Research Scientist – Health & Impact Evaluation

About the role

The Research Scientist joins IPA’s Applied Research & Methods team to lead health‑focused coverage surveys, data audits and impact evaluations for large‑scale infectious disease prevention programs across Sub‑Saharan Africa. The role provides intellectual leadership on malaria prevention interventions and contributes to a broader health research agenda aimed at improving lives of people living in poverty.

Key responsibilities

• Design coverage survey protocols and audit methodologies, including sampling strategy, questionnaire development and quality‑control procedures.
• Serve as principal investigator for evaluations, surveys, data audits and extraction, validation and interpretation of health‑facility data.
• Provide technical guidance on health‑systems context in Nigeria and other West African countries, addressing facility operations and data‑quality constraints.
• Collaborate with the Survey Delivery Unit on data‑collection platforms, field protocols and quality‑assurance procedures.
• Manage relationships with government health partners and program stakeholders to secure access and support for data‑collection activities.
• Supervise and mentor field research staff, including enumerators, field coordinators and research associates.
• Write and review research proposals, including study design, budgeting and funder‑facing narratives.

Required profile

• PhD or equivalent in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, health economics or a related social science.
• Substantive expertise in health‑systems operations and facility‑level data quality.
• Demonstrated experience conducting research or fieldwork in Sub‑Saharan Africa.
• Experience writing research proposals with clear study design and budgeting.
• French language proficiency.

Required skills

• Survey design and sampling methodology.
• Questionnaire development and quality‑control processes.
• Data audit, extraction and validation techniques.
• Randomized controlled trial (RCT) design and implementation.
• Health‑systems analysis and grant‑writing.