and sub-national levels are not well understood. We will unpack antimicrobial resistance governance policies on paper and in practice through a combination of document reviews, interviews with national and subnational officers working in human health, livestock health, agriculture, and environment sectors and non-participant observation of AMR governance activities. We will additionally conduct literature reviews on AMR governance. The post holder will work closely with the Principal Investigator in Kenya, and the Co-Investigator and a Research Officer in Vietnam. He/she will work together with other colleagues in Kenya, contributing to wider social science research activities within the KWTRP and related research networks including presenting the work in various institutional, national, and international forums as needed. 

Description: 

Position: Research Officer – Social Science

Reports To: Principal Investigators

Directly Supervises: Assistant Research Officers, Data Transcribers.

Indirectly Supervises: Assistant Research Officers.

Budget and Resource Responsibility: 

Responsible for a laptop computer, and one or more digital voice recorders used in this work; and for petty cash budgets associated with fieldwork activities and organizing meetings.

Key Responsibilities:

The research officer will initially work with senior team members to develop a longer-term set of work and will likely be responsible for: 

• Contributing to the development of research proposals and data collection tools.
• Reviewing literature on topics related to AMR governance at national and global level.
• Conducting primary research including the use of ethnographic approaches such as non-participant observation and interviews, both alone and together with other investigators.
• Supporting the coordination of research and data collection activities.
• Qualitative data management, analysis, and report writing.
• Engaging with stakeholders at national and international levels as part of their research and through reports, presentations, and writing for peer-reviewed journals.
• Supervising the conduct of other social science and ethnographic work being conducted by more junior staff members.
• Taking part in or helping to organize and conduct internal social science methodological workshops, shared learning sessions, and training.
• Participating in seminars and journal clubs and providing peer review of emerging proposals within KWTRP together with other scientists.
• And any other duties that may be assigned from time to time. 

Essential Qualifications:

• MSc/MPH/MA with a health systems/health services focus or an MSc/MA/MPhil that provides a strong theoretical foundation in social science/health systems and the use of qualitative research methods.
• An excellent academic track record as evidenced by grades for undergraduate and post-graduate training.
• At least three years minimum experience in related field
• Demonstrable experience in conduct of in-depth interviews and observations, in transcribing and coding interview data.
• Demonstrable experience of the conduct of prior relevant research such as high-quality literature review, empirical social science studies that include data analysis and report writing, or equivalent experience.
• Computer literacy with proficiency in Microsoft applications. 

Desirable Criteria:

• Excellent understanding of the Kenyan health system.
• Evidence of research after completion of MPH/MSc/MA level training.
• Evidence of ability to write peer-reviewed research publications.
• Knowledge of NVivo (qualitative analysis) software will be an added advantage.
• Clear interest in health systems/health services research.
• Prior work in a multidisciplinary team.
• Prior evidence of being able to plan and conduct research under minimal supervision and to supervise the research of other more junior team members.
• Demonstrable interest in a career in research.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and prior experience managing junior team members.
• Ability to work relatively independently to achieve agreed objectives.
• Focus on timely delivery of objectives. 

Competencies:

• Good writing skills.
• Good planning, organisation, and coordination skills.
• Good presentation skills.
• Experience in qualitative research methods (data collection and analysis).
• High levels of fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili.
• Ability to take and follow instructions, show initiative, keen to learn, and proactive with the ability to work under minimal supervision.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Flexibility, adaptability, multi-tasking, and attention to detail.
• Conscientiousness, timeliness, and willingness to work to meet deadlines.
• Team working and ability to work in a multi-cultural environment. 

Physical Environment/Conditions:

Office-based

• Fieldwork in selected counties
• Willingness to travel throughout the country

Working hours

• Requires flexibility in the hours worked, it is highly likely that weekend work will be required given the nature of the study. 

Application Procedure: 

If you are excited and meet the above qualifications, please CLICK HERE to visit our careers website and apply for the position. The application closing date is 25th March 2024. 

Tags: KEMRI Wellcome Trust Jobs, Research Officer Job Kenya

Early Post-Doctoral Researcher Job – KEMRI Wellcome Trust, Kilifi

The KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) is a world-renowned health research unit of excellence. The programme was formed in 1989 when the Kenya Medical Research Institute formed a partnership with the Wellcome Trust and the University of Oxford. The Programme has grown from a small group of 12 to a state of the art facility hosting over 100 research scientists and 700 support staff working across Kenya, Uganda and the region. We have over the years excelled in use of novel ideas working with local community’s to achieve better health for Africa while also developing African scientific leaders. 

Job Purpose: 

The post-doctoral researcher will be responsible for:

1. Supervising  and overseeing ongoing work on statistical bioinformatics, data science and machine learning activities related to pathogen genomics and epidemiology.
2. Supporting and contributing to the capacity-building initiatives of PEO group and KWTRP.
3. Supervision and mentorship of PhD students and research assistants in the research group.
4. Contributing and supporting policy engagement initiatives of PEO group.
5. Developing own body of work and mobilization of research funding to support transition to research independence. 

