Job Overview
We are seeking a highly qualified and motivated individual to join the research team and contribute to an innovative project exploring mental wellbeing of Community Health Workers in Nairobi and Kiambu counties in Kenya.
Community Health Promoters (CHPs) play a vital role in delivering healthcare services and bridging the gap between formal healthcare systems and local communities. The nature of work done by CHPs generates many stressors, especially as they deliver services in challenging contexts (e.g. pandemics, informal settlements, remote areas, etc.). Chronic job-related stressors can have a lasting impact on CHPs’ well-being, which ultimately affects their performance and capacity to effectively undertake their important role as frontline health workers. This project will identify the stressors, challenges, constraints and opportunities faced by CHPs and the communities they serve. This project will utilize this evidence to co-develop, pilot and evaluate holistic health systems support package for CHPs in Kenya and Bangladesh ultimately contributing to enhanced health systems resilience.
This position offers an exciting opportunity to conduct innovative research, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams across multiple countries and contribute to developing impactful outputs. The Assistant Research Officer will work with the Principal Investigator, the Senior Research Officer, study co-investigators, County Health Departments and the Ministry of Health to implement this research.
Roles and Responsibilities
1. Planning and Execution:
- Implement Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) and health systems research to the highest level of quality
- Coordinate research in the study sites and participate in research activities
- Oversee the planning and development of the study research plan(s)
- Implement research in line with all donor funding and administrative requirements.
- Support the training, debriefing and support of research teams
2. Research and Data Collection
- Support the development and/or review of data collection tools, consent documents and other required study tools
- Attend and contribute to study methodology and tool training.
- Assist in collecting quality data from the participants using various methods that may include Individual and group interviews, and participatory methods e.g. Body mapping workshops, Photovoice, Life History Interviews, Shadowing among others as per the set guidelines and procedures.
- Take interview notes and compile comprehensive qualitative interview debriefing reports/notes.
- Coordinate data management and transcription.
- Communicate regularly with the research team on the progress of the data collection exercise.
- Provide supportive supervision for the research assistants on the project
- Prepare data collection progress report and updates as required.
3. Documentation and Communication
- Ensure proper documentation of research implementation activities, processes, outputs, and outcomes as per project/study protocol and relevant research Sops.
- Maintain communication on technical and procedural matters with the line manager, Head of Research, and study Pls.
- Maintain relevant communication and correspondence with internal and external research partners as agreed on by the project team
Competency Criteria
1. Qualifications, Training & Knowledge
- A Bachelor degree in a relevant discipline in health and social sciences (e.g. Public Health, Psychology, Social sciences or similar)
- Understanding of health issues, services, and Kenya’s health system is an added advantage
2. Experience
- At least 2 years of hands-on experience implementing community research
- The candidate must be proficient in conducting individual and group interviews, and demonstrate awareness of ethical conduct of human research. Experience with CBPR methods will be an added advantage
- Competence in using MS Office applications. Experience and competence in advanced qualitative data analysis using software such as NVivo, Atlas.ti, etc.
Experience in quantitative analysis will be an added advantage - Experience in managing project teams, including training and mentoring research assistants
- Experience in engagement of research stakeholders
3. Skills and Behaviors
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate in English and Swahili
- Demonstrable attention to detail and accuracy, leading to high-quality research data and results
- Excellent organizational skills with the ability to achieve research objectives independent of day-to-day supervision
- Ability to work as an integral, productive, and cooperative member of a multidisciplinary team
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates are invited to submit their applications attaching a cover letter and a CV (indicating 3 professional referees) to https://careers.lvcthealth.org/. The position applied for, and the reference number should be clearly indicated on the subject line and cover letter.
The closing date is July 15, 2024. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted
LVCT Health is an equal opportunity employer. Please visit our website www.lvcthealth.org for more information about the organization.
LVCT Health DOES NOT CHARGE any fee whatsoever in any part of the recruitment process
LVCT Health is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, stigma and discrimination of individuals of various diversity, lack of integrity and financial misconduct. LVCT Health expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Failure to adhere will result in disciplinary action.
Interested and qualified candidates are invited to submit their applications attaching a cover letter and a CV (indicating 3 professional referees) to https://careers.lvcthealth.org/. The position applied for, and the reference number should be clearly indicated on the subject line and cover letter.
