Epidemiologist

SKOUN is a Lebanese, non-profit, non-governmental organization and one of the first outpatient facilities that provide accessible treatment, education, and protection for all people who use drugs while maintaining its values regarding inclusion, accessibility, integrity, and dignity.

For 20 years, SKOUN has been caring for the most vulnerable populations in Lebanon and strives to ensure drug use and addiction are treated as primary health issues.

SKOUN aims to support the development of a community-based substance use and mental health system in line with the National Mental Health Strategy and model of care, tackling gender barriers in service access and gender biases in service provision through offering quality and gender-sensitive services to women, men, boys, girls and gender non-conforming individuals living in Lebanon, particularly the most vulnerable groups and people at risk.

The project "Ensuring Accessibility and Resilience of Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) Protocols in Lebanon for Key Populations" aims to safeguard uninterrupted access to OAT during crises such as armed conflict, economic collapse, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Building on survey data collected by partner NGOs, it evaluates how emergencies impact service users, including those in prison, and translates these findings into advocacy and policy tools. Core outputs include a factsheet highlighting barriers and recommendations, and the development of emergency guidelines to be annexed to the national OAT protocol, thereby strengthening resilience, service delivery, and the right to health for vulnerable populations.

Job Summary:

The epidemiologist will analyze survey data collected under the project “Ensuring Accessibility and Resilience of Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) Protocols in Lebanon for Key Populations.” The survey explores the experiences of OAT service users, including those in prison settings, in accessing treatment during crises such as armed conflict, economic collapse, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on the findings, the consultant will develop a concise factsheet highlighting the main results and recommendations to inform advocacy and policy dialogue.

Tasks & Duties:

• Clean, analyze, and synthesize survey data on OAT service users’ experiences during crises in Lebanon.
• Identify key trends, barriers, and resilience factors related to OAT access, including among people deprived of liberty.
• Prepare a data-driven factsheet summarizing main findings and recommendations for strengthening OAT access in crisis settings.
• Liaise with the project team to ensure findings are translated into evidence-based advocacy and feed into the development of emergency OAT guidelines.

Deliverables:

• Analytical report of survey findings (with tables, figures, and narrative summary).
• Fact sheet summarizing survey results and recommendations in a clear, accessible format.

Competencies and Qualifications:

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Epidemiology, Public Health, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience in quantitative data analysis
• Prior work on substance use, harm reduction, or conflict-affected populations is an asset.

Skills

• Excellent Writing Skills
• Fluency in Arabic and English (spoken and written)