POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH SCIENTIST

Our client, The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC) is a premier research-to-policy institution, generating evidence, strengthening research and related capacity in the African research and development ecosystem, and engaging policy to inform action on health and development. The Center is Africa-based and African-led, with its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, and a West Africa Regional Office (WARO), in Dakar, Senegal. APHRC seeks to drive change by developing strong African research leadership and promoting evidence informed decision-making (EIDM) across sub-Saharan Africa.

APHRC seeks to recruit a Post-Doctoral Research Scientist to support population and health related research. This position will be based in the West Africa Regional Office (WARO) in Dakar, Senegal.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide technical support in the development of information systems and offer methodological and analytical guidance to research teams.


• Lead and support the development of research proposals and fundraising efforts for immunization and broader health and population research projects.


• Offer statistical guidance to researchers in proposal development and manuscript preparation.


• Supervise and mentor junior staff on tasks such as data analysis, proposal design, scientific writing, and information systems development.


• Lead literature reviews and guide junior staff in conducting them.


• Oversee the recruitment, training, and supervision of field teams and the development of field and training manuals.


• Ensure timely acquisition of ethical approvals and research permits.


• Manage fieldwork implementation to ensure data quality and adherence to timelines.


• Support community engagement and mobilization related to research activities.


• Contribute to technical and donor project reports, and the production of policy briefs, fact sheets, and other knowledge translation outputs.


• Engage in policy dialogue, contribute to strategic planning, and represent the Center in technical working groups, high-level forums, and expert committees at national, regional, and international levels.


• Begin to establish a personal research agenda aligned with APHRC’s thematic priorities.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• PhD in Demography, Population Studies, Public Health, Sociology, Statistics, Data Science, Econometrics, or related disciplines.


• Minimum of 2 years of relevant post-doctoral experience in population and health research.


• Proven experience in quantitative analysis, including management and interpretation of large datasets (e.g., DHS, MICS).


• Proficiency in statistical packages such as Stata, R, or equivalent.


• Strong track record of scientific writing and peer-reviewed publications using rigorous analytical methods.


• Experience in developing successful research proposals; evidence of previous grant success is an advantage.


• Demonstrated ability to manage field-based research and coordinate surveys.


• Familiarity with Health Management Information Systems (DHIS2) is an added advantage.


• Experience working on immunization programs or research is highly desirable.


• Experience conducting desk reviews and literature syntheses.


• Competence in political economy or qualitative research methods and tools (e.g., NVivo) is an added advantage.


• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and mentorship skills with the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment.


• Experience working in Francophone West Africa.


• Fluency in French (spoken and written) is required; working knowledge of English is also required.

Interested candidates are invited to submit their application in English and include:

-A letter of application

-A statement of research interests and goals (1-2 pages); and

-CV with contact details of three referees

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  Shortlisted candidates will be required to have a Police Clearance Certificate.

APHRC is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to the protection of vulnerable persons.