Research Officer

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organization that carries out high quality, policy-relevant research on population, health and education issues facing sub-Saharan Africa. Our goal is to generate evidence for meaningful action to improve the lives of all Africans. The Center seeks to recruit a research officer to work within its Urbanization and Wellbeing in Africa unit.

The post holder will be based in Nairobi, but will work intensively with other national and international partners of the ‘Complex Urban Systems for Sustainability and Health (CUSSH)’ project.  The CUSSH programme will deliver strategically vital global research on the complex systemic connections between urban development and health. We will conduct transdisciplinary research and improve capacity to enable the far-reaching transformation of cities needed to address vital environmental imperatives for population and planetary health in the 21st century. We will use cutting-edge science and systems-based participatory methods to articulate visions of development, help shape policy decisions, and accelerate the implementation of transformational changes for health and sustainability in low, middle and high income settings. These changes will maximize the health and well-being of current and future populations by harnessing the health co-benefits of sustainability policies, and minimizing potential adverse consequences of global technological, environmental and social change. Within the CUSSH project, the post holder will work on participatory system dynamics modelling in Kenya.

The CUSSH work entails in-depth, iterative and long-term engagements with selected cities. These engage-ments are interventionist – in each setting the research team will work with multiple local stakeholders both to provide evidence aimed at giving greater weight to health and sustainability considerations in policy decisions and to establish a participative method of stakeholder engagement aimed at more integrated thinking on aligned solutions. We have agreement to study Nairobi and Kisumu as well as partner cities in the UK, China and France. These cities have been chosen to exemplify differing imperatives, demands and opportunities in contrasting set-tings of socio-economic development and socio-political environment.

In each city we propose a process in which a range of stakeholders are brought together to consider, decide on and help implement the transformative changes needed to meet local and global health and sustainability objectives. They will be informed by evidence on the impact of alternative policy options from other research streams of the CUSSH project. For our engagements, we will use participatory system dynamics and will build qualitative and quantitative models. We will explore the effects of suggested policies including unintended consequences, trade-offs and synergies across sectors, help cities to implement systems thinking and analyse this implementation and the changes their decision-making.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Execute qualitative and quantitative system dynamics modelling;
• Support in developing and designing of high quality research into the complex system that relates to ‘urban sustainability and health’;
• Adapt and develop existing systems dynamic methodologies;
• Organizing and coordinating workshops and trainings;
• Mobilize and sensitize key stakeholders about research projects;
• Participate in scientific writing and research proposals development;
• Prepare regular field and project reports;
• Participate in dissemination of research findings;
• Perform other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Skills and Qualifications

• At least a Masters in any of the following areas: Public Health, Economics, Sociology, Biological Sciences, Applied Statistics, Development Studies or related disciplines;
• Training in System Dynamics modelling is required;
• At least 3 years’ experience preferably in a systems dynamic modelling and research setting;
• Demonstrated experience using systems dynamics software (STELLA, Vensim, or relevant modelling software) is required;
• Good computer literacy and knowledge of multiple statistical and/or qualitative software packages such as Stata, SPSS, NVivo or ATLAS.ti;
• Experience conducting workshops and trainings;
• Experience in group model building (participatory modelling);
• Well-developed management and negotiating skills;
• Ability to analyse and write up reports;
• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences;
• Ability to develop and maintain relationships across a wide range of stakeholders;
• Excellent oral and written communication in English and at least one International language;
• Ability to work independently, set priorities, juggle tasks and meet tight deadlines.

How to Apply

Interested applicants are encouraged to APPLY below. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until a suitable candidate is identified. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Cover letters should be addressed to: – The Human Resources Officer

African Population and Health Research Center

P.O. Box 10787 – 00100 GPO Nairobi

For more information about APHRC visit www.aphrc.org

APHRC is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to the protection of children