Snr Scientist at The South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC)

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate data acquisition processes with external data holders and manage data-sharing agreements, dataset transfers and linkages.
• Extract data from surveys, registries, mortality databases and other relevant sources.
• Clean, validate, quality assure, merge, recode, transform and prepare large and complex datasets for analysis.
• Conduct descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, disease modelling and estimation of disease trends from heterogeneous data sources.
• Conduct literature reviews and quantitative evidence synthesis.
• Prepare figures, tables, scientific papers, technical reports and policy-related outputs.
• Present research findings at conferences, workshops and stakeholder meetings and support dissemination to scientific and non-scientific audiences.
• Mentor or provide technical support to students, interns, junior researchers and data analysts, where applicable.
• Contribute to training, knowledge-sharing, grant applications, funding proposals and collaborative research opportunities.
• Monitor project deliverables and reporting deadlines, maintain research documentation and contribute to progress and performance reports.

Remuneration

• A salary in the region of R 966 586.00 per annum, cost-to-company, will be negotiated in consideration of experience and qualifications.

Requirements

Core Requirements:

• Master's degree in Health Sciences, Data Sciences, or a registration as a PhD candidate with substantial progress towards completion (preferably in the final year, write-up, or post-analysis phase)
• At least 3 years’ experience in data science, data analytics or related science field.
• Record of 5 lifetime publications, including ISI journal articles, editorials, book chapters or technical reports, with at least 3 as first or senior author.
• Substantial contribution to successful grant application. Successful research and/or equipment grant application of at least R100,000, for example an external travel award or NRF Thuthuka grant.
• Successfully supervised/co-supervised at least 2 postgraduate students to graduation.
• Record of translating professional, scientific or clinical expertise, new knowledge and research findings into public understanding, policy and/or practice to improve health.
• Exposure to budgeting, financial management and risk management.
• Excellent interpersonal relations and communication skills.

Advantageous:

• PhD or MBChB.
• 5 years’ relevant experience.
• HPCSA registration or equivalent, where the candidate is a clinician.