Epidemiologist (Wastewater Genomics - 12 Months subject to renewable - Wits NICD)

Recruiter:

AJ Personnel

Job Ref:

JHB003430/EvdM

Date posted:

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Location:

Johannesburg, South Africa

Salary:

Monthly

SUMMARY:
Background:

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) is a major global player in infectious disease intelligence
The NICD is a source of knowledge and expertise in regionally relevant communicable diseases to the South African Government, SADC countries, and the African continent
The NICD assists in the planning of policies and programs and supports appropriate responses to communicable disease problems and issues

POSITION INFO:
Main purpose of the job:

To oversee data management for routine wastewater testing using RedCap and R/R Studio
To develop research protocols, submit ethics applications, implement and oversee implementation of data collection and management

Division:

Wastewater Genomics

Location:

Centre for Vaccines and Epidemiology, NICD, Sandringham - Johannesburg

Key performance areas:

To oversee data management for routine wastewater testing using RedCap and R/Rstudio (2 days/week):

To chair weekly data quality meetings
To conduct a baseline and then weekly assessments of data quality in the wastewater and environmental surveillance RedCap database
To work with the laboratory team to identify and correct data inaccuaracies, and gaps in data
Together with sample collectors, laboratory technicians and scientists, to co-ordinate streamlining of data management procedures to ensure ongoing data quality
To apply existing and new R-scripts to report on data process indicators in a weekly data quality report
To co-operate professionally with all CVI and WGS team members to achieve a collegial and supportive team environment for high-quality data management
To develop research protocols, submit ethics applications, implement or oversee implementation, collect and manage data, conduct analyses and write reports pertaining to investigator-led experiments to support the wastewater and environmental surveillance data-to-policy agenda

To conduct routine epidemiological analysis and provide weekly reports for communicable diseases under surveillance through NICD wastewater monitoring and clinical surveillance programmes (2 days/week) using RedCap and R/Rstudio:

To generate analyses using existing and newly developed R-scripts such as epidemiological curves, heat maps, tables and data outputs for geospatial maps to describe trends in detection and quantification of diseases under wastewater and clinical surveillance by NICD/CVI (including but not limited to measles, rubella, HAV, HEV, influenza, mpox, tuberculosis)
To create narrative and graphical reports in power point slides, or in other software using the above analyses for publication on dashboards or the NICD and other websites
To provide ad hoc reports for public health officials as required by surveillance findings
To supervise a surveillance officer who is monitoring a particular wastewater and environmental case-study area, by overseeing their generation of weekly reports, by providing technical insights including advice regarding interpretation of surveillance data, public health interventions and outbreak investigation and management and by providing other day-to-day epidemiological support
To present wastewater and CVI clinical reports at the NICD weekly epidemiological meeting
To provide support for wastewater dashboard development by using existing R-scripts and developing new R-scripts for NICD/CVI pathogens (including but not limited to measles, rubella, HAV, HEV, influenza, mpox, tuberculosis)
To co-operate professionally with all CVI, WGS team members and other NICD staff to achieve these objectives
To collaborate with CVI, WGS, other NICD staff and international collaborators to support the above key performance area

To develop research protocols, submit ethics applications, implement or oversee implementation, collect and manage data, conduct analyses and write reports pertaining to investigator-led experiments to support the wastewater and environmental surveillance data-to-policy agenda (1 day/week):

To collaborate with CVI, WGS, other NICD staff and international collaborators to support the above key performance area
To communicate WGS outputs by reporting on findings at internal NICD and external platforms, (including academic meetings, technical working groups, conferences and international meetings) to appropriate stakeholders including academia, public health authorities, local, provincial and national government and international interest groups
Together with NICD/WGS and international collaborators, to conduct analyses, literature reviews and write manuscripts for the publication of findings in peer-reviewed literature
To conduct training on epidemiological aspects of wastewater and environmental surveillance, including clinical surveillance to attendees at training courses, online seminars and other events as required
Demonstrate effective self-management by taking ownership for driving own career development through participating in ongoing training and development activities such as short courses, forums, conferences, policy-setting workshops

Required minimum education and training:

MPH/MSc in field Epidemiology or MSc in Biostatistics
Training in RedCap
Medium to advance training in R/R Studio

Required minimum work experience:

A minimum of 2 years’ experience as an Epidemiologist in a communicable disease control program, or in a NGO focusing on communicable disease or in a research institute working on communicable disease programmes
Routine/weekly use of R/R studio and RedCap for data management or analysis

Desirable additional education, work experience and personal abilities:

Up to date Good Clinical Practice Certification
Own drivers' licence and vehicle
PhD in public health or epidemiology
Field outbreak investigation experience, including conducting site assessments, case investigation & contact tracing, field interviews data collection and analysis, and producing situation reports
Management of junior data collection and/or laboratory technical staff who enter data
Experience with spatial epidemiological analysis and mathematical modelling will be an advantage
Proven experience in data management for routine and/or research projects including data cleaning, generation of process indicators/data quality monitoring and progress reporting
Ability to use RedCap to create surveys & reports, to collect data, to support data cleaning
Experience in protocol writing, ethics submission, conducting research projects including enrolment, informed consent
Proven ability to code in R/R Studio at advanced level
Proven ability to develop and maintain RedCap databases
Proven ability to conduct data analysis including basic summary statistics, multivariable and other regression analyses, correlation, T-tests, ANOVA, chi-squared, and others

TO APPLY:

Only if you meet the minimum job requirements and experience as mentioned above, you may submit a detailed updated CV
Please Apply Online and complete your registration via our website to enable and protect you as a candidate, and to accept the new POPIA terms and conditions
This will then create your permanent profile with which you can apply for all jobs as advertised by AJ PERSONNEL
However, you may remove your profile from AJ PERSONNEL when you are no longer in the job market
Please take note that the applicants who do not adhere to the above criteria will not be considered for the respective position
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
Closing date: 20 May 2025
Note: No CV will be accepted after the closing date

Please note:

WHC, in accordance with its 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 advertising and the response handling on behalf of their client Wits Health Consortium
AJ Personnel does not have any salary or other information regarding the position

Epidemiologist (Wastewater Genomics - 12 Months subject to renewable - Wits NICD)

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