Epidemiologist At Epicentre

Epicentre is an organisation created by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in 1986. We conduct field epidemiology, training, and research activities for MSF interventions. Our activities for populations in precarious situations are led from Uganda, Niger, and France, and through the programs of MSF and others. They mainly concern infectious diseases and undernutrition.

You are looking for a meaningful professional experience?

Epicentre is looking for an Epidemiologist to the benefit of MSF France programs in South Sudan. The main purpose of this position is to provide technical expertise to support the mission’s routine disease control and response activities, including optimize use of routine and surveillance data to guide operational priorities, emergency preparedness (EPREP) strategy, and support SMC implementation.

The epidemiologist position is under the technical supervision of Epicentre and integrated in the South Sudan MSF mission. The MSF-France mission in South Sudan runs two projects. In Aweil State Hospital, MSF supports in-patient and emergency pediatric care (15 and under), maternity and obstetric services, and provides support to the MOH for malaria OPD services during the peak season (June – December). In Old Fangak, MSF-France provides in-patient (including surgery) and out-patient care and runs mobile clinics in the region.

You will be placed under the authority of MSF-France for administrative, logistics and security matters.

What you will bring ?

Skills to perform your main activities:

Technical skills: with distance-support from Epicentre referent(s), you will collaborate with medical teams to identify key data, ensure its quality, and use it to inform operational decisions – for both routine medical activities & outbreak/other emergency response. You will guide (but do not replace) medical teams to create & maintain quality reporting; you will develop tools as necessary (minimize duplication) and conduct trainings as needed to support medical teams to use & interpret data, provide group and individual training to medical teams on key aspects of data management and interpretation to enhance team analysis and response capacity, provide training to field team and coordination on surveillance and outbreak investigation.

You will provide support to coordination for 2024/5 malaria EPREP strategy (Aweil) and Old Fangak flood response strategy, and for 2024/5 country EPREP strategy. For surveillance you will attend National Emergency Response Meetings, MoH surveillance meetings, provide regular reports to coordination & technical referent on diseases of outbreak potential (including measles, meningitis, cholera, HepE) and coordinate with epidemiologist from other MSF sections and with WHO and MoH liaisons, as needed.

You will participate in outbreak investigations and initial response; advise coordination on response strategy, support sample collection, transportation and follow-up with National Laboratory, ensure proficient implementation of key linelists and quality data collection by staff, namely:

a. Malaria: Ensure Aweil linelist is implemented correctly for 2024/5 season; train (and retrain) teams, ensure data quality,

b. Measles, Meningitis, Hep E etc: as needed, analyze linelist (Aweil and Old Fangak) and create basic graphics to report to team & referent, as needed

You will provide regular sitreps/reports on key diseases of outbreak potential, namely:

a. Malaria during high season (Aweil)

b. Measles and/or meningitis (or other) during active outbreaks

c. Other key diseases as needed

You will provide support to routine activities, including for example:

a. Analyze 2024 malaria season & response, with MedCo and MedRef(s)

b. Support 2024 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) implementation (Aweil, June – Oct): data collection, data quality monitoring, interpretation and analysis; round reporting and suport final SMC report, supervision and in-depth support may be required.

c. Carry out 2024 SMC coverage survey (Aweil, Oct – Nov): survey preparation, staff training, staff supervision in the field, data quality monitoring, interpretation and analysis; final report.

c. Support Old Fangak flood response activities in collaboration with PMR and MedCo as needed

You will also coordinate regularly with technical referents at Epicentre & medical coordination/desk to identify areas of potential interest for broader scientific and medical goals (e.g. measles analysis, regional).

Team management skills:

You will be requested to coordinate activities with different collaborators and partners, and to integrate into a multidisciplinary, multinational and highly motivated team.

In close coordination with the HR department and following the MSF vision, policies and values, you may be involved in the processes of refining job descriptions, participating to recruitment of local staff specifically involved in the SMC implementation, ensuring their thorough understanding of the survey protocol and methods, data management, confidentiality, and human subjects research protection standards and practices. To do so, you will lead trainings and coaching, and contribute to performance evaluations for the team members.

International context: you are willing and able to travel internationally. You have an excellent level of English (oral, written). French is a plus.

Qualifications

You have a master’s degree or similar high-level certification in Epidemiology (or equivalent experience, including public health training and experience).

You have an excellent knowledge of epidemiology related analytical software (mainly Excel, STATA, R),cideally with experience in using ODK or Kobo data collection platforms and DIHS2 health information management system.

Experience in field epidemiology, including surveillance and surveys is required, and experience with humanitarian or development NGOs (MSF/Epicentre is a plus) would be an asset.

You are appreciated for your excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

You have proven ability to work in a dynamic and rigorous environment, with skills in teamwork and cooperation, flexibility, stress management, and to have “Results and Quality” orientation, with capacity to operationalize findings.

What you will get ?

You will work with a multicultural team in the field of epidemiology research.

You will evolve in the humanitarian environment.

Your contributions and ideas will be valued and highly appreciated.

You will participate in the life of the organization and your missions will evolve as you become involved.

Fixed-term contract of 12 months, extensible, with healthcare coverage.

Position to start by mid-September 2024.

Position based in Juba with frequent travel and work in Aweil and Old Fangak.

Remuneration according to experience and MSF salary grid.