Surveillance and Research Manager

BACKGROUND

The Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit (PPT) project is a global initiative led by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) and funded by Welcome Trust. It aims to build sustainable, open-access tools that strengthen national statistical systems for infectious disease surveillance and response. In Malawi, Luke International (LIN) is delivering the project in collaboration with the National Statistical Office (NSO) and the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) under the Ministry of Health.

The Malawi Pathfinder Project, nested within the main PPT project, is now entering the Delivery Phase (2025-2028). During this phase, Malawi’s PPT team will lead the development and testing of locally adapted Toolkit Units across five core thematic areas: Data Collection, Data Analysis, Outputs and Reporting, Stakeholder Engagement, and Data Governance.

In order to support the development of evidence-based, context-specific, and user-friendly content, LIN is recruiting two consultant positions: a Research Associate and a Surveillance and Research Manager, and one Data Analytics Officer for project execution. All roles will be instrumental in ensuring the project is grounded in Malawi’s surveillance context and reflects national priorities to further inform the global society’s needs.

POSITION: SURVEILLANCE AND RESEARCH MANAGER

a) Duty Station: (Lilongwe), Malawi
b) Duration: subject to performance and project needs
c) Reporting to: PPT Project Coordinator. PPT Team Lead, Luke International (LIN)
d) Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate content development for Toolkit Units, ensuring timely production, testing, and version control against the project plan.
• Monitor and evaluate the progress of Unit development and testing activities using project tracking tools and generate periodic reports.
• Manage and organize project-related research data, ensuring alignment with Toolkit documentation standards.
• Conduct stakeholder mapping and analysis, contributing to the Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
• Support research data collection efforts in collaboration with the PPT project coordination officer for logistics arrangements, including integration of district-level and national datasets.
• Liaise with technical teams to support file and knowledge management including metadata tagging, data privacy protocols, etc.).
• Contribute to the development of interactive content and visualizations for the Toolkit.

e) Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field. A Master’s degree in Epidemiology or Public Health is preferred.
• Experience managing data or digital content in health research or surveillance settings
• Strong familiarity with platforms such as DHIS2, Google Sheets, and basic coding in R and/or Python.
• Knowledge of data governance, software interoperability, and health data standards
• Fluent in English; Chichewa proficiency preferred
• Strong stakeholder engagement and documentation skills.

f) Desirable

• Knowledge of Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, and willing to undergo training on the same.
• Proven ability to distil and present complex technical content to diverse audiences.
• Experience with digital knowledge platforms or toolkits.
• Familiarity with public health data sharing protocols and legislation in Malawi.
• Familiarity with the work structure of the PHIM

Application Procedures

The consultancy will be hired for 9 months. The consultant will report to LIN and then deploy to work closely with the Ministry of Health, PHIM, and NSO.

Eligible candidates meeting the required qualifications and experience should send or email their applications with cover letter, up-dated detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV), names, addresses and telephone numbers of three traceable referees to: hr@linmalawi.org

Human Resources
Luke international
PO Box 1088
Mzuzu

Please clearly quote the name of position on the application letter and outside of the envelope. Application without the above-mentioned supporting documents will be rejected. For those applying through email, compile all relevant documents in word or pdf and attach as one file.

Deadline for submission is 3rd July 2025. Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Luke International – To Restore Humans Health and Dignity