LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL
MEDICINE
FACULTY OF EPIDEMIOLOGY & POPULATION
HEALTH
DEPARTMENT OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY
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RESEARCH PROGRAMMES ASSISTANT, MATERNAL HEALTH GROUP
The Maternal Health Group at LSHTM is seeking an enthusiastic Research
Programmes Assistant with knowledge and experience of communications and
project administration, to support MHG’s research team, as well as the Maternal
Healthcare Markets Evaluation Team (MET).
The post-holder will assist with the production of a wide range of communications
materials, and will maintain MHG and MET websites and social media accounts.
They will take responsibility for organising meetings and events, and manage travel
arrangements for research teams, including booking flights and accommodation, and
arranging visas. They will also support administrative processes, such as invoicing
and expense claims.
We are looking for candidates with proven experience of project administration in an
international organisation, including arranging international travel. Experience of
communications, including online and social media, is essential, along with excellent
written and oral skills and the ability to present information in a clear and logical
format. Knowledge of written/spoken French is essential. An interest in international
health and developing countries is highly desirable.
The post is available immediately and is funded until 31st December 2016 in the first
instance. It is a full-time post, on the Professional Support Pathway Grade 3,
£24,065 – £27,284 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience.
Applications should be made on-line via our website jobs.lshtm.ac.uk. The reference
for this post is RPA-MHG. Applications should include the names and email contacts
of 2 referees who can be contacted immediately if shortlisted. Any queries regarding
the application process may be addressed to jobs@lshtm.ac.uk.
FURTHER PARTICULARS
THE SCHOOL
The London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research
and postgraduate education in public and global health. Our mission is to improve health and
health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public
and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice.
Founded in 1899 by Sir Patrick Manson, the School has expanded in recent years at its two
main sites on Keppel Street and Tavistock Place. The School’s multidisciplinary expertise
includes clinicians, epidemiologists, statisticians, social scientists, molecular biologists and
immunologists, and we work with partners worldwide to support the development of teaching
and research capacity.
Research income has grown to over £85 million per year from national and international
funding sources including the UK government, the European Commission, the Wellcome
Trust and philanthropic sources.
Education programmes have grown to more than 1,000 London-based Master’s and
Research students, 2,900 studying Master’s by distance learning and 1,000 on short courses
and continuous professional development. We have also launched a series of free online
courses, and more than 15,000 people registered on the first of these, Ebola in context. Our
staff, students and alumni work in more than 150 countries in government, academia,
international agencies and health services.
The School is highly ranked in various university league tables. It was named the world’s
leading research-focused graduate school in the Times Higher Education World Rankings in
2013. In 2014, it was ranked in the top 10 universities in the world for citation rate by the new
EU-supported U-Multirank database, fourth in the world for impact in medical sciences by
the Leiden Ranking and third in the world for social science and public health in the US
News Best Global Universities Ranking. According to the results of the UK government’s
Research Excellence Framework, published in December 2014, the School was ranked
second overall (after the Institute for Cancer Research) on the key measure of impact.
THE FACULTY
The Faculty of Epidemiology & Population Health (EPH) houses a large group of
epidemiologists, demographers, statisticians and nutritionists working on issues of major
public health importance in the UK and globally. EPH has approximately 400 staff members
organised into four research departments.
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Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Department of Medical Statistics
Department of Non-communicable Disease Epidemiology
Department of Population Health
The Faculty has a teaching programme consisting of ten MSc courses: Epidemiology,
Demography and Health, Medical Statistics, Public Health in Developing Countries (run
jointly with the Faculties of Infectious & Tropical Diseases and Public Health & Policy),
Nutrition for Global Health, Reproductive & Sexual Health Research, Veterinary
Epidemiology (run jointly with the Royal Veterinary College), Global Mental Health (run
jointly with Kings College London - Institute of Psychiatry) and the Distance Learning
courses in Epidemiology and Clinical Trials. The Faculty also has approximately 120
research students studying for an MPhil, PhD or DrPH degree.
The Dean of Faculty is Professor John Edmunds.
THE DEPARTMENT
Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology conducts research on the epidemiology
and control of infectious diseases of public health importance. It also conducts research on
maternal and neonatal health. Work is carried out in low, middle and high income countries,
including the United Kingdom. Research ranges from ecological studies of variations in
disease frequency in different populations, through observational case-control and cohort
studies to define risk factors for disease, to randomized controlled trials to test the impact of
specific preventive and curative interventions. The Department Head is Dr. Veronique Filippi.
THE MATERNAL HEALTH GROUP
The Maternal Health Group in the Department of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiolgy was
created in 1989 and expanded in 2015 to include the Newborn Health and Stillbirth Team at
LSHTM. The group works also closely alongside the Maternal Adolescent Reproductive and
Child Health, MARCH centre.
