Vacancies

Node Director – Cape Town Health and Demographic Surveillance Site [C-SHARP/02/2023]

Vacancy Closed
Application Deadline: 28 February 2023

Background

As part of the South African Population Research Infrastructure Network (SAPRIN), a new urban Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS) is being established in Cape Town – the Cape Town Surveillance through Healthcare Action Research Project (C-SHARP). The project is co-ordinated by Western Cape Government Health (WCGH) and is being conducted in partnership with a number of local academic institutions, the City of Cape Town and community NPOs. The initiative seeks to augment routine Community-oriented Primary Care (COPC) projects in two communities to establish ongoing longitudinal population surveillance, in order to address a number of questions related to health and development, in line with the overall SAPRIN objectives.

Objective of this position

The node director will be appointed by The Health Foundation and seconded to the Health Intelligence Directorate at WCGH, reporting to the C-SHARP principal investigator, and management and steering committees. The appointee will be responsible for overall operational management of the HDSS node, including ensuring smooth running of the administrative and secretariat functions, co-ordination and oversight of the field and data activities, liaison with key health department service colleagues, co-ordination of research activities, alignment and liaison with the SAPRIN network, grant compliance and assistance with additional fund-raising. The node director will directly manage the C-SHARP-dedicated staff seconded to the Health Intelligence directorate of WCGH. The node director will initially have an honorary academic appointment through the University of Cape Town School of Public Health, alongside the salaried appointment through The Health Foundation.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities will inter alia include:

  • Work closely with the PI, and management and steering committees to provide overall operational management of the node.
  • Manage the centrally appointed staff dedicated to C-SHARP, including the research data team.
  • Work with all stakeholders, including the NPOs providing the SAPRIN-augmented COPC services, the Provincial Health Data Centre and academic partners to ensure the surveillance activities are established, and continuously improve to achieve optimal coverage and fidelity.
  • Take responsibility for scientific and operational SAPRIN grant reporting, and assist with further fund-raising for the node.
  • Work closely with WCGH colleagues in Health Intelligence and Metro District health services,  to ensure close alignment and synergy of the surveillance and service objectives.
  • Take the lead in developing, operationalising and theorising the integrated surveillance and care model, working closely with the service NPOs.
  • Co-ordinating the administrative activities of the node for both operational and scientific activities, working closely with WCGH administrative staff.
  • Working with academic institutions and representatives to co-ordinate scientific activities based on the routine surveillance or additional node activities.
  • Together with the node PI and other node staff and collaborators, represent the node as required in scientific and collaboration forums.

Requirements

  • Relevant post-graduate degree or specialist qualification in population health sciences, with a track record of scientific contribution and engagement, sufficient to support an honorary university appointment at senior researcher/lecturer or above.
  • Minimum 5 years’ research, health service management, or combined experience.
  • Ability to work across multiple teams and within a complex environment.
  • Willingness and ability to travel regularly to communities involved in the project.
  • HDSS, COPC or health data warehouse experience would be advantageous.

Work arrangement

While there is some scope for hybrid work arrangements, this position requires appreciable time spent in office (WCGH head office), with travel to district, subdistrict and NPO offices.

Enquiries and Applications: tumelo@thehealthfoundation.org.za

Deadline: 28 February 2023

NB: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. We are committed to equity in our employment practices. It is our intention to appoint individuals with the aim of meeting our equity objectives. We reserve the right not to appoint if no suitable candidates are identified.

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.

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