Data Analyst at Malaria Consortium

Job purpose

• The Data Analyst will support data analysis across the Malaria Consortium Nigeria portfolio.
• The post-holder will further develop and support primary and secondary analyses of programme, project, research and study results through analyses of datasets addressing key disease control questions, working under the direction of the Country MEL Manager. 

Scope of work

• The role requires the ability to keep track of multiple responsibilities, plan and work under the guidance of the Country MEL Manger.
• The Data Analyst will support portfolio-wide data analysis (qualitative and quantitative) to deliver scientifically sound analysis for research, survey and evaluation (e.g., LQAS end-of-cycle monitoring, coverage surveys, data quality assessments and operational/implementation research data), routine data analytics, and dashboard-based performance monitoring.
• With support from the Country MEL Manger. S/he would also, support any other projects, pilots, studies and evaluations layering on the SMC platform, including the SMC Programme, SMC-VAS Project, SMC-RI Project, SMC-ORSZ Project among others.

Key working relationships:

• The Data Analyst will report directly to the Country MEL Manager.
• The post-holder will work will also provide support to the Country Research and Knowledge Management, and will liaise with Country Research & Knowledge Management Specialist, and, as required, project teams under the guidance of the Country MEL Manager.

Key accountabilities
Technical contributions (80%)
Under the Supervision of the Country MEL Manager, the Data Analyst will;

• Support statistical analysis (qualitative and quantitative) of project data across the country portfolio, and contribute to reports for dissemination among partners.
• Explore research and evaluation questions of interest using available programme data through conducting secondary and meta-analyses, under analysis plans agreed with the Country Research and Knowledge Management Specialist and the Country MEL Manager.
• Support inception, tools development, tools deployment (using kobo/surveyCTO platform) data cleaning, validation, and quality control of survey and routine datasets using statistical software (like Nvivo, Stata, R), including maintenance of well-documented, reproducible analysis scripts (do-files/scripts).
• Support the development, maintenance, and automation of portfolio-level dashboards and indicator tracking systems (like Power BI, DHIS2 outputs) to enable timely performance review.
• Support study design, including methodology, sample size calculations, database development and statistical analysis of projects data, and contribute to reports to disseminate among partners Explore research questions and performance indicators of interest for SMC using available data through conducting secondary and meta-analyses. 
• Participate in the development of tools and procedures in surveys, rapid assessments, routine data collection and surveillance. 
• Support all data analysis requirements of SMC, including analysing in-process monitoring, LQAS, coverage survey, OR data, HMIS data (for impact evaluation) and other data related to SMC activities.
• Participate in building capacity in data management, statistics and data analysis for staff. 
• Support teams in the conduct of DQAs and data audits.

Communication and advocacy (20%):

• Contribute to peer-reviewed publications on key projects and data analysis exercises.
• Contribute to documentation of lessons learnt from the programme's work, including production of learning briefs, learning papers, conference abstracts, and general documentation.

Person specification
Qualifications and experience
Essential:

• Master's Degree in Statistics or Public Health with a focus on epidemiology/biostatistics or demography.
• Extensive experience in statistical analysis (qualitative and quantitative) and data management working with international organization, or research institutions.
• Extensive experience in research design and implementation.
• Knowledge and experience of monitoring and evaluation tools and methods in the international development or global health sector.
• Significant experience in the development of databases and electronic data entry systems (phone/tablet-based platforms such as KoboToolbox or SurveyCTO) and statistical analysis software (Stata, R, Excel, Python, Nvivo).

Desirable:

• Significant knowledge of malaria and malaria control interventions.
• Knowledge and experience of disease surveillance mechanisms.
• Working knowledge of DHIS2.
• Experience with data visualization and business intelligence tools (like Power BI).

Work-based skills
Essential:

• Ability to plan, manage, and prioritise workload.
• Good interpersonal skills and an effective working style.
• Sensitivity to confidentiality issues and diplomacy.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills.
• Management and mentoring skills with respect to junior staff.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data quality and integrity.