Technical Officer, Database and GIS at FHI 360

Project Description:
The Strengthening Integrated Delivery of HIV/AIDS Services (SIDHAS) project is a five-year PEPFAR program to provide high quality HIV/AIDS services, and to build the capacity of the public and private sectors in Nigeria in order to provide these services in a sustainable manner. The SIDHAS project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Job Summary / Responsibilities:

Basic Functions:
Under the direction of the Senior Database/GIS Officer, the Database/GIS Officer will be responsible for the day to day operations of data processing. S/he is responsible for the planning, maintenance and development of FHI databases and Geographical information system (GIS). The database approach incorporates the following principles: (i)data remains consistent across the database; (ii)data is clearly defined; (iii)users access data concurrently, in a form that suits their needs; (iv)there is provision for data security and recovery control (all data is retrievable in an emergency). The application design include web, desktop and mobile GIS applications. Other responsibilities include the design and creation of spatial products, including maps, digital data, reports and statistics.

Duties and Responsibilities:

•     Administer and      maintain FHI’s DBMS; monitors and optimizes the DBMS.
•     Coordinate data      management issues (e.g., deletion of records, query management, Internet      reports) within the data users group.
•     Run checks to ensure      the security and confidentiality of the FHI/Nigeria identifiable health      data.
•     Monitor research      staffs compliance with confidentiality policies to assure that security      standards are met.
•     Advice on the      acquisition of the appropriate Database Management Systems as needed.
•     Assist in the      management of the FHI/Nigeria hardware and software as related to the      operations of the SQL Server DBMS, including system development and      maintenance, recommend purchase of new hardware and software maintenance      of records and reports relating to database operations and data/project      archives
•     Assist project team in      preparing project results for presentation at regional or national      conferences, and in preparing articles for publication, with some      supervision.
•     Assist in writing      proposals by drafting technical data-related sections and participating in      work plan development.
•     Assist in development      of data procedural protocols, update, and reviews.
•     Develop standardized      programming and data documentation procedures relevant to the HIV and AIDS      data systems.
•     Provide assistance to      staff in database use based on technical knowledge of field
•     Assure the quality of      data feeds and processing of downloads from FHI Global Spreadsheets and      that of other implementing partners.     
•     Develop      standardized programming and data documentation procedures relevant to the      HIV and AIDS data systems.  Train others in specific data processing and      design tasks.
•     Determine and refine FHI’s      GIS requirements.
•     Design / create      special maps and digitizes the maps to GIS datasets.
•     Create and maintain      the structures necessary for GIS data storage and designs the tools      necessary for loading / transferring GIS data between different systems.
•     Write formal metadata      documentation, according to standard, as well as informal documentation      for GIS data resources.
•     Develop web based and      mobile GIS application, customizes desktop GIS software to facilitate end      user training and ease of use; trains users and provides support for      desktop applications
•     Works on special GIS      projects as assigned, developing custom data, statistics, reports, presentations      and other products in a team environment.
•     Perform other duties      as assigned.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:

•     Ability to work with others and to develop and maintain compatibility among project staff, subcontractors, and recipients of assistance.
•     MS SQL Server Administration, District Health Information System (DHIS) Windows NT and Office Administration and Management, Relational database design and analysis, SQL and MS Access/Excel programming skills.
•     Ability  to develop Graphic user Interface using MS Access, SQL and/Oracle
•     Demonstrated ability to independently complete assigned tasks, train and facilitate learning and professional development among colleagues.
•     Familiarity with client/server or multi-platform application development.
•     Solid understanding of basic assumptions of clinical and public health industry practices for data acquisition and quality assurance.
•     Knowledge and experience in project-level or state/national-level monitoring and evaluation system implementation.
•     Communicate effectively with all levels of personnel on hardware and software needs.
•     Advanced knowledge of relational database concepts and skills utilized in creating and maintaining relational databases and linking them with GIS.
•     Knowledge and expertise in using GIS software such as ArcGIS 9.x equivalent at a moderate level of complexity.
•     Knowledge of geographic information system concepts and management.
•     Ability to perform spatial analysis of moderate difficulty and present results in a clear and comprehensible way, either orally or as written reports.
•     Ability to perform rectification, transformation and classification processes on raster data. The use of raster based application such as ERDAS and ILWIS is an added advantage.
•     Perform detail-oriented work with a high level of accuracy.
•     Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills with ability to work as a team member.
•     Ability to plan and prioritize own work under tight deadlines, as well as to work on own initiative and as a member of a team.
•     Ability to travel a minimum of 25%.

Qualifications:

•     BS/BA degree in Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science or its recognized equivalent with 5 – 7 years post national youth service relevant experience.
•     Or MS/MA Geographic Information Systems, Engineering, Information Technology, Computer Science or its recognized equivalent, and 3 – 5 years post national youth service relevant experience.
•     Strong background in geospatial and health information systems (GIS) and/or database management is required.
•     Demonstrated success in multicultural environments is an advantage.