Data Specialist

**Main purpose of the job**:

- An urban Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) site was established in 2017 in Soweto, led by Wits VIDA Research Unit as part of the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) project
- The incumbent will provide support to the HDSS program for VIDA, review and refine data collection tools, design, develop and maintain databases, perform logic-based data validation rules for quality assurance on data, timely reporting, and documentation

**Location**:

- **VIDA - Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, Gauteng**

**Key performance areas**:

- Technical Data Management and Analytics_
- Contribute to refining, structuring, and development of HDSS data collection forms
- Draw up the specifications for harmonized data sets to send out as requests to PO and participating HDSS sites
- Automate repetitive manual processes through scripting and design models for data cleaning, validation, and reporting
- Address complex data queries as soon as they are identified from the field
- Facilitate access to routinely collected data as required by the organization
- Document and ensure that the harmonized data and transformation procedures used to make the analytical data sets can be understood and used by the demographer and HDSS leadership
- Create standardized datasets reports (views) ready for use in comparative round data analysis and provide routine and ad hoc HDSS data reports
- Staff Management and Capacity Development_
- Contribute towards the development of team/company knowledge
- Foster an environment that promotes talent recognition, development as well as agency and individual leadership; promote harmony, teamwork, and sharing of information
- Mentor, coach and facilitate personal and professional staff development wherever possible
- Manage staff effectively including performance, conduct, efficient working, processes, and corrective action as required
- Compliance_
- Advise on SOPs and policies relating to studies
- Ensure unit compliance with all WHC and relevant external data policies
- Provide input into the development of quality assurance procedures for the organization in accordance with ethical and GCP requirements and SOPs
- Customer Service_
- Communicate with donor representatives around compliance issues as and when required
- Build and maintain authentic relationships with all stakeholders ensuring that all interactions are professional
- Effectively manage work processes in order to maintain high levels of productivity
- Effective Self-Management_
- Take ownership and accountability for responsibility areas, demonstrate effective self-management, and demonstrate team and individual leadership and collaboration to support everyone’s combined and individual objectives
- Follow through to ensure that quality and productivity standards of own work are consistently and accurately maintained
- Take ownership of driving your own career development by participating in ongoing training and development activities such as forums, conferences, policy-setting workshops, etc.
- Manage internal and external stakeholder expectations and communicate appropriately with initiative and solutions
- Support and drive the business’ core values; maintain a positive attitude and respond openly to feedback

**Required minimum education and training**:

- **At least a Master’s level qualification in Computer Science/Statistics/Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Demography and/or any Data Analytics or other highly quantitative and computational discipline**:

- **A Doctoral qualification will be advantageous**

**Required minimum work experience**:

- **2 Years’ experience in data management and analysis working in a research environment**

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

- Experience in processing large complex longitudinal datasets and experience in relational database management
- Working knowledge of SQL (i.e., ability to write queries that involve joining tables, aggregating functions, updating, and inserting into existing tables)
- High-level computer programming language experience, such as C#, Java, Python
- Demonstrated knowledge and track record of statistics, and proficiency using a statistical software package such as STATA or R for import, export, manipulation, and analysis of large datasets
- Team player able to work in a high-performing collaborative environment, and support scientific investigations across disciplines
- Ability to set priorities and work under pressure on a variety of tasks concurrently

**TO APPLY**:

- Only if you do meet the minimum job requirements and experience as mentioned above, you may submit a detailed updated CV.
- Please take note that the applicants who do not adhere to the above criteria will not be considered for the respective position.
- Note AJ Personnel is fully POPI compliant.
- Note WHC, in accordance with their Employment Equity goals and plan, wi