Technology and Data Manager
JOB from D-tree International
Who we are
D-tree International is a leading digital health organization. We work to improve the quality of health systems in low and middle-income countries by exploiting digital technology in innovative ways. We are an interdisciplinary organization, working at the intersection of global health and technology. Expertise in both domains is essential to design and deploy systems which are both appropriate to particular contexts and effective in improving health outcomes. D-tree has been working in Zanzibar since 2010 on projects focused on maternal and child health. In close collaboration with the Zanzibar Ministry of Health, D-tree has trained more than 400 Community Health Volunteers (CHVs) who serve more than 80% of the population as part of the Safer Deliveries program. D-tree has scaled up this program throughout all of Zanzibar to support Community Health Volunteers to utilize digital tools to provide high quality care to pregnant women to encourage facility deliveries and postpartum follow up in order to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. Data generated as a by-product of the care delivered is visualized on program dashboards and supervisory apps to support the Ministry of Health to use data for decision-making and improve program management and planning.

Building on the success of the Safer Deliveries program, D-tree anticipates receiving two additional grants to expand and institutionalize the digital platform in Zanzibar. Over the next three years, D-tree will support the Ministry of Health in integrating child health counseling, care, and referrals into the digital health platform to support CHVs in providing care to under-five children. Additionally, we will adapt the platform for Zanzibar’s urban population and introduce the program into Zanzibar’s Urban district and urban parts of neighboring West District. As we expand the health content and geographical coverage of our program, we will significantly increase the number of CHVs involved in our program—from 400 to 1,300. Finally, we will partner with community health and health system strengthening partners to support the Ministry of Health in laying the foundation for institutionalizing the digital health platform. This includes supporting the MOH in developing guidance around community health volunteers, building MOH capacity to absorb responsibility for the digital health platform, and devising sustainable financing and management mechanisms.

 
Who you are
We are seeking a full-time Technology and Data Manager, based in Stone Town, Zanzibar, to work closely with the Program Director and manage technical aspects of the expanded Safer Deliveries program portfolio. This is a dynamic and challenging role requiring an individual who is scientifically or mathematically inclined and possesses strong data analysis skills.

You are someone who is always curious and an independent worker. You are just as comfortable learning new software platforms as you are meeting health workers in a village to understand the user experience. You are driven by analytical thinking and have a passion for using technology to improve health systems. You are passionate about data and are comfortable navigating, cleaning, and analyzing large data sets. You are someone who can also clearly communicate about complex technical topics to non-scientific or statistical audiences in order to make the digital platform and data accessible to program partners. You do not need to have computer programming or IT experience, but should be enthusiastic about software and technology and willing to learn new skills to support the team.

What you will do
You will be a key member of the D-tree team and an integral part of the Zanzibar office. Your main role will be to work with the Zanzibar Program Director and the D-tree technical team globally to manage all technical aspects of the Zanzibar portfolio. The portfolio includes: 1) the Safer Deliveries program, a four-year, Saving Lives at Birth funded cooperative agreement administered through USAID which runs through May 2019, 2) an 18 month Gates Grand Challenges immunizations pilot, 3) two anticipated awards (27 months and 36 months duration) that support the platform’s expansion to include child health and institutionalization within the government health system. You will work with of a team of nine – twelve staff in Unguja and Pemba to implement the technical aspects of the program and build capacity of Ministry of Health staff. Responsibilities can be grouped broadly into three major categories: 1) Technical management of the digital platform; 2) Management of field deployments, troubleshooting and data analysis; and 3) Capacity building of Ministry of Health staff.

Digital health platform
You will take a leading role in managing the digital health platform in Zanzibar, which is built on Mangologic software. This will include configuration and quality assurance for the mobile apps, and managing field deployments and user support processes.

• Configuration and quality assurance: You will learn to develop protocols, add logical dependencies and build apps in Mangologic. You will use your analytic skills coupled with an understanding of the on-the-ground reality to build tools and improve functionality with the end user in mind. As the technical lead, you will work closely with the program implementation team and the Mangologic team to specify and build new functionality for the platform. You will manage Quality Assurance processes to test and validate new functionalities and manage schedules for planned releases.
• Management of field deployments and user support processes: Working with the field implementation team, you will manage remote and in-person app updates and develop troubleshooting guidelines to decentralize user support as the program scales.

Data, dashboards & analysis
You will manage data visualization and analytics for the Zanzibar program. This will involve configuration and maintenance of the program dashboard and data mining and analysis of program data.

• Dashboard management: Using SQL, you will configure dashboards using Periscope Data software to support decision-making process by D-tree staff and the Ministry of Health. You will work with users to understand how best to represent data, and rapidly configure new analyses to meet stakeholder needs. While you do not necessarily need to have prior SQL experience, experience with some kind of coding language is strongly preferred
• Data analytics & data mining: In addition to supporting program dashboards, you will use data mining techniques to identify patterns and establish relationships in the data that may not be anticipated, and data analytics to answer specific questions about the data, all to improve programmatic decision-making.

Capacity building of Ministry of Health technical staff
A key aspect of our work is institutionalizing the Safer Deliveries program within government structures. This includes both operational and programmatic, as well as technical institutionalization. You will work closely with the Ministry’s Health Management Information Systems team to build their capacity to use and manage the digital health platform over time. You will also work closely with Mangologic software developers to support integration of Safer Deliveries data into the Ministry’s planned community health information system, using DHIS-2.

What we are looking for
We are looking for a motivated, passionate individual who is willing to wear multiple hats and do what it takes to make our programs succeed. The following attributes are a general overview, but we will consider individuals who do not meet all of the details below if you have the right skill set and attitude.

Essential qualifications

• Minimum 3-5 years’ work experience providing technical support to Information, Communications & Technology (ICT) programs
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field demonstrating computer science, analytical, and/or scientific skills (e.g. IT, computer science, data science, biostatistics, chemistry, physics, public health)
• Superior analytic skills; ability to think logically and rationally about problems
• Demonstrated experience coordinating details and processes amongst technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Experience building capacity of others to use technology
• Strong quantitative skills with the ability to analyze and interpret large data sets and measure impact
• Must be able to work independently, multi-task, collaborate with a distributed team, be persistent and work under tight deadlines with minimal supervision
• Excellent written and spoken English

Desired qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred
• Experience building mobile applications (or a strong desire to learn)
• Prior training and experience in data analysis software preferred (SQL, R, Stata, Excel)
• Experience living in a developing country strongly preferred
• Experience supporting development programs preferred
• Knowledge of Swahili preferred (if not, a strong willingness to learn is essential)

Personal characteristics

• A can-do attitude: You remain optimistic in the face of adversity and creatively solve problems to get things done.
• An exceptional communicator: You understand complex technical topics and are able to communicate them effectively to non-technical audiences.
• A systems thinker: You are able to understand linkages and interactions between individual components in a health system, and design solutions to strengthen the overall system.
• An innovator: You enjoy thinking outside of the box and want to use that thinking to solve pressing global health problems.
• A detail oriented & strategic thinker: You pay attention to small details and focus on quality and consistency, but also have the ability to see the big picture and think strategically.

HOW TO APPLY:
To apply for this role please follow the instructions below. Applications which do not meet these requirements will not be considered.

Email the following documents to jobs@d-tree.org 

1. Cover letter, clearly and concisely explaining how you meet each of the required skills and experience specified above
2. Your current Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume, showing your work history & achievements
3. Include subject: “Zanzibar Technology and Data Manager”