Vacancies

Data Scientist [THF/03/2026]

Vacancy Closed
Application Deadline: 10 March 2026
The Health Foundation of South Africa is an NPC with a mission to mobilize resources that enhance public health services through collaboration with public and private stakeholders and is uniquely positioned to collaborate with the Department of Health to improve service delivery.

Against this backdrop, we need strong skillsets to drive the success of our organization and successful candidate will be appointed by The Health Foundation on a fixed term contract ending 31 August 2028 and will be seconded to the Western Cape Department of Health & Wellness Directorate: Health Intelligence Component: Provincial Health Data Centre (Based at 4 Dorp Street, Cape Town).

Guided by the principles of Employment Equity, candidates with disabilities are encouraged to apply and an indication in the regard will be appreciated.

Job Purpose

  • The primary objective of this role is to provide technical data science expertise to the Provincial Health Data Centre (PHDC), enabling deeper insights into the quadruple burden of disease and leveraging data to enhance patient care within the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness.
  • The successful candidate will be involved in all stages of the health data science workflow such as data take-on, transformation, modelling, analysis, reporting, visualization, and governance.
  • This role is ideal for an individual who is a problem-solver at heart and has the ability to convert intricate data into smart solutions aimed at improving health outcomes.

Core Areas of Work

  • Utilize domain expertise, analytical skills, and software knowledge to support the development and maintenance of data take-on processes and curation of routine health data.
  • Timely integration and processing of data across key domains.
  • Be actively involved in data beneficiation, interpretation, inference, analysis and reporting.
  • Analyze and present data in a clear and compelling way, using graphical representations and data visualizations.
  • Process and deliver against data extraction requests of varying complexity.
  • Provide supervision and mentorship to junior staff members.
  • Participate in research projects and health data initiatives.
  • Develop and implement training programs, user guides, and other products that promote understanding of the Provincial Health Data Centre digital tools, reports and dashboards.

Competencies (knowledge/skills)

  • Competence in working in a swiftly changing environment and modifying plans accordingly.
  • Advanced knowledge and proficiency with cloud technology including Azure SQL, and interactive data visualization software such as Power BI.
  • Ability to apply data extraction, transformation and loading (ETL) techniques with appropriate automation as required.
  • Analytic skills to conceptualize and execute data extraction and analysis tasks.
  • Ability to conceptualise, design and implement efficient data-driven reports.
  • Demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively create, edit and review relevant reports and presentations.

Requirements

Minimum educational qualification

  • A Bachelor’s degree in one or more of the following fields: Computer Science, Information Systems, Mathematics, Statistics, Demography, Biostatistics, Epidemiology.
  • Candidates must have at least five (5) years working experience in enterprise cloud platforms such as Azure or AWS.

Experience:

A minimum of five (5) years of experience in the following:

  • Experience in health information systems and health data interoperability.
  • SQL programming experience.
  • Working with large datasets (hundreds of millions of records) and in programming and software development.
  • Statistical expertise and broader software programming experience.
  • Experience working with stored procedures and views.
  • Experience working with a scripting language e.g. MATLAB, Python, SQL, Java, Ruby, R.
  • Experience with technical communication and presentation of findings and ideas.

Remuneration

R654 116.65 per annum CTC

How to apply

Complete the Form on the attached link – Data Scientist – Application

Enquiries: Monalisa Mali on 021 418 1580/Monalisa@thehealthfoundation.org.za

Closing date: 10 March 2026

About SAPRIN

SAPRIN is a network of Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) nodes in South Africa, funded by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and hosted by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). SAPRIN integrates three established HDSS nodes in South Africa, namely, MRC/Wits University Agincourt HDSS in Bushbuckridge District, Mpumalanga (1992); University of Limpopo DIMAMO HDSS in the Capricorn District of Limpopo (1996), and the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) HDSS in uMkhanyakude District, KwaZulu-Natal (2000), linked to the University of KwaZulu-Natal to create a network of harmonised population-based cohorts for use by the wider research community and national policymakers.

To understand the particular challenges that urban communities face and the impact of rural-urban migration, SAPRIN has started expanding into urban areas. Along with C-SHARP, two other urban nodes have been established in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Zodwa Velleman - The Health Foundation Board Member

Ms Zodwa Velleman

Group Executive: Regulatory and Corporate Affairs

Zodwa Velleman is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa with international experience in litigation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and corporate and commercial law. She completed her articles at Edward Nathan Sonnenbergs Africa (NSA) where she later worked as an associate, before joining Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, then ranked as the third-leading law firm in the United States.

She holds a B Juris and LLB from UWC and graduated cum laude from the GIBS Leadership Development Programme. She has also completed a short course in Public Policy at the London School of Economics.

Zodwa enjoys spending time with her family, mentoring young lawyers, and practising pottery.

