Associate, Information Systems, DHIS2 Developer at Evidence Action

Department: MLE

Job Purpose

• The Associate, Information Systems, DHIS2 Developer will be responsible for technical support of key information systems that drive Evidence Action operations and expansion.
• The Associate will primarily focus on delivering solutions and supporting information for Evidence Action’s Deworm the World Initiative (DtWI), ensuring the high availability and accessibility of critical operational services for teams in Nigeria.
• The associate will have an instrumental secondary role in applying cross-program support to other programs within the West and Central Africa sub-region through alternative platforms and technical implementations that aim to streamline workflows and deliver important data indicators. In addition, the Associate will provide support to the Senior Associate, Information Systems, and the broader Analytics team on all requests delivered.
• Reporting to the Senior Associate, Information Systems, the position holder’s role requires strong problem-solving skills to ensure program information systems are effectively supported technically in a timely manner.

Duties and Responsibilities
District Health Information System (DHIS2) development and maintenance (30%-40%):

• Support development and maintenance of multiple DHIS2 applications used by programs within the West and Central Africa sub-region implemented as the central platform for project planning, reporting, analysis, and dissemination of information with internal and external stakeholders.
• Assess and document DHIS2 user requirements for the DtWI program and translate them into detailed product specifications.
• Work on programming and software development tasks under the guidance of senior developers on the project.
• Work closely with other IS team developers during requirements gathering and user acceptance testing sessions.
• Create relevant DHIS2 back-end objects during the entire application development lifecycle, including but not limited to: data elements, indicators, data entry forms, reports/dashboards, and MS Excel/CSV import files.
• Support the development and configuration of data entry modules on the DHIS2 Android Capture app to facilitate data collection via mobile devices.
• Collaborate with other developers and program team users to innovate new features and enhancements to existing components that comply with the DtWI program workflow.
• Conduct pilot testing of DHIS2 packages and technical research on new DHIS2 system features to provide recommendations for streamlining program use cases.
• Implement regular DHIS2 version upgrades of internal applications on remote servers.
• Contribute to the development of documentation of user manuals, system updates, feature trackers, and design documentation.

End-user support (30%-40%):

• Troubleshoot technical user issues, perform routine general maintenance to ensure reliable application uptimes, and perform system administration on the DHIS2 user accounts across all programs in the West and Central Africa sub-region.
• Train new and existing users on the DHIS2 platform and its components, ensuring capacity building and offer user support for best practices when using the system.
• Provide timely responses to both internal and external user requests.
• Provide project management support to key program work streams and coordinate stakeholders for DHIS2 field pilots and other project activities.
• Offer data support to all DHIS2 operational work processes through data uploads and imports, data integrity checks, data updates, and data exports.
• Assess the uptake of new and existing DHIS2 modules and features, offering improved solutions through a user-focused development approach, in order to maximise use of client systems and data assets.
• Recommend improvements and assist in changes to best practices.
• Participate in the meetings related to demos and various user presentations.

Data Reporting (20%-30%):

• Develop adequate reporting mechanisms for data contained in DHIS2 through dashboards, pivot tables, charts, data exports, and any other form as needed.
• Support both scheduled program reporting with other MLE teams and ad hoc data requests from program users.
• Automate data exports for various program reports, including but not limited to operational and program workflows, to ease the integration with PowerBi and RShiny Server.

Database Management Support (10%-20%):

• Work closely with MLE data management teams to ensure consistency and clear definition of data across PostgreSQL database tables.
• Support the data management team in troubleshooting challenges with data uploads to the PostgreSQL database and support with database requests.
• Carry out regular data back-ups and syncs to ensure the safety and integrity of data.

Qualifications

• The applicant should hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, or any related field from a recognized university; a master’s degree in a related field is a key advantage.
• 4+ years of working experience developing DHIS2 applications and providing direct support to end users in a dynamic Information Systems-related position.
• A certification from DHIS Academy will be an added advantage.
• Experience of management or implementation of the DHIS2 Web API with non-core functionalities or third-party applications.
• 4+ years experience with project management as it relates to the development and implementation of large/complex integrated information systems.
• Knowledge in database design and development using relational database management systems, including MySQL and PostgreSQL, is an advantage.
• Knowledge of server management and deployment using relevant AWS cloud services is a plus.
• Demonstrated knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for web application development is a plus.
• Experience supporting project teams, including users in other countries.
• Experience leading or supporting user training and supporting supervision field activities.

Required Skills and Attributes:

• Excellent problem solving skills and ability to be innovative.
• Attention to detail and ability to keep tight timelines and ensure that tasks are delivered according to expectations.
• Service/Client oriented and ability to work well in a cross-cultural and geographically dispersed team.
• Strong self-motivation and ability to work vigilantly under minimum supervision.
• Ability to communicate professionally both in written and spoken English.
• Flexible mindset and a positive attitude to work in a fast changing environment.
• Ability and willingness to travel to field offices when need arises.

In addition, this position requires a candidate to:

• Support other members of the IS team in specific tasks as assigned.
• Have a strong commitment to evidence-based practice and policy in the development field.
• Be enthusiastic about developing personally and professionally as part of a growing global team.
• Possess a strong attention to detail and a genuine love of working with data.

Working Conditions:

• Typical working hours are from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break, between 1.00 pm and 2.00 pm from Monday to Friday. However, due to the nature of your work, there might be times when you will be expected to work outside of office hours.
• The position may require some travels for field visits in program areas in different geographies.

Salary Expectations:

• Please include your salary expectation.