Open Positions: 9

Duty Station:  Multiple health facilities in East Shewa zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia

KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation (KNCV) is one of the leading international non-profit organizations dedicated to fighting tuberculosis (TB) worldwide. We are an international center of expertise for TB control that stimulates effective, efficient, and sustainable tuberculosis control strategies in a national and international context. We are an organization of passionate TB professionals, including medical doctors, researchers, training experts, nurses, and epidemiologists. Over the past century we have built a wealth of knowledge and expertise, initially by successfully driving back TB in the Netherlands, and subsequently by partnering in the fight against TB in over 40 countries worldwide. We operate from a central office in The Hague in the Netherlands and additional country offices worldwide. KNCV raises funds from individual, institutional and corporate donors.

Background

Latent TB infection (LTBI) is the seed bed for developing TB disease and continued transmission. It is estimated that one quarter of the world’s population is latently infected with TB. WHO policy is to give at least six months of isoniazid preventive therapy (IPT) to people living with HIV (PLHIV) and child contacts since 1993, yet the uptake of IPT in high burden countries remains poor. A short-course regimen of isoniazid and rifapentine weekly for three months (3HP) is now available in Ethiopia.

The IMPAACT4TB consortium is led by the Aurum Institute with core partners Clinton Health Access Initiative, Johns Hopkins University (JHU), KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation and the Global Drug Facility. KNCV is leading the implementation of IMPAACT4TB in Ethiopia. The goal of the project is to reduce TB incidence among PLHIV and child contacts <5 living in low- and middle-income countries by contributing to the sustainable scale up of 3HP preventive therapy.

As part of the implementation of 3HP in Ethiopia, we will conduct a quantitative implementation study (CHIP-TB) to assess whether integrated community-based pediatric TB/HIV prevention services are feasible, acceptable, and effective in increasing TPT uptake among child TB contacts of under 15 years in the East Shewa zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia.

Purpose of the position and organizational position

Currently, KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation is seeking to recruit experienced and competent Research Assistants. The Research Assistant is mainly expected to base at the health centers and obtaining consent, perform participant recruitment at intervention sites, coordinate study activities at the control sites, and maintain study documentation.

The Research Assistant is also work closely with the CHIP-TB principal investigators and with the research coordinator and IMPAACT4TB team.

 Place in the organization

The research assistants report hierarchically and functionally to the CHIP-TB research Coordinator.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Identification, recruitment, and enrollment of participants for the implementation study in the intervention health facilities;
• Confirm eligibility of participants using the Eligibility Form;
• Performs consent discussion, obtain consent with participant, and assign Study ID for consented participant according to the SOP of the study;
• Maintaining respectful interactions with participants;
• Abstract clinical data onto paper Case Report Forms (CRFs);
• Complete and/or review completion of study related logs, checklists, and informed consent forms;
• Properly manage study documents as per ethical and research standard;
• Perform data entry into the database;
• Perform periodic visit to health post/ community to check the community intervention is per standard/ protocol;
• Perform home visit to clients enrolled to community intervention together with HEW/ HCP;
• Perform a regular site visit to control site and assist health care providers at the health facilities and in the community;
• Perform costing study interview and support in the process of case identification;
• Strictly follow all procedures of data quality and ethical requirements as per the protocol;
• Participate in community/stakeholders’ sensitization training/workshop/orientation;
• Share daily/weekly report with the research coordinator;
• Carry out additional assignment as required.

What do we offer?

• One year contract with possible extension and rate of payment will be based on organizational scale.

Qualifications and experience required

• Mid-Level (2 to 5 years’ experience);
• BSc degree in Nursing or Public Health or other related fields from an accredited institution;
• Experience in TB/HIV program at public health facility;
• Trained in TB/HIV care (preferred);
• Experience in data collection in health-related studies;
• Experience in research coordination and management;
• Trained in Human subject research, Good Clinical Practice or Research ethics, or quality control/assurance (preferred);
• Good knowledge of the study area is preferable;
• Strong coordination and organizational skills;
• Experience on community outreach activities (recommended);
• Experience and skill on data quality control and quality assurance;
• Ability to follow deadlines, accuracy, documentation, and attention to detail;
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills;
• Ability to work with others/teamwork, including collaborators;
• Excellent oral and writing skills in Afaan Oromo¹ and Amharic, and English;
• Willingness to take up additional responsibilities and training as needed.