Environment & Health Data Scientist, Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (Ethiopia Posting)

About the Job

Environment & Health Data Scientist, Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (Ethiopia)

Vital Strategies is an international public health organization strengthening public health systems and addressing leading causes of illness, injury, and death. Working in 73 countries, we support data-driven decision making, advance evidence-based policies, and run strategic communication campaigns focused on areas including environmental health and vital statistics systems building. Vital Strategies is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. Learn more at www.vitalstrategies.org.

Lead Poisoning Prevention Program:

Vital Strategies is expanding its program addressing lead poisoning in low- and middle-income countries, collaborating with governments across Africa, Asia, and Latin America to strengthen health systems, build local expertise, and support cost-effective policies to reduce childhood lead exposure.

Job Purpose:

The Environment & Health Data Scientist will serve as the data science specialist supporting the development of integrated data systems to inform public health planning and policy. The role develops tools, guidance, and data platforms that integrate health, environmental, and population information to assess lead exposure risk. Responsibilities include creating toolkits, inventorying data sources, aligning and automating datasets, overseeing local contractors, supporting data integration, and facilitating data sharing with governments and global teams.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Data Integration and Analysis

• Develop tools to identify and inventory global and local health data systems and multi-sectoral data sources.
• Review and summarize models of effective integrated environment/health data systems for country adoption.
• Work with epidemiologists and country teams to develop global and country-specific indicators and indices for lead exposure risk.
• Provide technical support to access, align, and integrate health, environmental, social, economic, and demographic data from ministries and agencies.
• Develop a model metadata tool for national data systems.
• Design and maintain analytical datasets, reports, dashboards, and visualization tools (Power BI, Excel, R Markdown, Tableau) for internal and external use.
• Define database structures, relationships, and workflows for BLL and related epidemiologic, demographic, and environmental data.
• Guide country teams on data quality assessment, cleaning, and validation.
• Collaborate to align architecture standards with existing health and environmental information systems (e.g., SINAN, SIASUS, SISOLO, SISAGUA).

Stakeholder Engagement

• Collaborate with international NGOs and initiative partners holding relevant data.
• Work with authorities and cross-sector stakeholders to raise awareness of lead-related initiatives.
• Coordinate stakeholders to ensure timely communication and program progress.
• Participate in technical working groups and contribute to program discussions.
• Communicate results clearly to technical and non-technical audiences (health officials, labs, health workers, policymakers).

Technical Support

• Provide analytical and methodological guidance for data system development and maintenance.
• Assist in formulating national strategies and action plans for data integration.
• Support training sessions and workshops on data integration and surveillance.
• Contribute to capacity strengthening to enhance local analytical competencies.

Program Implementation and Coordination

• Collaborate with global teams to monitor and report on data integration implementation.
• Support planning and coordination of data collection, data flow, and information management.
• Disseminate findings through presentations, meetings, and publications.
• Deliver analytical outputs aligned with project milestones and government reporting needs.
• Carry out other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications:

Education

• Master’s degree in computer science, data science, information technology, statistics, public health, or a related field.

Skills and Abilities

• Proficiency in defining database structures, relational schemas, and workflows for complex multi-sectoral datasets (health, environmental, demographic).
• Ability to align data architecture standards across disparate governmental systems (e.g., SINAN, SIASUS).
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent communication and visualization skills to present complex data clearly.
• Ability to collaborate with epidemiologists to translate health risks into measurable indices.
• Experience navigating relationships with Ministries, NGOs, and laboratory teams and communicating results to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience providing analytical guidance to field teams and facilitating trainings/workshops.
• Experience contributing to national action plans and data integration strategies.
• High initiative, organization, and problem-solving ability.
• Professional proficiency in English (oral and written); ability to work in multidisciplinary, multicultural teams; experience working with governments is a plus.

Experience

• Required: Minimum 6–7 years professional experience in computer science, data science, IT, data analysis, and/or health surveillance applied to public or environmental health; experience managing and analyzing large or surveillance datasets; working with government health or environmental departments; using data warehousing and visualization tools (Microsoft Azure/Fabric, SQL Server, Power BI, Tableau, Shiny); and using statistical software (R, SAS, SPSS, Stata).
• Preferred: Experience with global/regional/national health information systems (e.g., DHIS2) and cross-sectoral datasets; toolkit development and capacity building; geospatial data and spatial analysis (QGIS, ArcGIS); advanced R, Python, and/or SQL; applying AI tools to quantitative data; partnership experience with governmental institutions and international organizations.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements

• Role-based in Ethiopia on a full-time hybrid schedule from Vital Strategies’ Addis Ababa office; open to qualified candidates from the US and India (hired via respective country offices if applicable).
• Candidates must be authorized to work legally in the hiring country at time of hire.
• Position requires availability for international travel for partner meetings and field activities and willingness to work across time zones.
• Vital Strategies offers competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits.

Skills Required:

• Computer / Software / It / Data