Senior Research Investigator

Position Description:

Reporting to the Senior Division Director, the Senior Research Investigator will contribute essential social science expertise to the USAID-supported Strengthening Local Level Health Systems (SLLHS) Activity, as part of a consortium where icddr,b serves as the ‘Country Anchor Partner’. SLLHS activity aims to significantly improve the quality and equity of local health services via the strengthening of local health systems and staff in the use of evidence-informed planning and engagement of local communities across all the 64 districts of Bangladesh. This position will play a pivotal role in identifying and understanding gaps in the health system by applying participatory, qualitative and quantitative research and learning methods. S/he will join an interdisciplinary team of researchers and implementers and expected to make a significant contribution to generating, interpreting, and disseminating research findings for program and policy influence.

 The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in social science research methodologies (both quantitative and qualitative), critical thinking skills regarding health systems and systems thinking, and an ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary environment.

The Senior Research Investigator will be responsible for the following:

• Conceptualize research and learning questions and develop research proposals with thorough research design, research questions, and methodologies; implement the research, analyze the data using relevant qualitative and quantitative data analysis tools, interpret the findings and report them in appropriate formats for varied audiences;
• Systematically document the good practices and bottlenecks of the health system at different layers of the health system by applying appropriate qualitative research methods;
• In line with the research methodology, plan and conduct workshops and focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, Key Informant Interviews, and other participatory and qualitative data generation methods with various stakeholders at different levels of the health system;
• In collaboration with other team members, develop a toolkit/guideline for Health System Improvement Plan (HSIP) for use by the local health managers and other stakeholders;
• Extend support to the health facility managers and other local stakeholders to tailor the HSIP toolkit for local level health system planning;
• Train the other team members of the consortium in the implementation of the HSIP toolkit at the local level district and below;
• Develop a capacity development package, including a user manual (in Bangla) for local-level managers to use the HSIP by the targeted stakeholders;
• Plan and conduct pause and reflect sessions (workshops) to monitor progress in the implementation of HSIP at different levels of the health system and analyze the data from these sessions using appropriate research methods;
• Capacitate and manage junior team members;
• Actively participate with other team members in writing the research results and publish in international peer-reviewed journals;
• Should be proactive, dynamic, and capable of working independently.

 Required qualifications and experience:

• Master’s degree in Anthropology/ Sociology/ Public Health/ Development Studies/ Population Science/Gender Studies from a reputed University with an excellent academic record.  A PhD in health-related discipline would be an advantage;
• At least 8 years of working experience in public health(preferably with a focus on health systems analysis);
• Demonstrable understanding of health equity issues;
• Strong interpersonal and excellent communication and writing skills in English and Bangla.

Source: https://career.icddrb.org/vacancy-preview/11982