Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an International Humanitarian Organization providing medical aid to populations in distress, victims of natural and man-made disasters and victims of armed conflict, regardless of race, religion and political believes. For more information, visit our Arabic website, www.msf-me.org
Médecins Sans Frontières France is looking for Yemeni nationals to recruit for the following position:

EPIDEMIOLOGIST

Location: Sana’a Coordination.
Contract type: Full Time contract – One year – renewable.
Reports to (Hierarchical) : Medical Coordinator (if Mission scope)/ Project Coordinator
Reports to (Functional): Medical Coordinator / Activity Manager / Medical Project Referent

Main Purpose:

Assessing, implementing and maintaining the epidemiological surveillance systems/monitoring (if needed) according to MSF protocols, standards and procedures in order to contribute to appropriate evidence-based decision making using well managed health data in outbreak and emergency MSF programmes.

Accountabilities:

• Carrying out key epidemiological activities in outbreak investigation (description including time, place, people with emphasis on mapping when it is needed) and advising on the operational response
• Implementing and maintaining a surveillance system to monitor epidemiological trends of relevant outbreak-prone diseases. Guiding activities of medical staff for surveillance and/or active case finding, including ensuring understanding of the need for consistent case definitions and data recording (briefing of all new staff)
• Monitoring and Implementing initial Assessment (for emergency situation), rapid health assessments and (baseline or follow-up) surveys. Where standard protocols are not available or appropriate, developing a protocol seeking extensive feedback and pilot testing of tools to ensure the objectives will be met robustly with support of HQ epidemiologist
• Preparing and adapting routine documentation (survey forms, training materials, letters of request/notification, locally appropriate consent forms etc.) with support of HQ epidemiologist. Preparing an appropriate sampling frame and sample selection guidelines with support of HQ epidemiologist
• Planning and supervising the associated HR processes of the staff under his/her responsibility (recruitment, training/induction, evaluation, potential detection, development and communication) and ensuring that staff exhibits required skills after training and pilot test
• Managing data systems and ensuring accurate, high quality databases; analyzing results and preparing regular written reports on progress and findings for medical coordinator/HQ and when appropriate to external collaborators/networks (MoH, other NGOs, etc.)

Providing training sessions to medical teams on relevant aspects of epidemiology to enhance team response capacity.

MSF Section/Context Specific Accountabilities

Support on Surveillance (at MSF OCP level)  

• Identify the data collection needs for each potential study requested by the team

Malnutrition in Amran/Haydan: 

• describe the trend and clinical presentation of children at the ITFC treated by MSF OCP
• Understand the perception of mothers regarding breastfeeding (qualitative study)
• Understand and describe the seasonality of malnutrition in Yemen based on our data or looking to secondary data as well

Neonatal mortality study: 

• Retrospective analysis of the neonatal admissions (clinical, treatment and outcomes)
• risk factors for mortality
• support in setting a data tool to collect comprehensive data at the neonatal unit to help in monitoring and research

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILL REQUIREMENTS:

Education:

• Medical doctor (preferable), nurse or biomedical background with a degree in epidemiology (not in public health.

Experience:

• At least few years of tropical medicine experience (having assumed coordination position is a plus).
• Experience in field epidemiology

Languages:

• Mission language essential

Knowledge:

• Use of epidemiology related analytical software (excel, Epi-info, STATA or SPSS)

Competencies:

• Results and Quality Orientation L2
• Teamwork and Cooperation L2
• Behavioural Flexibility L2
• Commitment to MSF Principles L2
• Stress Management L3