Postdoctoral Fellow (12 Mnth Fellowship/Wits NICD)

Background:

• The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), a division of Wits Health Consortium, is a major global player in infectious disease intelligence.
• The NICD is a source of knowledge and expertise in regionally relevant communicable diseases to the South African Government, SADC countries, and the African continent.
• The NICD assists in the planning of policies and programs and supports appropriate responses to communicable disease problems and issues.

Main purpose of the job:

• To develop Bioinformatics tools and data management pipelines for pathogen detection in wastewater samples.
• This project focuses on detecting, quantifying, sequencing, and characterizing pathogens such as measles, rubella, hepatitis A, hepatitis E, influenza A, influenza B, TB, and Mpox in wastewater.

Division:

• Wastewater Genomics

Location:

• Sandringham, Johannesburg

Key performance areas:

• Develop, implement, and maintain bioinformatics and statistical genomics tools for wastewater-based surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and vaccine-preventable disease pathogens.
• To develop and manage data systems to integrate epidemiological data with wastewater testing results, including metadata, test results, and genomics information.
• Analyse pathogen sequences detected in wastewater as part of ongoing genomic studies.
• Lead and/or contribute to manuscript drafting for peer-reviewed publications, research reports, conferences, and grant applications.
• Contribute to capacity development by supervising and co-supervising postgraduate students in the syndicate.
• Work with external contractors to develop user-specific dashboards displaying quantitative, genomics, and pathogen-specific data.
• Collaborate with CVI, NICD, and national and international partners on academic outputs, including conference abstracts and manuscripts.

Required minimum education and training:

• PhD in Bioinformatics awarded within the last five years.

Required minimum work experience:

• A minimum of 1 year’s experience working in a Research Laboratory.

Desirable additional education, work experience, and personal abilities:

• Experience in data analysis and management; systematic review experience is advantageous.
• Flexibility and willingness to learn.
• Strong communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure.
• Taking ownership and accountability for tasks & activities and able to demonstrate effective self-management, ensuring that quality and productivity standards of own work are maintained.
• Maintenance of a positive attitude and respond openly to feedback.

TO APPLY:

• Only if you meet the minimum job requirements and experience as mentioned above, you may submit a detailed updated CV.
• Please Apply Online and complete your registration via our website to enable and protect you as a candidate, and to accept the new POPIA terms and conditions.
• This will then create your permanent profile with which you can apply for all jobs as advertised by AJ PERSONNEL.
• However, you may remove your profile from AJ PERSONNEL when you are no longer in the job market.
• Please take note that the applicants who do not adhere to the above criteria will not be considered for the respective position.
• Wits Health Consortium will only respond to shortlisted candidates.
• Candidates who have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date can consider their applications to be unsuccessful.
• Closing date: 16 April 2025
• Note: No CV will be accepted after the closing date.

Please note:

• WHC, in accordance with its Employment Equity goals and plan, will give preference to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and subsequent amendments thereto.
• AJ Personnel is only responsible for advertising and the response handling on behalf of their client Wits Health Consortium.
• AJ Personnel does not have any salary or other information regarding the position.

Desired Skills:

• PhD in Bioinformatics.
• Research laboratory.
• Data analysis & management.
• Systematic review experience.
• SARS-CoV-2 experience.
• Wastewater.
• Genomics.