The MENTOR Initiative is a UK registered charitable, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization working globally to relieve human suffering from tropical diseases. With support from BHA-PUI, USDA and UNF, The MENTOR Initiative is implementing Emergency Control of Malaria amongst high malarious areas in Borno state. The MENTOR Initiative works in close partnership with the MoH in Nigeria to build technical capacity and effective planning and responses to malaria and other VBDs.
Overall, Job Purpose: To assist the Research team, Operational Research study coordinator.
Location: Maiduguri, with occasional travel to other bases
Reporting to: Operational Research Study Coordinator
JOB DESCRIPTION
Job title: Operational Research Officer – Entomology
Location: Maiduguri office, Maiduguri IDP camps|Reporting to: Operational Research Study Coordinator – Maiduguri, or his delegated officer, for all daily study activities and responsibilities.
Reporting to: Country Director – Nigeria, for non-study responsibilities (security, behaviour etc).
The Nigeria country team will receive continuous research oversight and support from the HQ Operational Research Team, and it is anticipated that this will include periodic study site visits.
This research study will evaluate the protective efficacy of two novel tools to reduce Aedes mosquitos in humanitarian crisis settings: Sumilarv 2MR (manufactured by Sumitomo Chemical) and JennyPro bait station (manufactured by Westham). Sumilarv is a plastic disk placed in water containers which releases an insect growth regulator against mosquito larvae living in water. The JennyPro stations are designed to attract the mosquito and then kill it.
We are looking to fill a position for an Operational Research Officer (Entomology) with entomological research in field settings, and with entomology field team management experience. It will be a full-time position starting ASAP until March 2025 (with the possibility of 1 or 2 months extension). The postholder will work closely with and be responsible to the Operational Research Study Coordinator – Maiduguri, and under his direction will be responsible for the daily management of entomological monitoring activities in study arms and also follow up field laboratory activities as per the study protocol
Summary of duties and responsibilities
You will become totally familiar with and help to ensure the high quality implementation of, the approved research study protocol in all of its precision and detail.
Working under the direction of the Operational Research Study Coordinator you will help the in the following:
- Continuously review the study protocol’s defined entomological research activities in the field and laboratory, monitoring mosquito collections in IDP camps, in order to help identify challenges, delays or other risks to the study implementation time table or quality
- Regular communication between the field team and Operational Research Study Coordinator (translation English, Hausa, other local languages)
- Advise as needed on local procurement of entomological study materials, where needed.
- Ensure the maintenance of all field entomological equipment and materials
- Communication with other NGOs and stakeholders working in the camps to explain the study and ensure that no other vector control activities are implemented in study arms.
- Facilitating local regulatory processes, liaison with camp managers and community leaders, and obtaining permissions from local authorities for programme and research activities.
- Manage study field staff in their daily activities in the study sites
- Related administrative tasks, as directed.
Working under the direction of the Operational Research Study Coordinator you be responsible for the daily implementation of the following:
- Ensure that all the field study staff have clear job descriptions that relate to the delivery of relevant study activities and responsibilities.
- Ensure that field study staff are given a full briefing on the overall study activities
- Ensure that field staff understand their specific terms of reference and are capable and well trained to deliver the activities and responsibilities for which they have been contracted.
- Ensure briefing and regular updates of camp managers and other stakeholders where these are involved in, have responsibilities for, other activities within the MENTOR study area, to ensure high levels of understanding, acceptance of the study protocol, non implementation of alternative vector control actions in study sites, and these partners overall support.
- Maintain close contact, study awareness and collaboration with community leaders to facilitate the research activities.
- Ensure study communities and households are fully briefed on the study activities and its aims.
- Ensure that written consent is requested and recorded by all levels of study participants, as per the study protocol.
- Assisting in the development of technical materials such as Standard Operating Procedures, training protocols, work protocols and data collection forms, in the working languages appropriate to the context, as needed for the successful implementation of programme and research activities.
- Supervision the research field staff to ensure that all entomological study activities in the field (CDC light traps, Prokopack aspirators, larval collections in water containers) are conducted and completed as specified in the study protocol.
- Supervision of the research field staff to ensure accurate and reliable data collection in the field, timely and complete data reporting as specified in the study protocol for onward data entry and analysis by the study data officer.
- Ensure morpholigical identification of insect samples and correct preparation of samples for storage.
- Ensure daily accountability and responsibility of the field team.
- Participate in evaluation processes.
As the MENTOR Initiative is working in a constantly changing humanitarian aid environment, reasonable specific work duties may be requested that may not fit into the above job description, but which will help promote over all programs goals and aims. Similarly, while work on weekend will not normally be required, requests to do so should be regarded as falling within the 40hr working week stipulated within the MENTOR-Initiative’s standard working contract, of which this job description forms a part.
Essential qualifications and experience required:
- Bachelor’s degree preferably in Entomology, Biology or a closely related subject
- 3-5 years successful working experience managing/co-ordinating field teams in a related subject area
- Demonstratable strong field entomology and entomological monitoring experience for mosquitoes species using standardised WHO proticols (including larvae/pupae monitoring and collection, use of CDC light traps and Prokopack aspirators.
- Demonstratable capacity to set up and manage basic insect larval hatching in a field laboratory setting
- Demonstrable capacity to morphologically identify a range of mosquito species of public health concern.
- Fluency in English, Hausa and Kanuri is required.
Submit applications before the 7th of June 2024, by e-mail to: [email protected] or hard copy to: The MENTOR Initiative; or The MENTOR Initiative Field office in
Send your application with Subject Line “Operational Research Officer – Maiduguri”
Both male and female candidates can apply.
