Data Science Advisor

GIZ Malawi

JOB ADVERTISEMENT FOR A DATA SCIENCE ADVISOR

As a federal enterprise, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH supports the German Government in achieving its objective in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. GIZ operates in more than 130 countries around the globe. In Malawi, GIZ has been working for more than 50 years. Malawi is a priority for German international cooperation and currently focuses on three priority areas: health and social protection, good financial governance and private sector development in rural areas. In addition to our work on these areas, we also work on food systems and nutrition.

A. BACKGROUND

The Malawi German Health Programme (MGHP) is the technical cooperation programme of the German Development Cooperation, commissioned by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ, and implemented by GIZ. MGHP provides technical support to the Ministry Health (MOH), regulatory bodies, academic institutions, and implements interventions in the four target districts of Dedza, Lilongwe, Mchinji and Ntcheu. The current programme phase runs from 01.08.2023 until 31.07.2029. The overall aim of MGHP is to improve the provision of high-quality services for women and young people with and without disabilities in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

The program focuses on 3 outputs (1) SRHR Service Delivery, (2) SRHR management (3) Strengthening the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM). Output 3 is a multi-donor action, jointly co-financed by the European Union and BMZ under the Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on “Strengthening National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) in Africa”. The main objective of output 3 is to strengthen the institutional capacity of PHIM to provide essential public health services. The specific objectives for output 3 include:

  1. Specific Objective 1: Establish/enhance regional and international links and capacity of PHIM with African and European NPHIs for public health research, knowledge and information gathering that drive evidence-based policy advice, public health workforce training, and advocacy
  2. Specific Objective 2: Improved delivery of the Core public health functions by PHIM
  3. Specific Objective 3: More effective use of digital health data by PHIM

The multi-donor action will support PHIM in strengthening regional and bilateral collaborations among NPHIs, particularly with European NPHIs, to develop and promote evidence-driven policy and practice, and advance knowledge transfer.

It focuses on organizational development, supporting PHIM in becoming a semi-autonomous entity and enhancing its resource mobilization. The project blends capacity-building on various research processes and translation of evidence to inform policy with particular focus on SHR, while supporting PHIM to incorporate gender perspectives into evidence generation.

Additionally, it aims to enhance digital health expertise and data management skills, while upgrading the surveillance and monitoring system according to a jointly developed Reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child Health (RMNCH) framework and improving digital health infrastructure. These efforts are intended to strengthen PHIM’s role, resources and capacities to transform research and policymaking, thereby reinforcing an equitable public health system in Malawi.

As part of this multi-donor action GIZ is recruiting a Data Science Advisor to be seconded to the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) within output 3 of MGHP.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The data science advisor will have the following core responsibilities:

  • Project management and coordination overseeing data science and digital health related project activities including capacity building on data management, development of SOPs, and the development and implementation of the RMNCH framework
  • Support in strengthening PHIMs capacity in data management, analysis and use according to priorities and need
  • Support PHIM in regional exchange and collaborations on data analysis and sharing
  • Provide strategic technical advice on data management and analysis for PHIMs work and ensure alignment with other stakeholders
  • Support PHIM in clarifying and defining roles and responsibilities around data management and analysis within PHIM and with MOH or other relevant entities
  • Develop and revise thorough documentation of project activities
  • Organise and facilitate workshops and events
  • Develop and facilitate trainings on identified capacity building needs and identify suitable further national or international courses relevant
  • Support PHIM in strengthening collaboration and network between PHIM, DHD, academic institutions and other key public health data and digital health stakeholders nationally and internationally, within and beyond the project.
  • Support PHIM in the development and implementation of SOPs for the data management of public health data such as research and surveillance data

In this context, the position holder performs the following tasks in close collaboration with PHIM and GIZ Technical Advisors:

