Careers at KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP)

JOB PURPOSE: 

• Welcome to the exciting opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP), a leading research centre in Africa dedicated to investigating the primary causes of ill health and the development of health care systems on the continent. At KWTRP, we are not only committed to advancing scientific knowledge but also to fostering local research leadership.
• Part of the research portfolio of the Population and Health Impact Surveillance Research Unit (PHISG) and the Health Services Unit at KWTRP Nairobi is to undertake research into the relationships between health outcomes and access to health services, the ecological defined phenotypes of severe disease and determinants of hospitalisation and death in childhood.
• The new Research Officer position will join the Population and Health Impact Surveillance Research Unit in Nairobi and will be supervised by Prof. Emelda Okiro and co-supervised by Prof Bob Snow. The Research Officer will be expected to provide statistical support to the PHISG. It is also expected that the appointed RO will build an independent line of enquiry related to hospital access and in-patient outcomes, helping the wide group understand optimised catchment areas for emergency care and marginalised, poor hospital access populations.

We, therefore, welcome applications from those wishing to develop their skills and a career in medical statistics, geospatial analysis and the use of hospital data in epidemiology.

Description: 

REPORTS TO: Study PI and Study Supervisor

DIRECT REPORTS: None

INDIRECT REPORTS: None

BUDGET AND RESOURCE RESPONSIBILITY:  Responsible for allocated hardware and software.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

For the Population and Health Impact Surveillance Research Unit and under the direction of the supervisors to:

• Provide statistical and R coding support to PHISG
• Build and check fidelities of locational data of hospital admissions in Western Kenya and Kilifi
• Undertake geospatial analysis of data to understand the geographic distribution of different hospital admissions, linked to ecological and malaria risk factors
• Publish independent research findings in peer reviewed journals and support other publications in the PHISG
• Contribute to the wider scientific activities of the Population and Health Impact Surveillance Research Unit, the Health Services Unit and the Nairobi Programme of KEMRI-Wellcome in Kenya
• And any other duties that may be assigned from time to time.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The successful applicant will have:

CRITERIA:

The successful applicant will have:

• Recognised Postgraduate qualification (Masters) relevant to the field of statistics or epidemiology
• At lease 3 years related working experience.
• A track record in understanding statistical methods related to health care access.
• A track record in handling large health data and statistical packages including R
• Published in peer reviewed journals at least one first author paper, and co-authored at least three publications
• Highly developed oral and written communication skills
• Experience in undertaking research in a cross-cultural context
• Demonstrated interest in public health and demonstrated knowledge and working experience of Kenyan Health system, added advantage.

COMPETENCIES:

• Prior experience of geospatial analyses with recognised software (e.g. ArcGIS) is highly desirable.
• Experience in use of STATA and / or ‘R’ for analysis of health data and/or experience of computer programming languages.
• Have high energy, clear goal orientation and a strong work ethic.
• Strong organisation/programme management skills with the ability to prioritise workloads and work within tight deadlines
• Ability to write clearly for a scientific audience and to present clearly to non-academic audiences
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment and to multi-task

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JOB PURPOSE: 

• The Chanjo Hub Project is a groundbreaking initiative focused on the development and manufacturing of a candidate malaria vaccine using egg production in Ghana, coupled with innovative mRNA technology in Kenya. With the aim of combating malaria, our project brings together a diverse team of experts and collaborators to advance research and development in the field of malaria immunisation.

Description: 

REPORTS TO:  Principal Investigator (PhD – Postdocs and Research Fellows)

DIRECTLY SUPERVISES: Field workers, interns etc

INDIRECTLY SUPERVISES: None.

BUDGET AND RESOURCE RESPONSIBILITY:   Develop project budget

JOB DIMENSIONS: 

• We are seeking a highly motivated and detail-oriented Assistant Research Officer (ARO) to join our team and contribute to the regulatory strengthening aspects of the Chanjo Hub Project. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements for the manufacturing of the malaria vaccine by egg production in Ghana and by mRNA in Kenya. This role will involve working with internal teams in both countries to ensure regulatory compliance, developing institutional development plans for regulatory strengthening, collaborating with National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) to facilitate process evaluations, and evaluating the readiness or strengthening needs of National Regulatory Authorities in alignment with the WHO NRA maturity levels.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Institutional Development Plans:

• Work with internal teams in Kenya and Ghana to develop vaccine regulatory institutional development plans.
• Assist in the implementation of strategies to enhance regulatory capabilities within the organisations.

Regulatory Compliance Oversight:

• Collaborate with internal teams in Kenya and Ghana to ensure compliance with local and international regulatory requirements for mRNA vaccine production and egg production, respectively.
• Provide guidance and support to internal teams to navigate regulatory processes effectively.

Project Coordination:

• Liaise with internal teams to integrate regulatory considerations into project timelines.
• Coordinate with external partners and vendors (USP, GIZ, PPB and Ghana FDA) involved in the regulatory process.
• Create reports and update grant reports in liaison with CHANJO hub program manager.

National Regulatory Authority Collaboration:

• Work with USP to identify and document NRA gaps facilitating and providing input in meetings and workshops.
• Through USP, facilitate National Regulatory Authorities in Kenya and Ghana’s understanding of the vaccine production and egg production processes.
• Contribute to USP plans to evaluate National Regulatory Authority readiness or strengthening needs, in alignment with WHO maturity levels.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation of all regulatory activities of Chanjo hub.
• Prepare and submit regular reports on regulatory progress and milestones.
• Create and maintain records of meeting minutes, workshop and audit reports.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum Bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific field (biology, biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, etc.).
• Minimum two(2) years prior experience in regulatory affairs, preferably in the pharmaceutical or vaccine development industry.

DESIRABLE CRITERIA:

• Knowledge of mRNA and egg-based vaccine production processes and regulatory requirements.
• Familiarity with WHO maturity levels for regulatory systems.
• Strong organisational and project management skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

COMPETENCIES:

• Demonstrate high levels of integrity and confidentiality 
• Excellent interpersonal, written, presentation and communication skills 
• Basic analytical, problem solving and critical thinking skills; 
• Team working and ability to work in diverse teams 
• Flexibility, adaptability, multi-tasking and attention to detail