Zvitambo Institute Hiring: Multiple Job Vacancies (11 Posts)

# Zvitambo Institute Hiring: 11 Vacancies in Harare and Shurugwi - Apply by 4 November 2026 Z**Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research** is recruiting **11 employees across five positions** for the LIFE-ED project in Zimbabwe. The project, funded by the Gates Foundation, brings together researchers from Zimbabwe, India, Tanzania, Peru and Bangladesh to follow up young people who participated in research studies during early childhood. Zvitambo will conduct follow-up assessments of 500 children in Shurugwi and coordinate the project’s five-country data centre from Harare. ### Vacancy Info - **Organisation:** Zvitambo Institute for Maternal and Child Health Research - **Project:** LIFE-ED - **Locations:** Harare and Shurugwi, Zimbabwe - **Total Vacancies:** 11 - **Employment Type:** Full-time - **Contract Duration:** 12 months - **Closing Date:** 4 November 2026 - **Application Method:** Online application forms ## Available Positions ### 1. Driver - 2 Posts - **Location:** Shurugwi - **Contract:** 12 months - **Positions Available:** 2 **Job Purpose** Zvitambo is seeking two experienced drivers to conduct the LIFE-ED cohort study. LIFE-ED will undertake 1-day assessments on 500 children enrolled in the SHINE trial between 2012-2015, and who are now turning 12-13 years old. Children will attend a study clinic in Shurugwi for a series of tests, and need to be collected from their homes each morning, and dropped to their homes at the end of the research visit. **Main Duties** - Transport research participants and their caregivers to and from the study clinic - Undertake basic checks to identify the participants - Transport families safely in rural areas - Undertake other driving duties as required **Qualifications** - 5 ordinary levels - passes/subjects - Clean class 4 license (possession of class 2 is an added advantage) - Possession of a defensive driving certificate is an added advantage - Advanced mechanic training is an added advantage **Experience** - A minimum of 2 years continuous driving experience preferably in off-road environments. - Experience in Logistics department operations and fleet management is an added advantage **How to Apply** Applications must be submitted through the designated online form. - **Application heading:** Application for Driver - LIFE-ED. - **Apply here:** Driver Application Form - **Deadline: 4 November 2026** ### 2. Research Nurse - 4 Posts - **Location:** Shurugwi - **Contract:** 12 months - **Positions Available:** 4 **Job Purpose** Zvitambo is seeking four experienced research nurses to conduct the LIFE-ED cohort study. LIFE-ED will undertake 1-day assessments on 500 children enrolled in the SHINE trial between 2012-2015, and who are now turning 12-13 years old. Children will attend a study clinic in Shurugwi for a series of tests to assess cognitive function, mental health, physical function, cardiometabolic health, gut function and body composition. **Main Duties** - Sensitising children and their care givers about the study - Undertake written informed consent - Collect data from children and their caregivers - Undertake anthropometry and body composition assessments - Collect urine, blood and stool specimens - Undertake cognitive and mental health test batteries - Record all data on electronic CRFs - Refer children with clinical concerns - Respond to data queries - Maintaining proper documentation of all study procedures conducted **Qualifications** - Primary Care Nursing Certificate with valid practicing certificate and at least 5 year’s experience. - Commitment to working as part of a multidisciplinary research team - Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to communicate effectively with rural community members as well as clinic staff. - Excellent organisational skills - Strong motivational skills - Attention to detail in collection of data - Ability to work to strict deadlines. - Fluency in local language and English. - Computer literacy is an added advantage - Experience working in a research environment is an added advantage **How to Apply** - **Application heading:** Application for Research Nurse - LIFE-ED. - **Apply here:** Research Nurse Application Form - **Deadline: 4 November 2026** ### 3. Data Officer - 2 Posts - **Location:** Harare - **Contract:** 12 months - **Positions Available:** 2 **Job Purpose** Zvitambo is seeking two experienced Data Officers who will each manage research data systems for five LIFE-ED countries. The data officer will be the point of contact for each LIFE-ED country assigned them, ensuring that their data collection systems are developed and deployed effectively, helping to train local teams, reviewing real-time enrolment figures, undertaking QC of data quality, producing data summaries, raising and resolving data queries, and giving data feedback at meetings. **Main Duties** - Be the point of contact for each LIFE-ED country data team assigned them - Ensuring that data collection systems are developed and deployed effectively - Help to develop and test electronic data capture tools - Ensuring that the study management system and electronic data capture for each LIFE-ED sites is deployed and functional - Document, review and authorise system changes in accordance with approved procedures. - Ensure teams are fully trained