C. TASKS

Technical advice

  • Project management and coordination including overseeing consultants work and ensuring smooth coordination between PHIM, RHD, DHD, the consultants and other national or international stakeholders
  • Support PHIM in further identifying digital and data management support needs
  • Define areas for support on data management, analysis and visualisation and recommended measures to strengthen PHIMs capacity
  • Provide technical and strategic advice in technical discussions with PHIM and partners
  • Support PHIM in the development and documentation of data management and analysis SOPs, ensuring the SOPs are effective and comprehensive
  • Identify and prioritize digital health infrastructure needs
  • Manage infrastructure procurement and ensure adequate installation and training for the new infrastructure
  • Organise, facilitate and document workshops, trainings and meetings
  • Ensure activities align with stakeholder priorities and strategic goals
  • Develop and revise thorough documentation for project activities

Planning, support and coordination

  • Coordinate closely with other donors and partners supporting PHIM, ensuring alignment and develop joint plans where relevant
  • Support transparent communication, documentation and coordination between PHIM, DHD, MOH, consultants, GIZ and other key stakeholders
  • Ensure documentation and reporting of project activities to GIZ and EU
  • Manage administrative processes around the project implementation (e.g. travel arrangements, procurements and workshop organisation)
  • Develop and input to the project design and contracting of entities for the project implementation

Other duties/additional tasks

  • Ensure adherence to EU communication and visibility guidelines during project implementation
  • Perform other duties and tasks at the request by PHIM or GIZ management

D. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES AND EXPERIENCE

Qualifications

  • Master’s Degree in Data Science, Health Informatics, Digital Health or related field

Professional experience

  • 7 years professional experience in project management in the health sector with a focus on surveillance and monitoring systems
  • 4 years professional experience in Data management, Informatics or similar within the health sector
  • 4 years professional experience in at least four of the following areas.
    • Multi-stakeholder project management, overseeing consultants and coordination of various stakeholders including consultants, academic institutions, MoH and international partners within the health sector Developing and facilitating trainings for organisations on data management, data protection, analytics, modelling and visualisation for improved data-driven decision-making
    • Development and implementation of data protection measures for the secure handling of public health information
    • Conducing data analysis, visualization and modelling using R, python, power BI and/or Superset Developing or managing DHIS platforms including database management
    • Defining and implementing data management processes and developing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for data management, protection, cleaning, analysis, or visualization

Technical Competencies

  • Strong project management skills, including planning, execution, and monitoring
  • Excellent organizational and facilitation skills for workshops and training sessions
  • Proficiency in technical documentation of project activities and development of training materials
  • Strategic advisory skills to provide expert technical advice on project development and implementation
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with diverse stakeholders
  • Knowledge of relevant technologies and tools for data management, digital health infrastructure, and data protection

Additional Competencies

  • Strong team player with the ability to work independently
  • Familiarity with gender-transformative approaches in health programs
  • Understanding of digital health information systems, policies, strategies and frameworks
  • Proficiency in using standard office software (MS Office) and relevant project management tools
  • Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and manage multiple tasks simultaneously
  • Willingness to upskill as performed required by the tasks to be
  • Strong English and Chichewa language skills

It is expected that the period of employment will run from 01.08.2025 until 30.04.2029.

E. HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates meeting the above requirements must submit the following:

  1. Electronic one-paged cover letter
  2. Electronic detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  3. Copies of Certificates

The above documents should be sent to giz-malawi-hr@giz.de and the following reference code of the call for application is strictly to be indicated in the subject line of the applicant’s email: GIZ/MGHP/037/Name of applicant.

All applications should be addressed to:

The Head of HR
GIZ Malawi
P.O. Box 31131
LILONGWE 3.

The deadline for receiving applications is 23rd June 2025. Only shortlisted candidates who meet the above requirements will be contacted.

GIZ is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from individuals regardless of gender, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, age, or any other protected characteristic. We embrace diversity and believe that inclusivity in the workplace is essential to our success, and we are committed to creating a work environment where all employees are valued and respected.