STUDY COORDINATOR

TITLE: Study Coordinator

REPORTING TO: Country Director

LOCATION: Lusaka, Zambia

ASSIGNMENT LENGTH: 4 Months

BACKGROUND

In 2011, DFID funded Marie Stopes International (MSI) and Ipas to implement the “Prevention of Maternal Death from Unwanted Pregnancy in Africa and Asia” (PMDUP) program to increase the provision of service outlets and trained providers for family planning and, where legally available, safe abortion services, in 14 low income countries. The Population Council is a member of a research consortium, titled EVA-PMDUP, which has designed a robust strategy of rigorous study designs, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative research, in order to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of PMDUP in contributing to reducing recourse to unsafe abortion and increasing uptake of modern contraception. Led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the Population Council partners with the Guttmacher Institute to implement EVA-PMDUP in five countries (India, Zambia, Malawi, Pakistan and South Sudan) with the main focus of our research activities concentrated on India and Zambia.

The EVA-PMDUP project in Zambia is will be conducting a community survey that will interview all women aged 15-44 years. A total of 1500 women will be interviewed in three (3) provinces of Zambia. The Population Council therefore seeks the expertise of a study coordinator to manage the community survey for up to four (4) months of the data collection period. The study coordinator for the EVA-PMDUP community survey will be based primarily in the field throughout the entire data collection period that takes place in Central, Copperbelt and Lusaka Province. In close collaboration with the Principal Investigator and the Program Officer, the Study Coordinator will support the recruitment of Research Assistants for data collection, participate in the training of all field staff, test data collection software, pilot study tools  and ensure all logistical arrangements for the successful undertaking of the study are adhered to. The ideal candidate will have previous research experience and be particularly conversant with household survey type data collection approaches conducted on a large scale.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Supervise all data collection activities in line with the approved study protocol and data collection instruments.
2. Responsibility for identifying tasks needing to be completed in line with study objectives, co-ordinate deployment of study team and responsible for keeping track of progress and data collection schedule
3. Identify local health care centers and other places (including contact details) to refer women identified as having a need for additional support during data collection
4. Ensure ethical practices, including the confidentiality of study participants by ensuring all study material is appropriately stored
5. Responsibility for keeping progress on track and ensuring timely and quality implementation including developing work plan in consultation with the study team
6. Compile weekly reports on progress on data collection and update the PI and Co PI as frequently as possible.
7. Assist with data management.
8. Assist with preparation of reports, papers, and presentations.
9. Successful incumbent will join a team of experts in the field of epidemiology from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Population Council-Zambia Offices and will be expected to participate in report writing.

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate should :

1. Possess a Degree in either Epidemiology, Demography, Public Health or any other relevant discipline. A Masters Degree is an added advantage.
2. Demonstrated ability to conduct research activities.
3. Knowledge in demographic mapping and drawing up study sampling frame
4. Experience conducting basic data management and data cleaning preferred.
5. Knowledge in the management of community surveys data collection including electronic data collection, data transfer and archival
6. Excellent English language oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills.
7. Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
8. Superior organizational skills with keen attention to detail.

The Population Council is an international, nonprofit, nongovernmental institution that seeks to improve the well-being & reproductive health of current & future generations around the world & to help achieve a humane, equitable & sustainable balance between people & resources. The Council conducts biomedical, social science & public health research & helps build research capacities in developing countries. Established in 1952, the Council is governed by an international board of trustees. Its New York headquarters supports a global network of 15 international offices.

The Population Council provides equal opportunity & does not discriminate with regard to age, color, creed, national origin, disability, political belief, veteran status, religion, marital status, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation. Decisions on employment are based on an individual’s qualifications as related to the position for which s/he is being considered. The Council has an affirmative action program & especially encourages applications from qualified women & members of minority groups. The Council is international in the composition of its board of trustees & staff, as well as in the nature & deployment of its activities.

If interested in the above position, please submit a cover letter and curriculum vitae with three professional references to:  info.zambia@popcouncil.org on or before 31st January, 2016