Description: 

Position: Early Post-Doctoral Researcher – Bioinformatics

Reports To: Principal Investigator

Indirect Report: Research Officers And Assistant Research Officers.

Indirect Reportees: Ph.D. Students And Research Assistants

Financial Responsibilities: None 

Job Dimensions: 

The primary responsibility will be to coordinate and support a body of work focused on data analysis of epidemiological and genomic data using machine learning and data science methods.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Gather, curate, and manage datasets related to genomic epidemiology. This will involve data cleaning, organizing, and ensuring data quality and integrity.
• Apply machine learning algorithms for the analysis of both epidemiological and genomic data and which includes variant calling, genome assembly, predicting functional regions and elements in viral genomes.
• Develop and apply statistical analysis techniques to identify patterns, trends, and associations with data.
• Develop computational tools, scripts, and dashboards to facilitate data analysis, visualization and interpretation using R, Julia and Python or other relevant programming languages and frameworks.
• Publish research findings in high-quality scientific journals and present at conferences and workshops to disseminate knowledge and contribute to the fields of public health, genomics and epidemiology of infectious diseases.
• Provide technical expertise and guidance to project teams and partners on best practices for integrating Statistical and bioinformatics pipelines including machine learning methods.
• Contribute to grant writing and proposal development to secure funding for research projects related to application of data sciences in genomics.
• Mentor and supervise junior researchers and students across the PEO and SECCAB projects involved in research projects, providing guidance and support in their professional development 

Qualifications: 

• PhD in a relevant field (e.g., statistics, bioinformatics, data science, epidemiology) with a focus on statistics and machine learning.
• Strong background and demonstratable expertise in statistics including Bayesian analysis.
• Proven track record of publishing research articles in reputable scientific journals, preferably in the fields of Data Science, epidemiology, Bioinformatics, or related areas.
• Solid quantitative and strong analytical skills, including experience using statistical software (e.g. R, Python, Julia) for data analysis and interpretation. 

Desirable:  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex research findings to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and collaborate with researchers, policymakers, and healthcare practitioners in Africa.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Willingness to travel as needed. 

Competencies: 

• Demonstrated high levels of confidentiality and integrity.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, presentation and communication skills.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.
• Strong Management, leadership, and decision-making skills,
• Ability to build strong and diverse effective teams, delegation, and team motivation.
• Ability to build productive and collaborative relationships with varied stakeholders. 

Application Procedure: 

If you are excited and meet the above qualifications, please CLICK HERE to visit our careers website and apply for the position. The application closing date is 22nd March 2024. 

Tags: KEMRI Wellcome Trust Jobs, Research Officer Jobs Kenya

Laboratory Technician Job - Kenya Medical Research Institute

Project Description: KEMRI - Turkana Health and Genomics Project 

The Turkana Health and Genomics Project (THGP) is a collaborative, international, and interdisciplinary study of the genetics, biology, and health of the Turkana people. The study involves investigators and staff at Turkana Basin Institute, Mpala Research Centre, KEMRI, Vanderbilt University, and Princeton University. We are broadly interested in how rapid lifestyle change is impacting health, and we therefore work with communities spanning a gradient from subsistence pastoralism practiced in remote Turkana to urban centers in Kenya. Communities that participate in the study are provided with medical consultations, and research data are collected in the form of biospecimens, interview data, and health measurements. The current protocol that we are hiring for is funded by the National Institutes of Health, and expands previous work by the THGP to include assessments of child health. We are seeking to recruit the following personnel to support the THGP and the NIH child health-focused protocol as follows: 

Laboratory Technician KMR8 (1 Position) Ref. KEMRI-THGP 01 

Location: Field work throughout Kenya, including remote areas in Turkana 

Reporting To: Principal Investigators 

Job Description: 

The Laboratory Technician will provide assistance to the overall project and will work with the existing THGP team. The candidate will be in charge of processing bio specimens during field clinics using established protocols. Specifically, the candidate will work to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells from whole blood, manage and organize samples, and run point of care devices to collect health measurements from blood. When not in the field, the candidate will assist with sample and data management as well as DNA extractions or other desired sample processing.

Essential Requirements: 

• Minimum Diploma in any of the following fields: Biomedical Sciences, Medical Laboratory Sciences, Applied Sciences or any other equivalent qualification from a recognized institution
• Registration Certificate issued by the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board (KMLTTB) where applicable, or any other recognized regulatory body will be an advantage but not mandatory
• Valid practicing license from Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists where applicable, but not mandatory
• Experience in basic molecular biology and aseptic techniques
• Experience working in a molecular biology or genetics research
• Good English and Swahili, both spoken and written (Turkana language skills are an added benefit, but not required)
• Experience with DNA and RNA extractions is desired
• Must be computer literate
• Must be a team player
• Must be comfortable in remote field work conditions 

Specific Tasks and Responsibilities 

• Participate in field work and support field data collection;
• During field work, use established protocols to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells and perform any other biospecimen processing;
• During field work, carefully handle, label, and track biospecimens;
• Assist with supply and sample management;
• Assist with equipment management including verifying equipment function;
• Assist with sample and data management, for example organizing samples in freezers;
• Assist with DNA/RNA extractions and other sample processing as directed;
• Perform any other duties assigned or delegated by the project leadership. 

