Data and Systems Officer at Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) – November 2026

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Job Type: Full-Time | Positions: 1

Application Deadline: 19 November 2026

About Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)

Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) is a leading research organization in Africa with a strong track record in developing, testing, and validating innovations for health.

Driven by its core strategic mandate for research, training, and services, the Institute’s work spans biomedical and ecological sciences, intervention studies, health-systems research, service delivery, and policy translation.

Position Summary

Ifakara Health Institute, under its Maternal and Newborn Health Program, is seeking a qualified Data and Systems Officer to be based at its Dar es Salaam station, reporting to the Data Manager.

The successful candidate will strengthen the management, integration, security, and effective use of maternal and newborn health data systems to support programme implementation, monitoring, and decision-making.

The position will work closely with the Ministry of Health (MoH), President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), and implementing partners to ensure interoperability of health information systems, integrate maternal and newborn health indicators into national medical records, and comply with national data standards.

The officer will also support routine monitoring and evaluation, regional performance reviews, and data-driven quality improvement initiatives to enhance programme effectiveness and sustainability.

The ideal candidate must be ready and available to assume duties immediately upon appointment.

Key Responsibilities

1. EMR/EHR Integration: Work closely with ICT teams from PO-RALG and the Ministry of Health (MoH) to integrate maternal and neonatal variables into government Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and/or Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems.

2. System Administration: Manage and maintain data systems and servers supporting Maternal and Newborn Health programmes, including regular updates, performance tuning, and security patching.

3. Backend Automation: Implement and maintain backup scripts to automate and streamline the backup process for data security.

4. Application Development: Build and maintain data-driven applications using frameworks such as Django (Python), Java, and Laravel (PHP) to support programme operations and data workflows.

5. Security and Compliance: Prioritise data protection through encryption, access controls, and strict compliance with HL7 and FHIR standards during data transmission.

6. Server Management: Manage web server configurations (Apache) and handle server-side security protocols to ensure system stability.

7. Data Quality Assurance: Conduct regular Data Quality Assessments (DQA), utilising scripting to identify and resolve data integrity issues.

8. Infrastructure Support: Facilitate secure data-sharing practices by managing permissions and technical access protocols in alignment with organisational and government policies.

9. Protocol Development: Regularly review and update data management protocols to align with best practices in software engineering and data security.

10. Capacity Building: Provide technical training to data clerks and health workers on the use of data collection and management tools, including REDCap when needed.

11. Stakeholder Collaboration: Liaise with PO-RALG and MoH ICT teams to ensure interoperability and alignment with national health data standards.

12. Support routine monitoring and evaluation (M&E) supervision using the data team and Quality Improvement (QI) regional coordinators.

13. Support data performance reviews in the implementing regions.

Required Skills and Competencies

Programming

• Strong experience with Python (Django) and Java.

• Proficiency in R, Shiny, and STATA for statistical analysis, data management, and visualisation.

Database Management

– Solid experience in SQL with relational databases (MySQL), including query optimisation.

Infrastructure Management

– Hands-on experience managing web servers (Apache) and handling server-side security protocols.

Health Data Standards

– Familiarity with health data standards and compliance, particularly HL7 and FHIR.

Scripting and Automation

– Expertise in automating backup processes, encryption, and access control mechanisms.

Data Management

• Expertise in handling large datasets, including data cleaning and validation.

• Proven experience working with REDCap.

Interpersonal and Problem-Solving Skills

• Excellent problem-solving skills.

• Ability to collaborate effectively with ICT teams from PO-RALG and MoH, statisticians, and healthcare professionals.

Required Qualifications

– Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Software Engineering, Health Information Systems, or related fields.

Required Experience

• Minimum of 2–5 years of experience in data management roles, especially within health-related projects.

• Experience working with different data systems, including Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and/or Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems.

• Proven experience working with REDCap or Open Data Kit (ODK).

Number of Positions

1 Position

Preferred Language Skills

• Good written and spoken English.

• Good written and spoken Kiswahili.

Remuneration

An attractive and competitive remuneration package shall be offered to the successful candidate in accordance with IHI salary scales.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Ifakara Health Institute is an equal employment opportunity employer committed to providing a workplace free from discrimination and harassment.

The Institute prohibits discrimination of any kind during recruitment and employment. All employment decisions are based solely on job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications, in compliance with the labour laws of Tanzania.

Important Notice to Applicants

Ifakara Health Institute does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

Applicants are advised to disregard any written or oral requests for payment in exchange for a job offer or interview that they believe may be fraudulent or suspicious.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should submit their applications online through the official Ifakara Health Institute recruitment portal.

Applicants should ensure they meet the stated qualifications and experience requirements and submit their applications before the deadline.

Application Link:

CLICK HERE TO APPLY