Researcher (Maternal, Infant, and Child Nutrition)

Deadline: July 31, 2023 Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Company Overview The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a leading Africa-based, African-led international research institution. Our headquarters are located in Nairobi, Kenya. We conduct policy-relevant research on population, health, education, urbanization, and related development issues in sub-Saharan Africa.

Position Overview APHRC is seeking a Researcher to join the Nutrition and Food Systems Unit within the Research Division. This position primarily focuses on conducting research on maternal, infant, and child nutrition. As a Researcher, you will contribute to the development and implementation of research projects, policy engagement, and scientific writing.

Responsibilities

1. Conducting Research
   • Conduct research on nutrition and related areas, including community-based, school-based, or desk-based research.
   • Tasks may include study conceptualization and design, project management and coordination, training of field workers, supervision of field work and data management, data analysis, and report writing.
2. Policy and Practice Development
   • Develop and test strategies to inform policy and practice for optimizing breastfeeding, maternal and child nutrition, adolescent nutrition, and food security.
   • Contribute to proposal development to secure research grants, particularly in the field of maternal, child, and adolescent nutrition.
   • Lead and contribute to scientific writing for publications and reports.
3. Team Leadership and Mentorship
   • Supervise, mentor, and train junior research staff at the Center.
   • Provide guidance and support to research teams and partnerships.
4. Policy Engagement and Communication
   • Lead policy engagement activities and effectively communicate research findings to appropriate audiences.
   • Translate research knowledge into actionable recommendations.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• PhD in Nutrition, Public Health, or closely related fields.
• Strong writing skills with a good publication record in relevant areas in sub-Saharan Africa.
• At least three years of post-doctoral experience in research in maternal, infant, and young child nutrition, with a focus on the first 1000 days and nutrition of children under five years.
• Experience in developing proposals and securing research grants, particularly in maternal, child, and adolescent nutrition.
• Demonstrated experience in managing research teams and partnerships.
• Proficiency in conducting household surveys.
• Strong quantitative skills, including data management, analysis, and interpretation, with proficiency in statistical packages such as STATA, SAS, or SPSS.
• Computer literacy in Microsoft packages (MS Word, MS PowerPoint, and MS Excel).
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills with the ability to work in a culturally diverse team.

Desirable Qualifications

• Expertise or experience in adolescent nutrition.
• Knowledge of nutrition in school-going children.
• Familiarity with a human-rights-based approach to food systems.
• Experience in climate change research, including the link between climate change and nutrition and health.
• Proficiency in qualitative methods and qualitative analysis software packages such as NVivo.

Position Level and Application Process

The successful candidate will be appointed at the Associate Research Scientist (3-5 years after PhD), Research Scientist (6-11 years after PhD), or Senior Research Scientist (12+ years after PhD) level, depending on experience and track record. These positions are classified under Internationally Recruited Positions (IRP), Grades II to V in our scales.

Interested candidates are invited to apply in English through our recruitment portal at https://aphrc.org/vacancies/. Please submit the following documents:

1. Letter of application.
2. Statement of research interests and goals (1-2 pages).
3. Curriculum Vitae (CV) with contact details of three referees.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Shortlisted candidates will be required to provide a Police Clearance Certificate.

Cover letters should be addressed to:

The Human Resources Officer

African Population and Health Research Center, Inc

APHRC Campus, Manga Close, off Kirawa Road, Kitisuru

P.O Box 10787-GPO, Nairobi

Website: www.aphrc.org

APHRC is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to the protection of vulnerable persons.