Researcher (Senior) Social Scientist, Climate and

**Main purpose of the job**:

- To design and implement research projects on climate change and health, analyze study findings, and publish scientific articles
- Work with multi-disciplinary research groups across Africa, in the EU, UK, and USA. Contribute to projects funded by the Wellcome Trust, NIH, and other donors within the Climate and Health Directorate
- These projects will generate evidence to mount a response to climate change in Africa
- We document the health impacts of heat waves and extreme heat on vulnerable populations in Africa, including pregnant women, infants, HIV-infected adults, and healthcare workers, and we assess the effectiveness of interventions to reduce these impacts

**Location**:

- **Hillbrow - Johannesburg**

**Key performance areas**:

- Participate in discussions regarding the future direction of research strategies and plans for Wits RHI
- Obtain ethical approval from relevant regulatory bodies
- Write research protocols and SOPs for studies
- Develop and design research tools
- Conduct fieldwork/ data collection (interviews, focus group discussions, etc.)
- Monitor the progress of research projects
- Write progress reports to stakeholders including networks and funders
- Stay abreast with relevant research findings and collaborate closely with other investigators on related studies
- Identify potential topics for publications that add to the body of knowledge on climate change and health using existing data
- Initiate and conduct a literature review to support the write-up of research findings
- Identify target journals that have a high impact factor
- Lead the development of a manuscript
- Coordinate inputs from contributors to the manuscript
- Conduct data analysis (with input from the statistical team) and write up the results
- Complete manuscript within agreed-upon timelines, submit for publication and respond timeously to peer reviews
- Compile conference presentations as requested
- Disseminate research findings internally and to universities and other stakeholders such as communities, CABs, and media
- Identify research funding opportunities to expand and sustain the climate and Health Directorate
- Lead or significantly contribute to grant proposals from initiation to conclusion.
- Ensure the quality of the written proposal
- Coordinate inputs from other contributors
- Ensure grant proposals are compliant with submission requirements
- Support the development of budgets for the proposed grants
- Support the submission of grants on relevant grant portals within submission timelines
- Attend to all staffing requirements and administration
- Supervise and manage the duties of subordinates to ensure optimal staff utilization and maintenance of sound labor relations
- Perform and facilitate performance development and assessments
- Identify substandard performance by team members and take necessary corrective action
- Coach and train subordinates and team members to ensure the acquisition of knowledge and skills required by the organization
- Promote harmony, teamwork, and sharing of information
- Take ownership and accountability for tasks and demonstrate effective self-management
- Follow through to ensure that quality and productivity standards of own work are consistently and accurately maintained
- Maintain a positive attitude and respond openly to feedback
- Take ownership of driving your own career development by attending training and development sessions and relevant forums/meetings
- Maintain and update expertise and knowledge of developments in the field

**Required minimum education and training**:

- **PhD in an appropriate discipline OR a Higher Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Sociology, or Anthropology**

**Required minimum work experience**:

- **Minimum 5-8 years research experience**:

- **Management of research programs with a record of research outputs evidenced by at least ten published articles in refereed journals.**:

- **Qualitative Researcher, Public Health Practitioner or Epidemiologist**:

- **Membership of Professional/School/Faculty/Department Committees and/or taking leadership roles in the Public Health domain within the academic, public, or NGO sectors**

**Professional body registration**:

- Relevant registration body

**Desirable additional education, work experience, and personal abilities**:

- Experience in public health will be an advantage
- Some basic knowledge of the impact of climate change on health is desirable
- Certification in Good Clinical Practice
- Experience working in a low
- or middle-income country
- Experience in writing research protocols, designing tools, and investigator-driven studies
- Ordered, systematic, and analytical in approach to research, with experience in managing and analyzing qualitative datasets
- Familiarity with data analysis software (qualitative)
- Good administrative skills, with working knowledge of Microsoft Office
- Tactful, respectful and non-judgmental
- Able to work under pres