Job Type: Full-Time

Join Us as a Research Scientist (Data Scientist) in Dar es Salaam!

The Research Scientist (Data Scientist) position reports to the Project Manager and is based in Dar es Salaam.

Position Summary

The Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) is on the lookout for a Research Scientist (Data Scientist)! In this role, you’ll help design, build, and run software systems, from front to back, to enhance our research on malaria and related topics. You’ll need a mix of business thinking and technical skills to develop analytical tools for handling large sets of both spatial and non-spatial data. Your collaboration with postdocs and other modelers will be key in creating user-friendly software that runs smoothly. Plus, you’ll ensure our data access through robust APIs meets both internal and external needs!

Duties and Responsibilities

Business Analysis

  • Work closely with researchers at all stages of design and testing to ensure the developments fit user needs.
  • Communicate with external stakeholders, presenting technical solutions through prototypes and software demos.

Technical Development

  • Design, build, test, and document developments based on functional specifications.
  • Provide ongoing support for production systems.
  • Ensure scientific models are scalable and efficient.
  • Stay updated on data models and technical designs for applications.
  • Improve model performance for better scalability.
  • Generalize and abstract existing and new data models.

Data Lifecycle

  • Develop and maintain pipelines to gather and integrate data for scientific models and user interfaces.
  • Create tools for extracting necessary metrics for malaria modeling from academic reports.
  • Lead the development of interactive web dashboards for data examination and processing.
  • Oversee the creation of dashboards to showcase MAP modeling results.
  • Support the selection and implementation of data extraction protocols.

Workplace Safety

  • Look after your own health and safety, and avoid actions that might harm others.
  • Identify workplace hazards and implement safety controls.
  • Report any workplace injuries or near misses.
  • Follow institutional policies and procedures.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

  • Master’s degree in computer science, software development, or a related field with at least 1 year of experience in data science.
  • Proficiency in Java and/or Python programming.
  • Solid experience with large datasets and relational databases (SQL).
  • Familiarity with web front-end technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
  • Understanding of both relational and non-relational database design.
  • Strong grasp of web services and clients that consume web services.
  • Quick to learn new software, frameworks, and APIs.
  • Good communication skills with technical and non-technical teams.
  • Attention to detail with an understanding of coding standards and documentation.

Desirable

  • Knowledge of malaria epidemiology and public health in endemic regions.
  • Master’s degree in a related field.
  • Understanding of distributed data processing methodologies.
  • Experience with containerization technologies (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker).
  • Familiarity with public cloud environments (e.g., Google Cloud Platform, AWS).
  • Knowledge of additional languages such as Swahili, French, Spanish, or Portuguese.

Skills and Competencies

  • Strong communication skills, both oral and written.
  • Excellent software engineering abilities.

Remuneration

An attractive and competitive pay package will be offered to successful candidates based on IHI salary scales.

Equal Opportunity

IHI is an equal opportunity employer. We prohibit any form of discrimination and harassment at work and during recruitment. Employment decisions are made based on job requirements and qualifications, following Tanzania’s labor laws.

Mode of Application

If you meet the job requirements, please send your application letter and detailed CV with contact information, including email and phone numbers, along with copies of your academic and professional certificates, to the email below.

Deadline: 17:00 hrs on Friday, November 8, 2024. Use the subject line: [Research Scientist (Data Scientist) – MAP EA Node]. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for an interview.

Contact: Human Resources Manager
Ifakara Health Institute
Plot 463 Mikocheni
P.O. Box 78,373
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Email: recruitment@ihi.or.tz