Road-traffic injury (RTI) is the leading cause of death and disability for children over age five in Africa, and Africa has the world’s highest rates of RTI. Amend develops, implements, evaluates, and brings to scale public health programs and other interventions to prevent those injuries.

Amend has its headquarters in New York City and program offices in Ghana and Tanzania, where we implement our child road traffic injury prevention programs. Our work includes: road-safety lessons in primary schools; the social marketing of reflector-enhanced school bags; government advocacy; working with the media to better report road-safety issues; and more. All of Amend’s work is evaluated for efficacy and impact. We operate both as a traditional not-for-profit, running programs, and as a consultancy, delivering road safety services to clients.

Amend’s culture is energetic, entrepreneurial, and passionate about reducing the incidence of child road traffic injury in Africa via evidence-based solutions, be they public health, advocacy, engineering, or market-based.

Amend is a member of the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration, and our programs have been lauded by the World Health Organization. Our work has received extensive coverage both in scientific journals and in mainstream media outlets like the BBC World Service, Public Radio International, Newsweek, and the CS Monitor.

Job title: Study Associate

Start date: Immediately

Duration: 3-month probation period followed by a 1-year contract

Location:

Based at Amend office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Reporting: Tom Bishop, Amend Africa Director

Karen Zimmerman, MPH, Amend Research Associate

Remuneration:

• Annual salary of $18,000 – $24,000 USD depending on experience; performance-related raise after first contract

• $300 USD monthly accommodation allowance

• One round trip plane ticket per year to home country

• Travel insurance

• The cost of all necessary work permits and work-related travel expenses will be covered

• Four weeks paid leave per year

Amend will be undertaking a large, multi-site population-based scientific study into the impact of road traffic injury on communities in Tanzania, and, as a part of the study, will also be implementing road traffic injury prevention programs.

The Study Associate (SA) will be the primary person in charge of gathering data and implementing programs in the field. The study will be scientifically rigorous and designed by Amend’s research team. The SA will need to be able to make tactical decisions with authority in the field, but will also have to strictly adhere to the agreed upon strategic plan.

The SA’s responsibilities will include, but not be limited to:

• Managing teams of local Research Assistants in the gathering of population-based survey data in rural areas in Tanzania

• Managing teams of local Program Assistants to implement Amend’s road safety programs in rural communities

• Working remotely with Amend’s Research Associate to deliver data in a timely, accurate fashion

• Working in-person and remotely with Amend’s Africa Director to implement road safety programs

• Managing the logistics of up-country travel – sometimes for weeks at a time – in Tanzania

• Entry of study data

• During study down times – which will likely be several months during the project period – the SA may work on other Amend studies and/or research potential grants and write grant proposals

Qualifications:

• The ability to work independently and think critically to complete agreed upon tasks is essential

• Fluent written and spoken English

• Master of Public Health strongly preferred

• Experience working on scientific studies in sub-Saharan Africa strongly preferred

• An ability to interact with people of diverse cultural backgrounds operating in challenging environments is absolutely essential

• Fluency with basic computing (internet and Office programs – and their cloud-based equivalents) is essential

• Knowledge of SPSS preferred

• Swahili a plus, but not required

• Experience writing up studies for publication in journals a plus, but not strictly required

• Successful grant research and grant writing

It should be noted that the study will be conducted in areas of Tanzania where western levels of amenities are not to be expected. This position involves substantial fieldwork – an estimated seven of the first fifteen months of the position (the probation plus the contract periods) will be spent in rural areas out of Dar es Salaam.

Multiple published, peer-reviewed papers have resulted from Amend’s research projects – it is probable that one or multiple papers will result from this study. The SA would have co-authorship on these papers.

To apply for the SA position, please send an email of interest to:   jobs@amend.org

This email must include the following information:

• Your CV in Word or PDF format

• 500 words or less explaining why you are interested in, and qualified for, the position

• How you heard about the position ( please mention Expedition & Wilderness Medicine)

The deadline for sending the email of interest is 9 March 2012 at midnight GMT.

Short-listed applicants will be contacted with further information by 12 March, and finalists will be interviewed that week by phone. Depending on the applicants location, an in person interview might also be arranged.

The successful SA applicant should be prepared to begin work from their home base immediately after selection – which will come a few days after the interviews – and depart for Tanzania two weeks after that.

This job opportunity is open to applicants of all nationalities.