The Maternal and Newborn Health Group carries out research to contribute to the international
debate and key policy, measurement and evaluation issues related to the health of young
children and their mothers. The multidisciplinary research team is made up of epidemiologists,
anthropologists, statisticians, economists, demographers, and clinicians such as medical
doctors, midwives, and nurses. The research done by the group is conducted within research
consortia or with partners in the UK and overseas who have established reputations in the field.
THE MATERNAL HEALTHCARE MARKETS EVALUATION TEAM (MET)
The Merck for Mothers initiative focuses on three main pillars: access to proven solutions,
product innovation and awareness and advocacy. With funding from Merck for Mothers, the
MET is conducting research on the private health sector’s role in delivering maternal health
care and evaluating select Merck for Mothers-supported interventions under the access pillar.
In an effort to contribute knowledge to advance the maternal health field, the evaluation will
generate evidence on the use, quality, equity, and market dynamics of private maternal health
services, and whether interventions, such as social franchising, can increase access to
lifesaving care for all women.
THE POST
The Research Programmes Assistant will assist with the production of a wide range of
communications materials, and will maintain MHG and MET websites and social media
accounts. They will take responsibility for organising meetings and events, and manage travel
arrangements, as well as help the smooth running of MHG and MET by assisting with project
administration.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Post: Research Programmes Assistant, Maternal Health Group
Responsible to: Programme Manager, Maternal Health Group (MHG)/Programme
Manager, Maternal Healthcare Markets Evaluation Team (MET)
Grade: Professional Support Pathway Grade 3
Detailed responsibilities will include:
Programme administration
•
To organise and facilitate project and Group meetings – prepare meeting agendas,
supporting materials, minute and track action points.
•
To manage travel arrangements for research teams, including flights,
accommodation, visas, advances and travel insurance;
•
To make arrangements for Group visitors, including booking travel and
accommodation;
•
To help organise face to face and virtual meetings and workshops with partners,
project funders and grantees, including logistics and preparing;
•
To process invoices and reimbursements, and to keep records of incurred expenses
by grants;
•
To process orders for general office supplies, allocating expenditure as agreed.
Communications
•
To assist with the production of communications materials, such as flyers,
presentations and reports, conference materials, blog posts, and online news stories,
and assist with comms analytics
•
To maintain web-pages using the School content management system and/or
Wordpress, including writing and publishing content and managing social media
accounts
•
To act as a central point of contact for travel agencies, venue providers, workshop
participants;
•
To upload project information in Teaming or other online collaboration platform and
communicate updates with overseas partners;
•
To assist in preparing quarterly project reports to donors;
•
To keep an updated Group calendar
General
•
To provide cover for other administrative staff in IDE where appropriate;
•
To build and maintain good relationships with LSHTM staff;
•
To respond to requests from Departmental and Faculty Operating Officers on matters
relating to School administration;
•
To undertake other duties as requested.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Essential and desirable qualifications and skills for this post are as follows. It is recognised
that candidates may not fulfil all of the desirable requirements.
Essential requirements
•
Proven experience of project administration in an international organisation;
•
Proven experience of organising events and international travel;
•
Proven experience of maintaining web-pages and a good working knowledge of
content management systems such as wordpress;
•
Excellent knowledge and experience of communications using social media;
•
Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to establish and maintain effective
working relationships in a multicultural and multi-disciplinary environment together
with the ability to communicate at all levels;
•
Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to present information in a
clear and logical format;
•
Knowledge of written/spoken French;
•
Excellent IT skills including use of word processing packages, spreadsheets,
databases, and electronic record keeping;
•
Ability to work independently and as part of a team;
•
High level of personal motivation and flexibility;
•
Ability to be aware of and maintain confidentiality when necessary.
Desirable requirements
•
Experience of professional support work within a higher education institution or
similar environment;
•
Familiarity with Teaming or similar communication platform;
•
Interest in international health and developing countries.
The post is available immediately and is funded until 31st December 2016 in the first
instance. It is a full-time post, on the Professional Support Pathway Grade 3, £24,065 –
£27,284 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience. The post will be subject to
the LSHTM terms and conditions of service. Membership of the Saul Pension Scheme is
available.
APPLICATIONS
Applications should be made on-line at our website at jobs.lshtm.ac.uk. The reference for
this post is RPA-MHG. Online applications will be accepted by the automated system until
midnight on of the closing date. Any queries regarding the application process may be
addressed to jobs@lshtm.ac.uk or telephone 0207 927 2201
The supporting statement section should set out how your qualifications, experience and
training meet each of the selection criteria. Please provide one or more paragraphs
addressing each criterion. The supporting statement is an essential part of the selection
process and thus a failure to provide this information will mean that the application will not be
considered. An answer to any of the criteria such as "Please see attached CV" will not be
considered acceptable. Please note that if you are shortlisted and are unable to attend on
the interview date it may not be possible to offer you an alternative date.
The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is committed to being an equal
opportunities employer.