Terms of Employment 

• Employment is on contract basis for a period of 1 year renewable subject to availability of funds. There will be a probation period for the first 3 months. Salary is commensurate with KEMRI’s appropriate grade depending on education, experience and demonstrated competency.

HOW TO APPLY: 

1. All applicants must meet each selection criteria detailed in the minimum requirements
2. Must include a cover application letter clearly indicating the position title and reference number and a current CV with names of at least 2 referees with their telephone and Email Contacts (must be current contacts and working).
3. Must include copies of academic and professional certificates 

Interested candidates who meet the above criteria are encouraged to send in their applications sent via email to: projectpositions@kemri.go.ke not later than 19th March, 2024. 

KEMRI IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITED TO DIVERSITY; PERSONS WHO ARE ABLED DIFFERENTLY, WOMEN, YOUTH AND THOSE FROM MARGINALIZED AREAS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. KEMRI DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF ITS RECRUITMENT PROCESS INCLUDING APPLICATION, INTERVIEW AND PROCESSING OF OFFER LETTER. IF ASKED FOR A FEE, REPORT SUCH REQUEST IMMEDIATELY. 

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. 

Tags: KEMRI Jobs, Laboratory Technician Jobs Kenya

Field Assistant Job - Kenya Medical Research Institute

Project Description: KEMRI - Turkana Health and Genomics Project 

The Turkana Health and Genomics Project (THGP) is a collaborative, international, and interdisciplinary study of the genetics, biology, and health of the Turkana people. The study involves investigators and staff at Turkana Basin Institute, Mpala Research Centre, KEMRI, Vanderbilt University, and Princeton University. We are broadly interested in how rapid lifestyle change is impacting health, and we therefore work with communities spanning a gradient from subsistence pastoralism practiced in remote Turkana to urban centers in Kenya. Communities that participate in the study are provided with medical consultations, and research data are collected in the form of biospecimens, interview data, and health measurements. The current protocol that we are hiring for is funded by the National Institutes of Health, and expands previous work by the THGP to include assessments of child health. We are seeking to recruit the following personnel to support the THGP and the NIH child health-focused protocol as follows:

Field Assistant, KMR9 (1 Position) Ref. KEMRI-THGP 02 

Location: Field work throughout Kenya, including remote areas in Turkana 

Reporting To: Principal Investigators 

Job Description: 

The Field Assistant will provide assistance to the overall project and will work with the existing THGP team. The candidate will be in charge of explaining the study to potential participants, obtaining informed consent, and then conducting a survey/interview with children and their guardians about lifestyle, environment, and experiences. When not in the field, the candidate will assist with data entry, data management, and any other tasks to support the overall project. 

Essential Requirements: 

• Minimum of a Certificate in Community Health Work, Social Sciences or any Biomedical Sciences
• Basic understanding of biology and genetics
• Fieldwork experience working in a busy research project
• Must be computer literate
• Must be a team player
• Must be comfortable in remote field work conditions 

Specific Tasks and Responsibilities 

The position responsibilities shall specifically include but not be limited to the following:

• Participate in field work and support field data collection;
• Explain research study to participants and obtain informed consent;
• Perform detailed questionnaire about lifestyle and experiences;
• Perform basic anthropometric measurements, for example waist and height measurements;
• Properly store and track data sheets and consent forms, including scanning and organizing digital
• copies;
• Be ready to help with other tasks as requested such as charging batteries or maintaining generators
• and other equipment;
• Perform any other duties assigned or delegated by the project leadership. 

Terms of Employment 

• Employment is on contract basis for a period of 1 year renewable subject to availability of funds. There will be a probation period for the first 3 months. Salary is commensurate with KEMRI’s appropriate grade depending on education, experience and demonstrated competency.

HOW TO APPLY: 

1. All applicants must meet each selection criteria detailed in the minimum requirements
2. Must include a cover application letter clearly indicating the position title and reference number and a current CV with names of at least 2 referees with their telephone and Email Contacts (must be current contacts and working).
3. Must include copies of academic and professional certificates 

Interested candidates who meet the above criteria are encouraged to send in their applications sent via email to: projectpositions@kemri.go.ke not later than 19th March, 2024. 

KEMRI IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITED TO DIVERSITY; PERSONS WHO ARE ABLED DIFFERENTLY, WOMEN, YOUTH AND THOSE FROM MARGINALIZED AREAS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY. KEMRI DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF ITS RECRUITMENT PROCESS INCLUDING APPLICATION, INTERVIEW AND PROCESSING OF OFFER LETTER. IF ASKED FOR A FEE, REPORT SUCH REQUEST IMMEDIATELY. 

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. 

Tags: Kenya Medical Research Institute Jobs, Community Health Jobs Kenya