Senior Research Specialist

Job Advert Summary

• The Public Health, Societies and Belonging PHSB research division within the HSRC employs a multi-disciplinary group of social scientists and public health specialists who conduct numerous empirical and policy-related studies each year, three-quarters of which are donor-funded. PHSB conducts transdisciplinary, intersectional, policy and programme-relevant research to improve health, well-being and promote a socially just and cohesive society.
• PHSB division is in all HSRC offices in Pretoria, Cape Town and Pietermaritzburg. The division seeks to appoint one 1 Senior Research Specialist to join a dynamic team of researchers in the HSRC community. The incumbent will be based in one of the HSRC offices.

Minimum Requirements Key requirements:

The candidate must have

• A Doctorate NQF level 10 in Social Sciences, Public Health, Epidemiology, or Biostatistics.
• An established research career as evidenced by publication. At least seven 7 peer reviewed publications in accredited academic journals some of which are first/sole authored.
• At least a minimum of Six 6 years in research and management experience is needed, preferably in a research institution or a university;
• Demonstrated experience in managing and coordinating research programmes.
• An interest in one of the priority research areas of PHSB will be an advantage;
• A sound grounding in research methods, especially quantitative approaches;
• Strength in epidemiological research methods and design;
• Sound knowledge of and experience in quantitative data management and data analysis skills
• Proficiency in or working experience with some of the following data software packages: STATA, R, SPSS, SAS or other relevant statistical packages;
• A strong user orientation, based on a commitment to addressing public health issues;
• The ability and enthusiasm to engage as a leader and team player in large-scale multi-disciplinary research, to lead and manage research teams, and to mentor and train their members;
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment;
• Good communication and leadership skills;
• An excellent networking and fundraising track record;

The HSRC will only consider applications that comply with the above requirements.

Duties & Responsibilities Key responsibilities:

• The Senior Research Specialist will be expected to participate in all aspects of the research process as he/she works with staff on research projects. In addition to the responsibility to publish journal articles, a Senior Research Specialist will contribute to the sustainable growth of the PHSB research programme.
• Leading and conducting high level scholarly research using quantitative and qualitative methodologies which meet the challenge of peer review, and has both strategic and policy relevance;
• Responding to calls for proposals and formulating grant applications;
• Delivering high-quality results and reports to budget and deadline;
• Communicating research findings in national and international conferences, publishing papers in refereed journals as well as publishing policy briefs and technical reports
• Providing epidemiological and biostatistical expertise into projects;
• Networking with major users and funders of Public Health research to understand their research needs;
• Building national and international research links;
• Ability and willingness to mentor young researchers is also a key responsibility;
• Contributing to all the Key Performance Areas and Key Performance Indicators of the PHSB research programme.

Deadline:2nd October,2026