An active research group operating in Kabul, Afghanistan, is seeking a full time technical director. The position will entail management and technical supervision of two impending studies and oversight of concluding activities of three on-going studies implemented through a local non-government organization (NGO). The Blood-Borne Infections (BBI) Technical Director will report to the U.S.-based Columbia University P.I. for technical issues and to the local NGO Director for operational issues. The BBI Technical Director will work collaboratively with colleagues from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, affiliated consultants, and in-country staff; the applicant will receive authorship on all resulting publications. The BBI Technical Director will be responsible for: hiring and training of study staff, development and supervision of quality assurance measures for study progress; assurance of in-country approvals and accurate document translation; research site supervision; maintaining collaborative relations with government and implementing partner officials; oversight of laboratory logistics; oversight of data entry, cleaning and database management; oversight of project expenditures; and mentoring of current Afghan management staff. There will be approximately 15 employees under the supervision of the BBI Technical Director. The BBI Technical Director is expected to spend eleven months in country with a housing allowance and evacuation insurance provided. Salary and benefits will be commensurate with experience.

Requirements: The candidate for this position will have the following qualifications:

§ PhD or doctoral candidate in epidemiology, international/global health, or related field. Study material may be used for dissertation purposes.

§ Experience working in international settings, preferably post-conflict settings.

§ Experience with study or project management;

§ Knowledge of and respect for Islamic culture;

§ Ability to design, train, and trouble-shoot data entry programs;

§ Attention to detail and completed training in human subjects research; and

§ Ability to problem-solve in resource-constrained environment.

§ Fluency/ability in Farsi/Dari or Pashto desirable.

Interested parties should send a CV and/or contact Dr. Catherine Todd (cst2121@columbia.edu) with any questions.