Associate, Epidemiology & Data Analytics, Malaria

Job Title

CHAI Cameroon is seeking a highly motivated and entrepreneurial individual to serve as an Epidemiology & Data Analytics Associate on the Malaria team. The Associate will lead rigorous epidemiological and programmatic analysis, design and implement a robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework and serve as a key technical resource to the PNLP M&E unit. The Associate will generate high-quality evidence to guide programmatic strategy and translate complex data into actionable recommendations for program implementation and policy engagement at the national and subnational levels.

Responsibilities

• Conduct rigorous epidemiological and statistical analyses of malaria surveillance and program data (e.g., routine HMIS, surveys, operational research) to generate actionable insights.
• Organize and merge available datasets, assess data quality and suitability for analysis, and apply relevant statistical methods including regression, time series, and other approaches.
• Analyse geographic and spatial data using GIS software, including descriptive and predictive mapping of malaria burden and intervention coverage.
• Develop subnational epidemiological situation analyses and malaria burden estimates to guide resource allocation and programmatic prioritization across Cameroon's regions.
• Synthesize evidence from global and regional literature to inform CHAI and PNLP's technical and strategic decisions.
• Lead the design and implementation of a comprehensive M&E framework for CHAI Cameroon's malaria program, including performance monitoring plans, indicators, data collection tools, and reporting templates aligned with CHAI and donor requirements.
• Develop and maintain a program-level performance tracking dashboard to enable real-time monitoring of progress against key milestones and targets.
• Design and oversee routine data quality assessments to ensure accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and reliability of program data across reporting channels.
• Coordinate midterm, end-of-project evaluations, and impact assessments including the development of evaluation protocols, data collection instruments, and summary reports.
• Lead documentation of lessons learned, best practices, and program insights, and disseminate findings to internal and external stakeholders to support continuous learning and adaptive management.
• Support the rollout and monitoring of new and existing surveillance platforms for improved data collection, reporting, management, automated analysis, and visualization.
• Design, manage, and validate data systems and analytical products, ensuring data quality, integrity, and accessibility for government counterparts and partners.
• Support the PNLP in strengthening and operationalizing malaria surveillance systems by ensuring a functional national malaria surveillance technical working group.
• Support the NMCP to operationalize quality subnational programmatic data review through adoption of data review meetings and tools at the district level to review facility-based reporting, case-based surveillance, and community-level data collection.
• Strengthen the culture of data use by promoting routine analysis and interpretation of surveillance data for decision-making at all levels.
• Support the review, development, and updating of national malaria strategic plans, policies, and guidelines, ensuring alignment with WHO recommendations and emerging evidence.
• Review and provide feedback on relevant program documents including surveillance guidelines, SOPs, M&E plans, lessons learned, and operational manuals.
• Monitor and evaluate malaria intervention implementation, identify gaps, and provide technical recommendations to improve coverage, equity, and efficiency.
• Contribute to the development of funding proposals by providing the evidence base, M&E frameworks, and results frameworks as requested.
• Translate analytical findings into clear, high-quality reports, policy briefs, manuscripts and presentations for the NMCP, partners, and donors.
• Produce compelling data visualizations and analytical products to communicate findings to diverse audiences, including government officials, donors, and technical partners.
• Disseminate results through national and subnational platforms, ensuring evidence is accessible, actionable, and aligned with national priorities.
• Contribute to the preparation of high-quality donor reports, program updates, and presentations, ensuring data accuracy and adherence to reporting requirements.
• Serve as a primary technical resource and day-to-day partner for the PNLP M&E unit, providing mentorship, on-the-job coaching, and technical assistance to strengthen national data systems, analytical capacity, and evidence use.
• Collaborate with government counterparts, technical partners, and donors to build national capacity in data analysis and epidemiological methods.
• Represent CHAI in relevant technical working groups, inter-agency coordination meetings, and donor forums as requested.
• Foster and maintain strong working relationships across government, NGOs, academia, and donor partners at national and subnational levels.
• Facilitate coordination and knowledge-sharing between the PNLP, partner organizations, and CHAI's global and regional malaria teams.
• Design, implement, analyse, and disseminate operational research projects related to surveillance, intervention effectiveness, and entomology.
• Support implementation science activities including the development of study protocols, data collection tools, analysis plans, and research outputs.
• Contribute to research and innovation that advances malaria surveillance, epidemiology, and data-driven program design in Cameroon.
• Perform other responsibilities aligned with CHAI's mission and program needs as required.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in public health, epidemiology, statistics, biostatistics, demography, or a related quantitative or health-related field.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing M&E frameworks, including developing indicators, data collection tools, and performance monitoring plans.
• Strong quantitative analytical skills and proficiency in at least one statistical or data analysis tool (e.g., R, Stata, Python, or SAS).
• Experience working with national health information systems, particularly DHIS2, and demonstrated ability to manage, clean, and analyze large, complex datasets.
• Familiarity with data collection tools (e.g., ODK) and data visualization applications (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).
• High proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, with the ability to produce polished reports, dashboards, and presentations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex datasets and translate findings into actionable insights for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both French and English.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, decentralized environment, manage competing priorities, and meet deadlines without compromising quality.
• Strong interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with government counterparts and diverse partners.
• Willingness to travel within Cameroon and occasionally within the sub-region.
• Genuine commitment to CHAI's mission of saving lives and reducing disease burden in low- and middle-income countries.

Preferred

• Master's degree or higher in epidemiology, public health, biostatistics, global health, or a related field.
• Direct experience in malaria program monitoring, evaluation, or epidemiological research in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Prior experience working with or embedded within a Ministry of Health or national disease control program.
• Prior experience collaborating with government officials, multilateral agencies, and development partners to inform health policy or program design.
• Proficiency in data visualization and geospatial tools (e.g., QGIS, ArcGIS, RStudio, Apache Superset).
• Experience designing and managing operational research or implementation science studies.
• Familiarity with global malaria frameworks, including the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016–2030 and RBM Partnership tools and guidance.
• Experience working with donor-funded programs (e.g., Global Fund, PMI/USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) and understanding of donor M&E requirements.
• Prior experience in a consulting, strategy, or analytical role.
• Field experience living or working in resource-limited settings, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Experience working effectively as part of a decentralized or remote team across multiple time zones.