Position Title: Data scientist

Reports to: Chair, Centre for Population Health

Department: Centre for Population Health, University of Global Health Equity (UGHE)

Location: University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), Butaro campus with occasional travel to Kigali, Rwanda

Program overview

The Centre for Population Health (CPH) at UGHE serves as a hub for field research, education, training, and community service to improve population health in Rwanda and beyond. Its flagship program, the Human Development and Demographic Surveillance System (HD2SS), established in rural Butaro in September 2025, functions as a primary field research platform for UGHE and external collaborators. The HD2SS generates longitudinal data on disease patterns and exposures, assesses the epidemiological and socio-demographic impacts of health conditions, and monitors trends in key human development indicators, among other outcomes.

Position overview:

The data scientist will be the technical lead of the Human Development and Demographic Surveillance System (HD2SS), responsible for database design, data pipeline development, and data systems maintenance. This is a broad, hands-on role requiring the ability to move between long-term development work, immediate operational needs, and research tasks.

The ideal candidate has strong programming skills, experience with database design, a command of quantitative methods, and the drive to serve as the link between field operations, data processing, and research.

Roles and responsibilities

Data engineering and systems:

• Manage, modify, and expand HD2SS’ PostgreSQL relational database to meet the program’s long-term data collection needs.
• Oversee the extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) of survey data. This includes developing new extraction and processing scripts and running the ETL pipeline on a daily basis.
• Implement a technical system to track vital events (births, deaths including cause of death using verbal autopsy, migrations) and link HD2SS data with external health facility records.
• Support the UGHE IT team in managing secure server and regularly backing up data.
  

Field operations and data management:

• Support the HD2SS research and data team in the development and field implementation of data capture tools (specifically Survey Solutions).
• Strengthen protocols for data cleaning, quality control, and maintenance of unique study identifiers.
• Regularly meet with the research team and field data collectors to address data quality issues and improve data capture system.
• Collaborate with the HD2SS research team, cohort manager, and external partners (e.g., research stakeholders) to establish data collection procedures.
• Create tools or applications for the data team to perform routine data corrections, such as merging duplicate records.

Data analysis and research

• Contribute to data analysis for publications, grant applications, presentations, and reports.
• Prepare clean, well-documented datasets for analysis and publications.
• Generate data visualizations and tabulations to support research activities.
• Implement algorithms for data de-duplication and linkages.
  

Training and academic support

• Collaborate closely with the HD2SS research team to strengthen capacity in data management and analysis.
• Support MBBS and MGHD students through teaching assistance, particularly practicum support.
• Supervise and train interns and research team on data quality assurance
• Engage in project meetings and support the missions of the CPH and the Institute of Global Health Equity Research at UGHE to advance the science and practice of population health.
• Other responsibilities assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications

Required:

• Education and experience
  • Master’s degree or above in computer science, statistics, or a related field with a strong quantitative and programming focus. (Equivalent experience may substitute for master’s degree.)
  • 3+ years of hands-on experience in database design and data pipeline development, preferably in a research or public health settings.
  • Strong programming skills, particularly in Python and SQL.
  • Experience with relational database design and management.
    
• Competencies
  • Ability to turn research objectives into technical tasks and independently execute on them, and to clearly communicate the tradeoffs and implications of different technical decisions to research colleagues.
  • Ability to translate epidemiological and quantitative research concepts into technical decisions around database design and data pipeline development.
  • Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data quality.
  • Ability to respond to changing research needs and technical challenges, and to envision systems for long-term data collection and management.
  • Ability to work under pressure, meet tight deadlines, and manage competing priorities.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
    

Preferred:

• Experience working with complex, longitudinal datasets.
• Demonstrable knowledge of data collection processes and challenges.
• Familiarity with survey design.
• Experience working in a low- or middle-income country research or health system setting.
• Written and oral communication skills in Kinyarwanda.
• Familiarity with Survey Solutions data collection software.
• Experience with Git or other version control systems.

To Apply

Applicants should provide: (1) a resume, (2) a cover letter, (3) names and contact information of three professional references who can attest to work experience, and (4) copies of all degrees earned. In your cover letter, please describe your most relevant technical experiences and explain what motivates you to apply for this position. Please upload your cover letter and copies of degrees as a single PDF file under "Additional Files" on the application page.

Organization profile

The University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) is on a mission to radically change the way health care is delivered around the world. UGHE is a new university based in Rwanda that is growing the next generation of global health professionals—doctors, nurses, researchers, and public health and policy experts—into leaders and change makers who strive to deliver more equitable, quality health services for all. The University launched in Rwanda in September 2015 with the Master of Science in Global Health Delivery (MGHD).

Through an academic experience uniquely rooted in the values of equity, students are empowered to both ease suffering at the bedside and drive transformational, systemic changes to the health system. UGHE is an initiative of Partners In Health (PIH), an internationally recognized non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care.

In over nearly three decades of operating alongside public sectors in countries around the world, PIH has developed a model to deliver high quality healthcare to some of the world’s most marginalized communities. Nowhere has this impact been more profound than in Rwanda, where Inshuti Mu Buzima—PIH’s sister organization—and our government partners have driven innovation for a decade.

Members of the UGHE community are tenacious and resolute in our drive to attain social justice, make common cause with those in need, listen to and learn from others, and operate with honesty and humility as we uphold academic integrity and intellectual curiosity. The UGHE team seeks individuals committed to these values to join the team. Partners In Health is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Commitment to Safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment:

At UGHE, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including community members – as well as our students, contractors, staff and visitors to our campus are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and any form of systemic abuse, whilst reducing risk and vulnerabilities. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with UGHE’s policy.

UGHE will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of fraud, harassment, sexual harassment and any form of systemic abuse or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.