Prof Lara Fairall

Prof Lara Fairall

Director of the Knowledge Translation Unit

Professor Lara Fairall is the Founding Director of the Knowledge Translation Unit (KTU). She left clinical medicine to join the UCT Lung Institute where she was charged with localising, implementing and evaluating a South African version of the WHO Practical Approach to Lung Health which became PALSA. Lara has led the expansion of PALSA to comprehensive primary healthcare across the life course, and its evolution into PACK. She has also established a partnership with the British Medical Journal (BMJ) to underpin the evidence base of the clinical recommendations made in PACK and to help spread PACK to other low middle-income countries (LMICs).

Lara is passionate about Universal Health Coverage and support for health workers to enable them to connect the communities they serve with the evidence-based care they need.

She is also an honorary Professor in the Department of Medicine at UCT and Professor and Chair in Global Healthcare Delivery at the King’s Global Health Institute at King’s College London.

Dr Japie du Toit

Dr Japie du Toit

Non-Executive Director

Senior Manager of Life Healthcare

Dr du Toit is a medical doctor and business graduate with extensive experience in the public and private health sectors. He has been involved in the Western Cape Department of Health, focusing on central hospital management, budget administration and facilitating public-private partnerships. In the private sector, he has worked as a specialist healthcare advisor at a leading consulting firm and is now with Life Healthcare, a private hospital group in South Africa.
Dr Mandla Moyo

Dr Mandla Moyo

Non-Executive Director

Chief Executive Officer of the Sports Science Institute

Dr Mandla Moyo is passionate about promoting healthy lifestyles and wellbeing. In addition to his role as Financial Director at National Health Group, he has worked with various healthcare organisations to advance this mission. Dr Moyo brings expertise in risk management, sustainability and governance, backed by 17 years of experience at Ernst & Young, a Big Four global advisory firm, where he served as a partner for 11 years. He has also acted as a strategic advisor to institutions across the public and private health sectors in the Western Cape. As a financial expert, his qualifications and professional memberships include Chartered Accountant (SA), MCom, BCompt [cum laude] (UNISA), Certificate in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC), and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). He also holds a Doctorate in Business Administration (Healthcare Management) from Liberty University, Virginia, USA. Mandla enjoys running and spending time outdoors with his family.
Mr Carl Liebenberg

Mr Carl Liebenberg

Non-Executive Director

Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Terayon Capital Partners

Carl Liebenberg has over 25 years of senior-level experience in financial services, spanning international tax, private banking, asset management and corporate finance. He has advised on equity and debt transactions in sub-Saharan Africa in sectors including waste management, retail, media, mining, ICT, financial services, infrastructure, clean energy and agriculture. Carl holds a Bachelor of Business Science degree in Finance and Economics, a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Planning from the University of the Free State and an MBA from the University of Cape Town.
Ms Letebele Jones

Ms Letebele Jones

Non-Executive Director

Communications Specialist

Letebele Masemola-Jones is a seasoned communications professional with extensive experience across various sectors, including film and television production, corporate communications in the oil and gas industry, international philanthropy and the legislative arm of the South African state. A global citizen with a diplomatic flair, she has travelled extensively across North and South America, the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and Europe for professional and personal endeavours. These experiences have enabled her to break down communication barriers and successfully navigate diverse environments. Letebele is passionate about the power of communication to build, develop and transform lives across society. Educated in Zambia, the UK, Canada and the United States, she holds a Higher National Diploma, two degrees in Public Administration, Communications, and Film and Video, and a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from Boston University. Until the end of 2024, she served as the Communications and Engagement Manager for SKAO in South Africa.
Dr Reinder Nauta

Dr Reinder Nauta

Non-Executive Director

Founder and Managing Director of National Health Group

Dr Nauta is a healthcare entrepreneur who pioneered low-income capitation models in South Africa. He holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery degree from Stellenbosch University and furthered his studies in Primary Health Care Development at Mahidol University in Bangkok. With extensive executive-level experience in the healthcare industry, he currently serves as a director of Akacia Healthcare, a local, independent pharmaceutical manufacturer. Dr Nauta is the founder and former Managing Director of CareCross Health, one of South Africa’s leading GP networks and managed care companies. He is also a past chairman of Occupational Healthcare South Africa (OCSA) and CareWorks, a leading HIV/AIDS management company. Beyond the healthcare industry, Dr Nauta is pursuing a personal dream — managing his guest farm, Stanford Valley, in Overstrand.
Harry Grainger, CEO of The Health Foundation, 2025

Mr Harry Grainger

CEO of The Health Foundation
Harry Grainger is a visionary leader with over 30 years of experience in finance and strategic management. He began his career in accounting, gaining insight and mastering the fundamentals of business operations. This foundation led to a career-long journey in strategic management and executive leadership at various private and civic companies. As CEO of The Health Foundation, Harry is dedicated to long-term value creation, fostering a culture of innovation and driving sustainable growth. Outside the office, you’ll find Harry experimenting in the kitchen or tending to his garden.