Fresh Jobs at HSRC

Minimum Requirements

• A Ph.D. degree in either the social sciences or humanities or a related field in a relevant subject pertinent to the study of Africa.
• An academic leader with a strong record of published research not less than 20 publications of which several must be international peer-reviewed journal articles
• Ten years of senior research leadership and people and business management experience of which 5 years should be on the Director or equivalent level, i.e., at the Associate professor or Professor level. 
• Fundraising and large-scale research project management.
• Good networking skills and experience in working with senior policymakers;
• Research interests and experience in working on the study of Africa;
• The versatility to apply qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies to challenging subject matter across disciplinary boundaries will be advantageous;
• Proficiency in or working experience with some of the following data software packages: STATA, Epi Info, SPSS, Nvivo, AtlasTI or other relevant statistical packages;
• A track record of experience in conducting large-scale comparative studies.
• Intellectual and personal integrity, imagination, and drive.
• The ability to lead multidisciplinary research teams.
• Ability to work well under pressure and deliver to tight deadlines; and
• Excellent computer literacy
• Fluency in more than one of the major languages spoken on the continent would be an additional commendation.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Lead, and manage the research activities of AISA in the context of the HSRC’s mission and strategic goals;
• Develop research proposals that are in line with the programme’s research agenda. This may include working with other units within both AISA and HSRC as well as collaborate with external researchers both within South Africa, in the rest of the African continent and elsewhere throughout the world;
• Write and publish research reports and publish research findings in accredited peer-reviewed international and local journals;
• Lead policy-related research, analyse data, interpret and report research findings and recommendations in high-level forums;
• Co-ordinate communication about research activities with members of the programme, the research team, the clients, and other stakeholders;
• Develop contacts and interact with policymakers outside the HSRC;
• Support the development of spatial information, its analysis and dissemination;
• Oversee the meeting of project deadlines together with the relevant project managers;
• Ensure adequate staffing of the institute, including ensuring that staff are supported, mentored and managed and that they act within the delegated authority parameters of the organisation; and
• Build and maintain high-performance teams and an appropriate culture within the area of responsibility to ensure the achievement of the institute and organisational targets.
• Ensure adherence to and compliance with applicable legislation/regulations/HSRC policies, procedures, and expectations of other regulatory and funding agencies;

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Minimum Requirements

• A Doctorate in Social Sciences, Epidemiology, Biostatistics or Public Health with at least 10 years of experience in research;
• An established research career as evidenced by publications in peer-reviewed journals or project reports (12+ publications);
• Strength in epidemiological research methods and design;
• Research experience in gender studies, GBV, mental health, tuberculosis and/or HIV, or NCDs;
• An interest in one of the priority research areas of PHSB will be an advantage
• A sound grounding in research methods, especially quantitative approaches, will be a strong recommendation;
• Intellectual and personal integrity, imagination, and drive;
• A strong user orientation, based on a commitment to addressing public health issues;
• The ability and enthusiasm to engage as a leader and team player in large-scale multi-disciplinary research, to lead and manage research teams, and to mentor and train their members;
• The versatility to apply quantitative and qualitative methodologies to challenging subject matter across disciplinary boundaries will be advantageous;
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment;
• Good communication and leadership skills; 
• An excellent networking and fundraising track record;
• Sound knowledge of quantitative data management and data analysis skills;
• Proficiency in or working experience with some of the following data software packages:  STATA, Epi Info, SPSS, Nvivo, AtlasTI or other relevant statistical packages;

Duties & Responsibilities

• The Chief Research Specialist will be expected to participate in all aspects of the research process as he/she works with staff on research projects. In addition to the responsibility to publish journal articles, a Chief Research Specialist will contribute to the sustainable growth of the PHSB Research Programme.
• Leading and conducting high level scholarly research using quantitative and qualitative methodologies which meet the challenge of peer review, and has both strategic and policy relevance;
• Networking with major users and funders of Public Health research to understand their research needs;
• Responding to calls for proposals and formulating grant applications;
• Delivering high-quality results and reports to budget and deadline;
• Communicating research findings in national and international conferences, publishing papers in refereed journals as well as publishing policy briefs and technical reports
• Building national and international research links;
• Liaise with stakeholders on issues regarding project and fieldwork;
• Support biomedical aspects of projects;
• Ability and willingness to mentor young researchers is also a key requirement;
• Contribute to all the Key Performance Areas and Key Performance Indicators of the HSC Research Programme.