and conversant in data-related study processes - Reviewing real-time enrolment figures, and producing data summaries - Undertaking QC of data quality, raising and resolving data queries - Ensure completeness checks, consistency checks, validation rules, missing data and discrepancy resolution. - Raise and resolve data queries with each country team - Maintain audit trails of data changes - Hold meetings to discuss emerging data - Giving data feedback at meetings. **Essential Qualifications and Experience** - Bachelor’s Degree or Diploma in quantitative field such as Statistics, Information Systems, Data Science, Computer Science or related field. - Hands-on experience in data collection, data management systems, and data quality assurance. - Strong team skills, and an ability to work across multiple cultures. - Excellent project management skills, with ability to prioritise tasks and deliver to deadline - Attention to detail in quality control procedures - Highly proficient in managing Electronic Data Capture systems - Well versed in regulatory frameworks governing clinical research, such as Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines. - Demonstrated ability to effectively work in multidisciplinary teams - Excellent oral and written communication skills in English - Keen understanding of the research ecosystem in Zimbabwe. **Desirable** - At least 3 years’ experience in research data management - Working in a research environment experience - Experience with multi-site studies - Experience with database querying - Data visualisation or reporting systems **How to Apply** - **Application heading:** Application for Data Officer - LIFE-ED. - **Apply here:** Data Officer Application Form - **Deadline: 4 November 2026** ### 4. Programmer - 2 Posts - **Location:** Harare - **Contract:** 12 months - **Positions Available:** 2 **Job Purpose** Zvitambo is seeking experienced Programmers who will develop study management systems and electronic data capture systems using RedCap for the LIFE-ED multi-country study. The programmer will join a team of three who are responsible for building all data systems for five LIFE-ED countries, ensuring that the systems are deployed effectively, helping to train local teams, and responding to queries to maintain and improve the system. **Main Duties** - Analyse user requirements and design data systems - Build/modify existing research study management system deployed at Zvitambo - Build electronic data capture systems using RedCap for the multi-site LIFE-ED study - Design data integration procedures for onboarding external data e.g. lab results - Maintain and upgrade the data systems as needed - Documenting testing, resolving defects and confirming system readiness before deployment. - Deploy and maintain developed data systems either in person or virtually - Develop documentation for the built data systems - Ensure teams are fully trained and conversant in the systems prior to deployment - Respond to suggestions and queries from end-users to ensure the systems are fit for purpose **Essential Qualifications and Experience** - Bachelor’s or Masters degree in Computer Science or related field - Proven ability to design, develop, deploy and maintain data systems including user support and ongoing improvements. - At least 3 years experience in full stack programming skills and building systems from scratch - Experience with Electronic Data Capturing system (ODK, Redcap, KoBoToolbox) - Ability to work to tight timelines - Excellent project management skills, with ability to prioritise tasks and deliver to deadline - Excellent oral and written communication skills in English - Demonstrated ability to effectively work in multidisciplinary teams and across cultures **Desirable** - Experience in designing data systems within research organisations. - Experience with REDCap or ODK, including configuration, hooks, external modules and APIs - Experience with ASP.NET Core, Angular, SQL Server and MySQL - Experience developing and integrating REST APIs - Experience with Azure and DevOps practices (e.g. CI/CD, version control with Git). - Attention to detail - Research sector experience **How to Apply** - **Application heading:** Application for Programmer - LIFE-ED. - **Apply here:** Programmer Application Form - **Deadline: 4 November 2026** ### 5. Data Management Coordinator - 1 Post - **Location:** Harare - **Contract:** 12 months - **Positions Available:** 1 **Job Purpose** Zvitambo is seeking an experienced and talented Data Coordinator who will coordinate the LIFE-ED Data Core activities across five countries. This role requires somebody who has a strong background in research data management and statistics/data science, combined with exemplary project management and communication skills. The Data Coordinator provides a link between the Data Core and each LIFE-ED study team. The post holder will work closely with the Associate Director for Data, IT and Statistics to launch the project, and will oversee a team of three programmers and two data officers. **Main Duties** **Project Planning & Scheduling:** Develop detailed project timelines, set milestones, and organize daily tasks for data systems design, development, deployment and maintenance. **Data Tracking & Quality Control:** Monitor incoming data workflows, check for data integrity and accuracy, and help maintain