Job Description

Zvitambo is an internationally recognized multidisciplinary public health research institute with the mission of helping children survive and thrive through research. We work in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) to conduct research and provide technical support and education to reduce the burden of malnutrition and infectious diseases, and give children a good start in life. Zvitambo is registered as a non-profit company with the Ministry of Justice and operates from Harare and Shurugwi.

Job Purpose
Zvitambo is seeking an experienced Biostatistician to join our Biostatistics team. The incubant will conduct analyses and modelling in various studies examining the both cross-sectional and longitudinal effects of malnutrition on long-term child function among other outcomes. The role will focus on data cleaning, data management including integrating laboratory biomarkers in the COMBI and SHINE cohorts, and analyzing data to understand the pathways that underlie adverse birth outcomes, stunting, and long-term reductions in cognitive and physical function following early-life malnutrition in children at 10 years old in two rural districts of Zimbabwe (Chirumanzu and Shurugwi). The postholder will lead the biostatistical analyses working with the study investigators and other field researchers and will use data from past cohorts, national data collected through the DHIS2 system and other nationally collected data, as well as data from other sources such as weather and climate data from satellites. Zvitambo field studies are conducted multiple districts including: Harare , Shurugwi and Murehwa with potential expansion to other districts. Travel to study sites may be required. The post holder will be based at our offices in Harare.

The postholder will advise Project Investigators and Project Leads in developing study protocols with statistical input, will compile and analyse data, and participate in writing statistical analysis plans as well as writing manuscripts for publication.

Duties and Responsibilities

Main Duties
• Collaborate with researchers to develop appropriate study designs, including sample size calculations, randomization procedures, and statistical analysis plans.
• Develop and validate statistical models to analyze complex biological, clinical, and epidemiological data, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of results.
• Perform advanced statistical analyses on research data using appropriate software (e.g., R, SAS, STATA) to address research questions and hypotheses.
• Extract, curate and analyse relevant from various sources.
• Interpret study findings and communicate results effectively to researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders through written reports, presentations, and visualizations.
• Participate in study-related training sessions and regular meetings
• Contribute to writing project reports and journal publications based on research findings; the latter to be submitted to peer-review journals of high international ranking.

Qualifications and Experience

QUALIFICATIONS
Essential:
• Degree in Statistics, Public Health or a related field.
• Master’s degree in Biostatistics, Statistics, or a related field is required
• 3 years proven experience in biostatistical analysis within a research or academic environment, preferably in the healthcare or life sciences sector.
• Proficiency in statistical software packages such as STATA and R, as well as experience with data management and manipulation.
• Strong understanding of clinical trial design, longitudinal data analysis, cross-sectional analysis, epidemiological methods, and regulatory requirements governing biomedical research.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with multidisciplinary teams and convey complex statistical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated leadership abilities and experience in mentoring junior staff or leading statistical projects on time in full.
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks governing clinical research, such as Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office software (including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Desirable:
• A track record in data management
• Experience accessing and working with large datasets such as DHIS-2.
• Experience in integrating qualitative and quantitative data
• Track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals or presentations at scientific conferences demonstrating contributions to the field of biostatistics.
• Experience with systems dynamics modelling
• Experience working within a research organization
• Keen understanding of the research ecosystem in Zimbabwe.

How to Apply

How to apply:

Please email your application to [email protected] with the subject heading: Application for Zvitambo Biostatistician. Please include a cover letter, CV, and other supporting documents; it is preferable if this can be combined as one PDF document.

The closing date for applications is 16 July 2024. This post will start in September of 2024. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Consider your application unsuccessful if not contacted within eight (8) weeks after the closing date of the advert. Any form of lobbying at any stage will lead to automatic disqualification.

By submitting your personal information, you consent to Zvitambo holding and using it in accordance with its recruitment policy and procedure. Zvitambo reserves the right to verify documents attached with the relevant awarding institutions to authenticate their validity.

Zvitambo is an equal opportunity employer committed to having a diverse work force.