Researcher

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Department of Global Health

Institute for Life Course Health Research

Researcher (Job Level 8)

Ref. TGB16/266/0923

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Stellenbosch University is an inclusive,• innovative and future focused institution, a place of discovery and excellence where both staff and students are thought• leaders in advancing knowledge

in the service of all stakeholders. We are seeking an incumbent who will enhance our position as a leading Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.

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The Institute for Life Course Health Research (ILCHR) is housed within the Department of Global Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University. We conduct

research to provide evidence about what works to improve health and well-being outcomes for people across the life course – parents, children, adolescents, and adults – in South African

settings, as well as other low-resourced communities in the Southern African region and globally.

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The ILCHR is seeking to appoint a researcher to manage a series of community-based research projects activities, focused on the impact of trauma, conflict and violence on the development

and mental health of children and adolescents in sub-Saharan African settings. This role involves the planning, implementation and management of rigorous, mixed-methods research activities

such as randomised controlled trials and qualitative, participatory research. Due to the research focusing on children and adolescents who have experienced various forms of trauma, including

exposure to sexual violence, the researcher will be required to have a relevant background in clinical social work or psychology, as well as substantial experience in working with children and

adolescents to oversee and supervise the research activities and facilitate appropriate linkages to care.

Duties/Pligte

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• Planning, organising and facilitating research activities, including developing study procedures, protocols, and informed consent processes, compiling questionnaires and overseeing

translation and piloting of tools;

• Overseeing and coordinating the set-up and implementation of research projects (in South Africa as well as in other country sites), including formative stakeholder engagements,

negotiating entry into recruitment sites such as schools and health facilities, and setting up referral pathways and links;

• Engaging key stakeholders, including adolescents and youth, in co-creating psychosocial and community-based interventions to address trauma and mental health;
• Engaging with vulnerable groups such as children and refugees;
• Coordinating and conducting training of data collection and intervention teams (virtually and in-person), and piloting of intervention and/or research processes;
• Providing trauma support training to data collectors and affiliated practitioners to provide appropriate psychological first aid to survivors of trauma and violence;
• Providing support and supervision to the data collection and/or intervention teams, and overseeing the referral process of the participants who require psychosocial support or emergency

care;

• Facilitating and participating in community engagement activities, such as serving as a liaison between the Institute and key stakeholders within the community and broader adolescent

mental health field (including, but not limited to, NGOs, schools, health care facilities, community forums, or government entities);

• Conducting academic administration activities such as the development and submission of ethics applications, grant applications and progress reports;
• Helping to manage and conduct research activities across the Institute, including monitoring policy issues and trends that may impact or enhance the Institute’s research;
• Identifying opportunities for dissemination, community engagement, and social policy advocacy at community, district, and national level;
• Contributing to research outputs such as publications, conference presentations and other knowledge products;
• Engaging in development of new research projects, including proposal development, budgeting, methodology and measurement selection, and training research staff;
• Engaging with research project partners in planning phases of new studies.

Job Requirements/Pos Vereistes

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• A Master’s degree in a relevant field of study, i.e., Psychology / Clinical Social Work;
• Registered as a PhD student in Public Health;
• If applicable, registration with the relevant Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA), or the SA Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP);
• Demonstrated project management experience related to trauma (including sexual violence), mental health, adolescence, working with refugees, substance use, and school- and/or

community-based services for children and adolescents;

• Previous experience in conducting reviews using systematic and realist review methodologies;
• At least two years’ experience overseeing and conducting rigorous field research, including using quantitative, qualitative and/or mixed methods, and collecting and analysing quantitative

and/or qualitative data;

• Practical work experience as a researcher in community-based research, with the ability to engage with various stakeholders such as school leadership, clinic and hospital teams, NGO

partners, community members and adolescent advisory boards. Proven experience and involvement in service to the community would be taken into account;

• Relevant experience in conducting multi-country research, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa;
• Proven experience in supervising data collectors and community health workers in identifying, responding to and reporting incidents of trauma and violence;
• Experience in training and supervising research or intervention teams working with child and adolescent populations;
• An effective communicator;
• A valid driver’s license;
• Must be prepared to travel for extended periods.

Recommendation/Aanbeveling

• Relevant experience in initiating and managing stakeholder relationships;
• The ability to work independently and as part of a team;
• Advanced writing and verbal presentation skills, particularly the ability to communicate technical research considerations in a non-technical manner;
• Track record of presentations at international and regional conferences.