State Research Assistant Osun at Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria

Position Overview

• The State Research Assistant will provide essential support to research and programmatic teams by ensuring accurate and timely data entry, validation, and organization for the TB/HIV GC7 project. Working under the supervision of the   Central research coordinator state research assistant will be responsible for entering field-level data into electronic systems, assisting in maintaining data records, and supporting basic administrative functions related to data management at the state-level.

Required Competencies

• Strong organizational and coordination skills with the ability to oversee field research activities at the state level.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for effective liaison with field data collectors and stakeholders.
• High attention to detail and strong quality-control orientation, especially for verifying data completeness and accuracy.
• Proficiency in data entry and management using digital platforms (e.g., REDCap).
• Strong analytical, writing, and documentation skills, particularly for scientific and technical report writing.
• Ability to work independently, meet deadlines, and deliver high-quality outputs with minimal supervision.
• Familiarity with ethical research practices and confidentiality protocols.
• Problem-solving skills and adaptability in rapidly changing field environments.

Key Responsibilities

Field Coordination:

• Coordinate research activities within the assigned state and ensure smooth implementation at the state level.
• Liaise closely with field data collectors to ensure data completeness, accuracy, and adherence to study protocols.
• Provide routine supervision and quality assurance checks during fieldwork.
• Report challenges encountered in the field and support timely resolution.

Data Management:

• Verify the quality and completeness of incoming data from data collectors.
•  Perform accurate and timely data entry into REDCap and ensure proper data labeling and storage.
• Support routine data cleaning, validation, and preliminary analysis as required.
• Maintain confidentiality and securely manage all research data.

Scientific and Technical Writing:

• Draft and contribute to scientific documents, including field summaries, progress reports, study briefs, and preliminary results sections.
• Support development of manuscripts, presentations, and knowledge-sharing materials.
•  Compile state-level findings and generate concise written updates for the research team.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Liaise with state-level partners, facilities, and relevant government authorities to facilitate research activities.
• Participate in state-level meetings, training, or briefings as required.

Administrative Support:

• Support logistics planning for fieldwork, including scheduling, communication, and tracking of field activities.
• Provide weekly or biweekly updates to the central research team.

Deliverables

• Complete and validated state-level dataset entered REDCap within agreed timelines.
• Weekly or bi-weekly state-level field activity reports.
• Documentation of challenges, recommendations, and resolutions from the field.
• Draft versions of scientific summaries, state-level briefs, or contributions to manuscripts.
• Clean and well-organized data logs, quality-check sheets, and audit trails.
• Final state-level report summarizing data collection processes, challenges, and key observations.

Education and Experience

Academic:

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in public health, Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Statistics, Demography, or a related field.
• A master’s degree in public health or a related field is an added advantage.
• Training or coursework in research methods, epidemiology, or scientific writing is preferred.

Working Experience:

• At least 1–2 years of experience supporting field research, monitoring and evaluation, or public health projects.
• Prior experience working with digital data collection platforms (e.g., REDCap, ODK, Kobo) is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in drafting research documents, scientific summaries, or technical reports.
• Experience engaging with community-based data collectors, health facilities, or state-level stakeholders is an advantage.