University of Oxford & University of Cape Town: Post-Graduate Researcher

The University of Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Intervention and the University of Cape Town seek to appoint a doctoral student or post-doctoral Researcher to play a major role in the Sinovuyo Caring Families Project, based in Cape Town.

The Sinovuyo Caring Families project involves the development and evaluation of an evidence-based parenting programme to reduce the risk of child maltreatment in Cape Town, South Africa. It will include cultural adaptation of evidence-based parenting principles from a community-based participatory approach and a randomised controlled trial evaluation with isiXhosa families.

This position will include managing, planning, and carrying out intervention development, data analysis, and manuscript writing. The Researcher will also serve as Co-Project Manager assisting in the implementation of the research project.
Individuals affiliated with a historically disadvantaged institution in South Africa are encouraged to apply.

This position will fund either a full-time three-year doctoral degree or a two-year post-doctoral associate.

Responsibilities:

Research

• Co-Project Manager of research evaluation;
• Review related literature and past work;
• Specify questions to be addressed in terms of process evaluation, cost effectiveness, and cultural suitability, including statistical or qualitative approaches to be applied;
• Design and conduct/oversee data collection and analysis;
• Co-authoring journal articles or reports.

Administrative

• Coordinate project activities with project manager in situations where the roles of project principal and project manager are shared by two people;
• As Project Manager - develop project activities, timelines and budgets; monitor progress of these; coordinate project activities across divisions; orient, train and supervise mid-level and junior staff on project work; assist with reports to funders; archive completed projects; and
• Manage work with consultants, collaborating organisations, and partner agencies in South Africa or internationally as needed.

Other

• Participate in various aspects of project development, including idea generation, budget estimates, proposal drafting and review, and interaction with funders; and
• Maintain informal and formal relationships with colleagues in relevant fields.

Requirements:

• Current relationship with a supervisor in social sciences or public health at a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa;
• Knowledge of evidence-based social research, child and family psychology, parenting programmes, cultural adaptations of interventions, grounded theory community-based approaches, and child maltreatment;
• Experience in carrying out research on child and family mental health in South Africa and related issues (HIV/AIDS, education, intimate partner violence, parenting), their determinants and consequences, and related program and policy issues;
• Training and experience in some of the following areas: a) Statistical, demographic, epidemiological, and health economics methods; b) Survey methods, including survey design, fielding, data processing and analysis; and c) Qualitative research methods;
• Experience in manuscript writing and presentation; prior publication record desirable;
• Interest in policy-relevant evidence-based research;
• Project management and planning skills; adherence to schedules and budgets;
• Excellent writing, editing and verbal communication skills in English;
• Written and verbal proficiency in another South African language is desirable;
• Strong organisational skills to manage multiple priorities in a time-sensitive manner;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with ability to interact culturally, linguistically, and diplomatically with diverse internal and external individuals;
• Ability to work as part of a team; originality and creativity;
• Initiative, self-motivation, resourcefulness, dependability, strong attention to detail.

Starting date: 1 August 2012 or closest possible date.

Salary: This is a research position. Funding will cover either three-year doctoral study or two-year post-doctoral post. Stipends will be paid at standard doctoral or post-doctoral National Research Foundation rates as of 2012.

To apply, submit a CV and initial expression of interest to Dr Lucie Cluver at lucie.cluver@spi.ox.ac.uk.

Please quote the source of this advertisement in your application - NGO Pulse Portal.

For more about the University of Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Intervention, refer to www.cebi.ox.ac.uk.

For more about the University of Cape Town, refer to www.uct.ac.za.

For other vacancies in the NGO sector, refer to www.ngopulse.org/vacancies.

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