Data Science Research Assistant

Applications are invited for the following position:

DATA SCIENCE RESEARCH ASSISTANT – CENTER FOR EPIDEMIOLOGICAL MODELLING AND ANALYSIS – AD/5/25/2025, 2 POSTS

The Position Description

The Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis (CEMA) at the University of Nairobi is looking to appoint a Data Science Research Assistant with passion and skills in data analysis and visualization.

About CEMA

CEMA is a Center of Excellence at the University of Nairobi bringing together a multidisciplinary consortium of epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists, medical and veterinary health professionals and clinicians, mathematicians, statisticians, computer scientists, software engineers, economists, and data scientists to harness data-driven approaches for controlling infectious diseases and advancing public health in Kenya and across Africa.

Established in 2020, CEMA’s work has guided responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and other disease outbreaks and health crises, advanced the control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases across African countries, provided insights to optimize health programs and improve health outcomes, and provided training in quantitative skills to analyze health data and address critical public health challenges in Africa. CEMA is supported by multiple funding agencies including the Gates Foundation, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, the Wellcome Trust, among others.

Duty Station: Center for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, located at the University of Nairobi Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, Nairobi, Kenya.
Reporting to: CEMA Co-Directors

Position Responsibilities

• Contribute to the design of studies, implementation and reporting of epidemiological data
• Extract, organize, store and catalogue large health datasets from multiple sources
• Conduct data wrangling processes on large and complex health and health-related datasets
• Develop dashboards to visualize trends in health data
• Implement applied epidemiological modelling techniques (statistical, geospatial) to help provide insights in disease transmission and interventions to control and eliminate diseases
• Mentor undergraduate students and recent graduates taking internships at CEMA

Position Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Statistics, Geographical Information Systems, Economics, Actuarial Science, or Environmental Science
• Demonstrated experience developing high quality dashboards in R (provide links to deployed apps)
• Demonstrated experience working with health and health related data (provide links to GitHub accounts showing completed projects)
• Demonstrated possession of quantitative skills (statistical analysis and/or modelling)
• Experience working within academic settings and linked to addressing policy-relevant analytical questions
• Excellent computer skills and familiarity with R statistical software
• Excellent communication (written and spoken) and interpersonal skills

Terms of Appointment

The appointment will be on a one (1) year contract, renewable subject to performance and availability of funds. The successful candidate will enjoy a competitive salary based on their qualifications and experience. In addition to a fulfilling and challenging role, they will receive a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, leave allowance, and opportunities for professional development.