About MSF Eastern Africa

MSF Eastern Africa is the regional institutional office of MSF. It focuses on representation and networking, recruiting and supporting staff from the region, communications and fundraising, as well as working on other dossiers of importance to MSF such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Data Protection, mutualization, training, medical operational support and environmental health.

Rationale/Objective for Position

The Epidemiological Advisor is responsible for leading the epidemiological activities across MSF-EA, planning and advising context specific diseases, surveillance and outbreak investigation and response.
This position will be hierarchically and functionally accountable to the Medical Data Science Advisor.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Strategic Responsibilities

• Lead epidemiology portfolio of annual planning and integration into MSF-EA strategy.

Technical and Operational Responsibilities

Support to Operations – Headquarters/Regional level

• Provide a regional overview of the epidemiology of epidemic-prone diseases, nutrition situations or other relevant information, through interagency surveillance monitoring, etc.
• Perform horizon scanning and give advice regarding epidemic-prone diseases, nutrition, etc. in the supported countries and in the region.
• Develop and enable utilization of the existing MSF-EA regional public health intelligence and anticipatory action system development.
• Train MSF staff and partners in surveillance methods, outbreak response, and data interpretation.
• Develop tools and guidelines for field epidemiology and data use.
• Consolidate regional epidemiological data to inform advocacy efforts.
• Participate in public health forums, conferences, and dissemination events.
• Support the Medical and Healthcare Advocacy Unit with evidence for policy dialogue.
• Represent headquarter meetings with Epi advisors, epidemiologists, technical advisors such as GIS experts and referents such as HIV/TB malaria, health promotion, environmental health, vaccinations, nutrition, mental health, etc. in the technical collaboration with MSF-EA.
• Provide technical guidance and support decision making in Operational Research Planning, Epidemiological activities, Outbreak response preparedness and monitoring and evaluation.
• Create a collaborative project with the other Epidemiology Advisors of other MSF Operational centers, Epicenter, or others.

MSF-EA Epidemiology Support Structure

• Lead the ongoing implementation of the MSF-EA Epidemiology support model.
• Collaborate with the other Epi Advisors and relevant units (In Nairobi and other operation centers and cells) in developing the strategy on a broader Public Health Intelligence Framework of MSF-EA.
• Lead the evaluation and improvement of the epidemiology support structure in MSF-EA.

Operational Research (OR) Activities Support

• Work with the Operational Research advisors in the MSF-EA and other OC researchers and external collaborators supporting operations, projects and the medical department to define and prioritize the operational research areas across the missions of MSF-EA.
• Review operational research agendas and provide general operational research support, including confirmation of the ethical review requirements and approvals.
• Lead the OR project cycle, write concept notes, study protocols, advanced data analysis, follow up the ethical approval procedures, editorial and manuscript writing, dissemination of research findings (publications and presentations).
• Build the local capacity for operational research infrastructure including human resource skills and log and technological advances in operational research.

Surveillance and Emergency Response

• Design and implement surveillance systems for disease monitoring in humanitarian settings.
• Lead or support outbreak investigations, including data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Collaborate with emergency response teams to assess health needs and guide interventions.

Data Management and Analysis

• Collect, clean, and analyze epidemiological data from field missions and external sources.
• Develop DHIS2 dashboards and visualizations for real-time monitoring and reporting of medical data.
• Apply statistical and modeling techniques to predict disease trends and inform response strategies.
• Conduct and support epidemiological and data related training.

Other Responsibilities

• Ensure confidentiality of personal/medical information of staff through compliance to General Data Protection Regulation and be the GDPR champion for the Staff Health area.
• Be part of the occupational health and safety committee for the MSF EA office and ensure compliance with the Occupational safety and health (OSH) ACT, through license acquisition and following up implementation of the OSH recommendations.
• Integrate EDI & Safeguarding aspects in area of work responsibility, including policies and practices.
• Recognize, respond, and document any form of abuse or inappropriate behavior and alert the safeguarding unit of any suspected potential abuse.
• Proactively participate in the individual performance management process including objective setting, performance monitoring and performance evaluation.

Qualifications

Education

• Formal postgraduate training in Epidemiology or Public Health with a focus on epidemiology and medical statistics is required.
• Knowledge of health information software (HIS e.g. DHIS2) and GIS software suites (e.g. ArcGIS or QGIS are an advantage).
• Advanced Field Epidemiology Training Programme (FETP) or equivalent an added advantage.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency in statistical software (R, Python).

Experience

• Essential; 3–5 years of relevant field experience as an epidemiologist in MSF or another humanitarian medical organization is required.
• Medical or paramedical profile required.
• Fluency in spoken and written English. French is an added advantage.
• Expertise in outbreak investigation, surveillance systems, and operational research.
• Experience working in emergencies or outbreak settings.
• Proven experience conducting public health assessments, surveillance, outbreak investigations, and survey design/implementation.
• Experience leading or supporting multi-country or complex projects is an asset.

Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Demonstrated ability in protocol development and data-driven reporting.
• Proficiency in statistical software (R, Python, Stata, or Julia highly valued).
• Experience in dashboard creation (e.g., Shiny, Power BI).
• Competence in data analysis, visualization, and interpretation.
• Familiarity with quantitative and qualitative research designs.
• Ability to conduct rapid assessments, establish Epi Alert systems, and manage surveillance frameworks.
• Strong scientific rigor, attention to detail, and data ethics.

Behavioral/General Competencies

• Commitment to MSF’s Principles.
• Cross-cultural Awareness.
• Strategic Vision.
• Results and Quality Orientation.
• Service Orientation.
• Planning and Organizing.
• Initiative and Innovation.
• Teamwork and Cooperation.
• People Management and Development.
• Networking and Building Relationships.
• Security awareness and Management.