Job Application - Epidemiology Activity Manager - Beirut

Accountabilities

• Defining, scheduling and organizing, in close collaboration with the medical coordination team and the project medical team members, the annual survey, evaluation, operational research and epidemiological activity plan as well as its associated budget. Leading the implementation of the protocols and epidemiological methodology, ensuring all related staff follows them in order to improve research efficiency.
• Supervising, according to annual plan, the survey, epidemiological and operational research activities ensuring that contacts with community groups and authorities are aligned with the objectives of the research and that the population participating in the research is properly informed. Reporting on the progress of data collection, on ongoing analysis of research or on any issue causing delay, in order to achieve goals on time.
• Advising the MSF medical team on epidemiological matters that arise in the course of their activity research, and when necessary, designing and implementing epidemiological tools and data collection to meet new epidemiological needs.
• Supervising data filing procedures, ensuring that all epidemiology and data entry software tools are properly used and are updated regularly, in order to ensure full data traceability and availability
• Planning and supervising, in close coordination with the HR department and the MSF vision, policies and values, the associated processes (job description, recruitment, training, performance evaluation, development and internal/external communication) of the epidemiological staff in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required, to improve staff technical capabilities, contribution and commitment to MSF values.
• Supervising, in close coordination with the Logistic department that research equipment and materials (including drugs and laboratory reagents) are properly maintained and national or international shipment is done with dateline in order to ensure research activity continuity, through drug and lab reagents availability and accountability at recruitment sites and at the pharmacy .
• Participating in operational monthly reports and organizing and/or assisting medical staff in preparing epidemiological reports related to health facilities and to researched areas

MSF Section/Context Specific Accountabilities

1. Background Lebanon mission

MSF OCG has been present in Lebanon for several years, supporting vulnerable populations through a mix of primary health care through MSF standalone clinics, MMUs, public PHCCs, hospital support, and community-based interventions across Bekaa, Beirut/Mount Lebanon, and South Lebanon. Core activities include NCD care, pediatrics, SRH, MHPSS, and referrals, implemented through fixed clinics, partnerships with PHCCs, and mobile medical units (MMUs).

Since the recent escalation, the mission has shifted to an emergency response posture, with large-scale displacement and increased pressure on the health system. MSF is currently scaling up activities to respond to urgent needs, including deployment of MMUs to shelters and host communities, support to public hospitals (ER/trauma stabilization), mental health services, and emergency referral systems.

The context remains highly volatile, requiring flexible, rapid adaptation of medical activities, strengthened data systems, and close coordination with the Ministry of Public Health and other partners.

Moreover, with a constantly evolving health situation of the context in Lebanon, the MSF teams need to conduct regular assessments to ensure that its interventions remain relevant and adapted to the context.

The medical activities, including a cohort of NCD patients, demand regular evaluation and operational research projects to be conducted to document and evaluate the outcomes of our current medical care strategy. Such information would be very beneficial for MSF but could also be very interesting to a wider audience, certainly regarding providers of NCD care in humanitarian settings.

 Research project:

• • Support the development /context adaptation of the different documents related to the research implementation (Case Report Form, SOP, etc)
  • Support the IRB Ethical submissions
  • Support the project implementation in the field to ensure
    • That the project is implemented as specified in the protocol
    • That data collection tools are completed adequately
    • That the project SOPs are followed adequately
    • That the data project is correctly being collected in the database
  • Participate in the writing of articles, abstracts, posters related to the ongoing studies to be presented in scientific meetings and submitted for publication.
  • Responsible for follow up of the field budget of the study, in collaboration with the financial coordinator
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  • Organise regular meetings with the project teams and ensure smooth running and proper communication between the research activities and the project
  • Communicate directly with research stdi in Geneva for all technical issues related to the protocol, and keep Medical Coordinator updated

Requirements

Education

• Medical or nursing related diploma or extensive experience in medical projects management

• Desirable degree (or masters) in Epidemiology or Public Health with training in statistics and epidemiology
• Desirable experience in medical research

Experience

• Essential working experience of at least two years in medical projects
• Desirable working experience with MSF or other NGOs in developing countries
• Experience in evaluation, field assessment and / or health research
• Desirable: experience in development of database and knowledge of computing packages for data entry and data analysis

Languages                      

Fluent in English, Arabic is an asset

Knowledge

Essential computer literacy (word, excel, internet)

Competencies

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