documentation or standard operating procedures (SOPs). **Cross-Functional Communication:** Act as the central point of contact between data scientists, database administrators, and researchers, translating technical progress into updates. **Resource & Vendor Coordination:** Ensure the data team has the necessary software, tools, and personnel, and coordinate with external vendors or data providers when required. **Progress Reporting & Risk Management:** Track project metrics, log potential bottlenecks or compliance/security risks, and prepare status reports for LIFE-ED stakeholders. **Administrative Support:** Schedule Data Core meetings, take meeting minutes, manage shared resources or databases, and track project expenses. **Data Governance and Policies:** In collaboration with country data management teams, develop and enforce standards, procedures, and guidelines for how data is collected, stored, used, and shared across the LIFE-ED consortium. **Data Quality and Integrity:** Implement validation rules, cleaning processes, and deduplication routines to fix errors and maintain reliable datasets. **System and Database Management:** In collaboration with programmers, design, maintain, and optimize data storage platforms, including databases, data warehouses, and cloud-based repositories. **Security and Access Control:** In collaboration with IT team, establish user permissions, authentication protocols, and backup procedures to safeguard sensitive information. **Regulatory Compliance:** In collaboration with DPO, ensure data practices adhere to relevant privacy laws and industry regulations (such as GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA). **Lifecycle Management:** Oversee data from its initial creation or acquisition through active usage, archiving, and final deletion or destruction. **Collaboration and Support:** Work closely with IT teams, data analysts, data scientists, and LIFE-ED teams to turn raw data into actionable dashboards, reports, and insights. **Essential Qualifications and Experience** - Master’s Degree in quantitative field such as Statistics, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science or Mathematics. - Professional Certifications in data management, data analytics, cloud computing (e.g. AWS Certified Data Analytics, Azure Data Engineer) - Project management certifications - At least 3 to 5+ years of hands-on experience in data management, data coordination, database administration, data warehousing, or data analytics. - Advanced proficiency in SQL (essential), plus working knowledge of database systems like PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, or MongoDB. - Familiarity with data manipulation and analysis languages like Python or R. - Experience with Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) pipelines and cloud data platforms (AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure). - Proficiency in visualization tools such as Power BI or Tableau. - Understanding of metadata management, master data management (MDM), data cleaning, and security/privacy protocols. - Strong ability to translate complex technical concepts and data findings into clear, non-technical insights for stakeholders and leadership. - Ability to plan, execute, and monitor data-driven projects across cross-functional teams. - Aptitude for troubleshooting data discrepancies, system errors, and integrity gaps. - Strong track record in research data management, working with multi-country projects a distinct advantage - Deep understanding and hands-on experience of the research cycle - from design and preparation, to data cleaning and analysis - Highly proficient in Electronic data capture systems such as Redcap, ODK, or KoBo Toolbox - Proficient in productivity tools such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, SharePoint, etc - Excellent oral and written communication skills in English - Well versed in regulatory frameworks governing clinical research, such as Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH) guidelines. - Demonstrated leadership abilities and experience in mentoring junior staff - Demonstrated ability to effectively coordinate multidisciplinary teams - Keen understanding of the research ecosystem in Zimbabwe. **Desirable** - Track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals or presentations at scientific conferences. **How to Apply** - **Application heading:** Application for Data Management Coordinator - LIFE-ED. - **Apply here:** Data Management Coordinator Application Form - **Deadline: 4 November 2026** ## General Application Instructions Applicants must use the application link corresponding to their chosen position. Applications should include: - Cover letter - Curriculum Vitae (CV) - Other supporting documents Zvitambo prefers these documents to be combined into **one PDF document**. **Important Information** - Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. - Applicants who are not contacted within two weeks after the closing date should consider their applications unsuccessful. - Any form of lobbying at any stage will lead to automatic disqualification. - Zvitambo reserves the right to verify submitted documents with the relevant awarding institutions. - Zvitambo is an equal opportunity employer committed to having a diverse workforce. **Application Deadline: 4 November 2026**