Bioinformatician/Data Scientist

As an organization whose mission is to translate science into global public health impact , working on vaccines and therapeutics, IAVI has a vaccine policy which states that subject to applicable law, we require all U.S. and Puerto Rico based employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19, unless they have an approved medical or religious exemption or accommodation. We are committed to supporting our employees during this process as we work to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.

Position Description

Title: Bioinformatician/Data Scientist 

Location: IAVI Africa Regional Office, Nairobi, Kenya

Reports to: ADVANCE SA1 co-leads (Senior Program Director, NAC; Executive Director, Ab Discovery and Development) + ADVANCE SA3 Lead, Capacity Building

Position Summary: 

IAVI is seeking an outstanding Bioinformatician/Data Scientist who will lead projects under a new stream of work in the exciting space of infectious diseases and digital health. With focus on Sub Saharan Africa, this work aims to generate new insights into disease prevention, therapeutics, and patient care through building and integrating a range of interdisciplinary data sources, including research studies and routine disease surveillance. This position will lead and develop the program of capacity building in population health research across IAVI Clinical Research Centres. In addition, the successful candidate will lead research of the highest quality within the broad area of infectious disease epidemiology, using advanced statistical methods to meet research objectives, as well as contribute to the development of digital initiatives for population health, particularly through informing surveillance frameworks for key infectious diseases.

The Bioinformatician/Data Scientist will develop key working relationships with Imperial College London (School of Public Health), Clinical Research Centers, lead investigators and other research, technical, and administrative staff on the programme.

Key Responsibilities:

• Integration and analysis of large scale clinical, epidemiological, and genetic datasets to gain new insights into disease susceptibility, disease progression, and vaccine response – particularly within the context of HIV infection.
• Develop and evaluate a digital framework for disease surveillance for key infectious diseases, including laboratory capacity, data infrastructure, analytical capacity, and the development of methods to examine such routine data sources.

• Creation of a knowledge base to support existing bioinformatics capacity and future data science needs across Clinical Research Centres to ensure their sustainability and long-term success.
• Development of a capacity building plan at the individual and cross-network levels.
• Provision of ongoing bioinformatics and data science support to the portfolio of ADVANCE’s medium and long-term projects, particularly those related to capacity building and clinical trials.

• Work closely with international collaborators to develop and achieve shared goals, contributing to other global health research projects as required. 
• Own, plan, and lead high quality programme of research in population health science relating to infectious and other diseases, undertake project management and/or supervise multi-disciplinary teams.
• Submit publications to refereed journals and attract external research funding. 
• Any other roles assigned by the manager.

Education and Experience:

• PhD in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, data science, epidemiology, or a closely related discipline is required; equivalent research, industrial, or commercial experience may be considered.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience is required.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Extensive knowledge of digital health and health preparedness is required.
• Experience working on global collaborative research projects in Africa and/or India is required.
• Knowledge of research methods, statistical procedures, and practical experience within a research environment is required.
• Experience working across a range of stakeholders, including researchers, health care providers, donors, project managers, and principal investigators is required.
• A strong track record in publishing research and/or directing research programs is required.
• Proven track record of using structured research capacity strengthening frameworks and tools is required. 
• Experience of designing, planning, and delivering specialist learning programs is required.
• Proven success in medical/academic research management and administration is required. 
• Experience presenting results and findings to specialist and non-specialist audiences, such as at significant conferences or engaging with the public on science is required.
• Solid reasoning and analytical skills are required. 
• Excellent organizational skills with an ability to multitask and prioritize is required. 
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills are required.
• Proven experience in project MEL is desirable. 
• Certificate in project management is desirable.

Organizational Overview:

IAVI is a nonprofit scientific research organization dedicated to addressing urgent, unmet global health challenges including HIV and tuberculosis. Our mission is to translate scientific discoveries into affordable, globally accessible public health solutions. Through scientific and clinical research in Africa, India, Europe, and the U.S., IAVI is pioneering the development of biomedical innovations designed for broad global access. We develop vaccines and antibodies in and for the developing world and seek to accelerate their introduction in low-income countries. IAVI programs and partnerships are grounded in the regions of the world where the disease burden is the greatest, and our approach emphasizes sustainability. Our network of clinical research center partners in Africa and India helps strengthen in-country research capacity and supports the training and education of the next generation of scientists. The global impact of our science includes fundamental contributions to understanding the biology of HIV infection, which IAVI and others are applying toward advancing vaccine science and immunology. IAVI accelerates scientific discovery and development by fostering unique collaborations among academia, industry, local communities, governments, and funders to explore new and better ways to address public health threats that disproportionately affect people living in poverty. Our global reach, including a clinical research network in five countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in India, has allowed us to make fundamental contributions to understanding the epidemiology, transmission, virology, and immunology of HIV. This work played a key role in facilitating the design of promising HIV vaccine candidates, as well as the discovery of broadly neutralizing antibodies that are now being advanced as promising approaches for HIV prevention. Our integrated capabilities in vaccine and antibody discovery, development, and clinical research take advantage of bio-pharmaceutical industry expertise to accelerate the development and testing of prevention methods for HIV and other diseases. Through the Product Development Center, we support external researchers with technical and scientific expertise to accelerate the development of their own products.

IAVI CORE VALUES:

• Dedication to the Mission: We are committed to the translation of scientific discoveries into affordable, globally accessible public health solutions. 
• Innovative Evolution: We are committed to solving complex problems in creative and innovative ways, learning from our mistakes and successes and never giving up 
• Integrity: We are committed to meeting the highest ethical and professional standards in everything we do and to taking responsibility for our actions to earn respect 
• Collaboration: We are committed to embracing diversity, the power of global teamwork and the belief that by working as one we can make a difference
  Disclaimer: Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required of personnel so classified. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at-will” relationship. IAVI is an equal opportunity employer and applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. 

IAVI IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER actively committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive global organization. IAVI believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a representative candidate pool. At IAVI, we celebrate the spectrum of colleagues’ experiences and believe that dedication to our mission above all is essential to our success as a scientific global non-profit. IAVI upholds these principles through IAVI’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

IAVI has zero tolerance for discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, caste, national origin, home language, ancestry, religion, marital or civil partnership status, age, physical or mental disability, HIV status and any other medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and veteran status, in addition to any other status protected under the law in any of our locations worldwide.