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Job Title:    Social Science Team Leader

Organisation: Medical
Research Council (MRC UK) /UVRI and LSHTM Uganda Research Unit

Duty Station:  Entebbe,
Uganda

Reports to: Project
Leader/Senior Scientist

Position Code: SSTL
– 1120

About US:

The Medical Research
Council (MRC UK) is an internationally recognised centre of excellence with
dominant research themes in the areas of HIV and emerging infections, vaccines
and immunity, and chronic diseases and cancer. Through a multidisciplinary
approach, intersecting basic science, epidemiological research,
social-behavioural research and the conduct of new intervention evaluation
studies, the Unit contributes knowledge on changing epidemics and diseases, the
evaluation of innovative health care options, treatment and prevention and the
development of health policy and practice in Africa and worldwide. Following
the signing of strategic transfer agreements between the London School of
Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the Medical Research Council
(MRC UK), the Unit formally joined LSHTM on 1st February 2018. The exciting new
partnership will boost research capacity into current and emerging health
issues in Africa and throughout the world. The Unit is based at the UVRI
Entebbe campus with established outposts in Kalungu, Masaka, Wakiso and Kampala
Districts.

Job Summary:  The Social Science Team Leader will be
supporting the Preparing for Group B StreptococcuS vaccine studies (PREPARE)
qualitative studies at Kawempe Hospital and contributing to the social science
team under the supervision of the designated Project team leader.

This programme work,
under the EDCTP funded PREPARE consortium activities led by the

MU-JHU Research
Collaboration, a Clinical Research and Service Delivery Organization, will
develop a clinical vaccine trial site in a Sub-Saharan setting capable of
undertaking phase 11-IV trials, determine the pregnancy outcome rates in this
population in preparation for trials of vaccines in pregnant women, conduct a
vaccine trial of a licenced pertussis vaccine, define the burden of neonatal,
infant and maternal GBS disease in a Sub-Saharan African population, estimate
the serocorrelates of protection against the major GBS types causing disease in
European and African settings; and conduct two trials of candidate GBS
vaccines.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Design and conduct focus groups and key informant interviews in
  regard to maternal vaccine knowledge, perceptions, barriers and enablers;
• Analyse results from focus group and key informant interview using
  appropriate qualitative analyses, interpret findings and write reports to
  guide future activities and community engagement programmes;
• Develop, deliver and evaluate a programme of creative and culturally
  relevant public engagement focused on immunity, vaccination and infections
  in pregnancy informed and in partnership with local communities, with
  relevance to a global audience based on the findings from the qualitative
  research;
• Ensure well-planned activities are implemented in order to engage
  all relevant stakeholders using consistent and appropriate messaging and
  approaches;
• Guide the development of detailed implementation plans and budgets
  which can be used to plan activities and to monitor their progress;
• Train and set up teams at hospital and community level to manage
  community engagement activities and coordinate all national level
  meetings;
• Coordinate the development of communication and training material in
  regard to maternal vaccination;
• Enable consistent and accurate communication regarding stakeholder
  engagement activities and their intended outcomes internally as well as be
  responsible for the overall oversight and management of PREPARE’s public
  engagement programme at the site;
• Develop, maintain and manage relationships with key personnel and
  partner organisations including scientific, creative, community and
  patient partners;
• Support the Public Engagement Advisory Board and Community Advisory
  Board and other community influencers;
• Liaise with research stakeholders, informing of progress in data
  collection and analysis; discussing findings and next steps; and,
• Lead on writing peer-reviewed publications.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• The applicant must be an experienced and published social scientist
  with a bachelor’s degree in a related field;
• Masters level degree in a relevant field or post graduate
  qualification in Science
• Communication, Public Engagement, Health Sciences or related subject
  is an advantage;
• A minimum of five years of experience in a clinical research
  setting, preferably including experience in social and behavioural science
  research;
• Prior interviewing and facilitation experience;
• Prior experience with both qualitative and quantitative research and
  analysis;
• Prior experience of manuscript writing;
• The candidate should have knowledge of the principle and practices
  of public engagement, knowledge of different methods of public engagement
  in health research;
• Appreciation of the potential impacts and methods evaluating public
  engagement in health research, understanding of social research and
  co-production principles and methodologies and experience with data
  management;
• Understanding of working with policy-makers and informing policy,
  good understanding of vaccine development and research, and concepts of
  herd immunity;
• Understanding of attitudes to vaccine development and uptake,
  experience in cohort follow up and conducting research in Uganda are
  desirable;
• Understanding of the consent process with regard to vaccine trials
  and assessing individual comprehension of research information
• Good verbal and written communication skills;
• Good command of both English and Luganda;
• Proficiency in computer use (MS word, Excel, Access, Nvivo).

How to Apply:

Follow the link
below to fill a form and submit your application documentation:

Click
Here

Filling the form
more than once will lead to automatic disqualification. High level of integrity
while filling the form is required and will be considered during shortlisting.
Combine all your application documentation i.e. cover letter, CV & academic
documents into one PDF document. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
for interview. This position is open to Ugandan nationals only. Strictly follow
the application procedure as failure to do so will lead to automatic
disqualification. Only online applications will be accepted.

The applications
should be addressed to:

The Head of Human
Resources,

MRC/ UVRI and LSHTM
Uganda Research Unit,

P.O. Box, 49,

Entebbe, Uganda.

Deadline: 2^nd April 2021 by 5:00pm

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