Data Scientist Consultant : Public Health Emergency Operation Centres

Overview

The Reaching Impact, Saturation, and Epidemic Control (RISE) project is a multi-year global project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), supporting countries to enhance health system resilience and outbreak preparedness. To strengthen national and provincial Public Health Emergency Operations Centres, RISE will support the National Department of Health (NDoH) in optimizing the use of data for real-time response and decision-making. This includes supporting the development of dashboards, data pipelines, and systems integration. To implement these activities, RISE is engaging a Data Scientist Consultant to provide technical expertise on outbreak data analytics, visualization, and information system strengthening. This role is donor-funded and is available on a consultancy basis from June to September 2025.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement dynamic data dashboards for EOCs to track outbreak trends, events, and response metrics
• Support setup and customization of the electronic Public Health Emergency Management (ePHEM) system
• Ensure interoperability between existing surveillance systems (eIDSR, NMCSS, DHIS2) and EOC data platforms
• Develop and automate reporting templates and data pipelines to support situational reporting
• Provide technical assistance in data integration and visualization for EOC performance monitoring
• Train EOC personnel at national and provincial levels in data tools, dashboard use, and analytics
• Support linkages for data systems for provincial EOC’s
• Conduct data quality checks, analysis, and visualization to support outbreak simulation and response
• Collaborate with key national stakeholders (e.g., NICD, CSIR, WHO) to align on data standards and tools
• Provide real-time data support to the EOC during emergency activation periods
• 50-60% Travel

Deliverables

• EOC dashboard suite developed and operationalized
• Data schema and architecture for the ePHEM system
• Interoperability framework and linkage with eIDSR/NMCSS
• Automated reporting templates and pipelines deployed
• Training materials and session reports for EOC staff
• Data analytics reports and outbreak simulation summaries
• Monthly technical progress reports
• Final consultancy report with lessons learned and recommendations

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Data Science, Epidemiology, Computer Science, Biostatistics)
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in managing public health data systems and emergency analytics
• Proficiency in data tools such as Power BI, Tableau, DHIS2, R/Shiny, or similar
• Working knowledge of Python, R, SQL, or other data management languages
• Experience working with health data in South Africa or similar LMIC settings
• Ability to translate data into actionable insights for public health decision-making
• Strong communication, documentation, and stakeholder coordination skills
• Experience with USAID- or donor-funded health projects
• Familiarity with Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) frameworks
• Understanding of South African public health information systems (eIDSR, NICD, DHIS2)

Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, other legally protected characteristics or any other occupationally irrelevant criteria. Jhpiego promotes Affirmative Action for minorities, women, individuals who are disabled, and veterans.

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