Senior Research Scientist at Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), July 2025

Position: Senior Research Scientist (1 Post)
Reporting to: Principal Investigator / Project Leader
Location: Dar es Salaam
Deadline: August 20, 2025

Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) is a premier African research institution with a strong focus on health innovation. It is committed to advancing research, training, and service delivery across a broad range of disciplines—including biomedical and ecological sciences, public health interventions, health systems research, and policy advocacy.

Job Summary

IHI is looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher with advanced modelling expertise to join the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP) East Africa Node. The successful candidate will support the development and application of sophisticated geospatial models to assess malaria risk, disease burden, and the effectiveness of interventions. This research will provide crucial evidence to help National Malaria Control Programs (NMCPs) make informed, data-driven decisions.

The postdoc will follow best practices in coding and data management, contribute to methodological development, and lead the publication of scientific findings. The role also involves active collaboration with NMCPs, communicating results and supporting capacity-building through training and mentorship.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and apply spatiotemporal statistical models to malaria-related research questions.
• Interpret model results and ensure high-quality outputs for research and policy.
• Manage aspects of academic research and project coordination.
• Engage with NMCPs to promote the uptake of MAP data and tools.
• Support data infrastructure and pipelines in collaboration with data teams.
• Contribute to scientific publications, reports, and presentations.
• Travel internationally to engage with collaborators and stakeholders.
• Follow institutional safety, data, and reporting protocols.

Qualifications & Experience

• PhD in biostatistics, mathematics, or a related quantitative field with knowledge in epidemiology.
• Expertise in Bayesian modelling, especially Gaussian processes, with experience scaling to global datasets.
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., INLA, TMB) and coding best practices.
• Prior work with national health programs and in low-resource settings.
• Experience mentoring and collaborating within scientific teams.
• Strong publication record in modelling, epidemiology, or public health research.
• Familiarity with malaria surveillance systems like DHIS2 and work with NMCPs.
• Additional languages such as Swahili, French, Portuguese, or Spanish are an asset.

Skills

• Strong communication skills (written and verbal).
• Programming proficiency (R, Python, Stata, or similar).
• Data visualization and statistical software experience.

Remuneration

A competitive salary package will be offered based on IHI’s compensation structure.

How to Apply

Qualified candidates should send a cover letter, detailed CV, and copies of relevant academic and professional certificates to:
Email: recruitment@ihi.or.tz
Deadline: Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 17:00 (EAT)
Subject line: SENIOR RESEARCH SCIENTIST – MAP EA

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Address:
The Senior Human Resources and Administration Manager,
Ifakara Health Institute,
Plot 463 Mikocheni
P.O. Box 78,373
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania