See detailed Terms of Reference at www.appliedepi.org/join.

Organisation background
Applied Epi is a global nonprofit organisation which supports frontline epidemiologists and public health practitioners with analytical and applied epidemiological training and support. Applied Epi is registered in Maryland, USA. Originally a grassroots movement of volunteers, Applied Epi now includes 170 consultant instructors, translators, writers, and other technicians located in over 40 countries. Applied Epi works closely with partners including local and national public health agencies, the World Health Organization, Doctors without Borders / Médecins sans frontières (MSF), the R Consortium, Training Programs in Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions (TEPHINET), national Field Epidemiology Training Programs (FETPs) worldwide, the US Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE), and academic partners.

Training pillar: Applied Epi is best known for its free Epidemiologist R Handbook, which has been used over 2 million times by 600,000 people since 2021 and is available in 8 languages. The organisation’s 75 R instructors deliver synchronous introductory and advanced R training courses around-the-clock to local and national public health agencies, international and multinational organisations, and NGOs. Since 2022, Applied Epi has delivered its 40-hour synchronous introductory R course to 1,200 epidemiologists at 350 agencies worldwide, in English, French, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian, and Khmer. The organisation also oversees a series of asynchronous, interactive R tutorials co-developed with MSF and TEPHINET. Applied Epi hosts an open-access repository of public health case studies, built in collaboration with national FETPs.

Support pillar: Applied Epi operates a 24/7 R Support Desk, leveraging its global network of experienced epidemiologist support technicians. The Desk services R code support requests from course participants and staff at public health agencies worldwide. Notable examples include extended technical support to the Uganda Ministry of Health during the recent Ebola epidemic (sponsored by WHO), and outbreak analytics support to MSF. Applied Epi also operates Applied Epi Community, a forum with 3,000 users designed as a welcoming, beginner-friendly space for support on R code and epidemiologic methods in public health practice.

The Role

The Operations Manager is a critical member of the Applied Epi core team, responsible for smooth performance of routine operations and growth of Applied Epi’s training and support activities. They quickly identify and act upon inefficiencies, vulnerabilities, and opportunities in Applied Epi’s workflows and systems. They anticipate and address the complexities of programs with global reach and 24/7 cadence. Well-grounded in public health practice, they seek to grow the programs to address the practical needs of the workforce. They are an enthusiastic leader equipped to grow Applied Epi’s workforce of instructors and support technicians. They are acutely aware of workflow details, although administrative tasks such as shift scheduling and client communications are primarily handled by an Operations Assistant. They have a resolute confidence in Applied Epi’s impact and potential, and are excited to join this surging organisation at an early phase.

Position type

The Operations Manager is a full-time, remote, consultant position, at 100% FTE (40 hours/ week). This position can be considered for conversion to employee status upon term completion depending on program needs and funding availability.

Term of appointment

The initial term for the Operations Manager is 11 months. The desired start date is 15 January 2024. There is a 3-month probation period with a performance review. As per Maryland labour regulations, consultants work at-will and can be removed at-will of the employer. Applied Epi requests 4 weeks notice of early departure as a courtesy, and likewise will offer 4 weeks notice of early termination.

Work hours

The Operations Manager position is permitted flexible work hours. Due to the 24/7 nature of Applied Epi’s training and support operations, the Operations Manager will occasionally need to monitor instructor communication channels outside of standard daytime working hours.

Duties and Responsibilities

Accountability (5%) - The Operations Manager reports to and maintains close communication with the Executive Director, updating them weekly on the operational status and challenges of the training and support pillars. As all Applied Epi personnel, the Operations Manager must abide by and enforce the Applied Epi Code of Conduct.

Management (25%) - The Operations Manager will lead, manage, and grow the pool of part-time instructors and support technicians through recruitment, motivational leadership, skill assessment, and facilitation of growth opportunities. This includes expanding the instructor trainee program. On a day-to-day basis, the Operations Manager will supervise the Operations Assistant, ensuring that courses and support calls run smoothly.

Program standardisation and evaluation (20%) - The Operations Manager will expand and improve protocols and standard operating procedures for the training and support pillars. They will implement a comprehensive evaluation programme to assess program impact and areas for improvement.

Program expansion (50%) - The Operations Manager will expand training pillar and support pillar activities in coordination with program leadership and other core team members. Below is a an non-exhaustive list of likely projects:

Training pillar expansion - The Operations Manager will complete the design of an R train-the-trainer program and implement this worldwide in coordination with local and national public health agencies. In coordination with the Executive Director, they will assign experts to develop new advanced R courses and expand delivery in new languages. They will coordinate with the Infrastructure Lead to ensure the curricula are up-to-date within the multi-language version control infrastructure. They will develop and launch a membership-based R continuing education program. They will coordinate with the Epidemiology Curriculum Lead to input on development of applied epidemiology courses and certificate programs. They will assist with distribution of a significant volume of training scholarship funds.

Support pillar expansion - They will grow the Support Desk into a resource that is used routinely by applied epidemiologists worldwide. They will conduct outreach and scholarship campaigns to increase the number of support calls booked, expand the topics and languages covered by higher-complexity Support Desk calls, integrate experts from academic and other institutions worldwide into the support technician team, procure more consultancy projects, expand opportunities for remote and in-person support for emergency responses, and keep technician guides up-to-date.
They will explore a transition to a 24/7 shift-based staffing model for the Support Desk. They will integrate the Support Desk into the provision of asynchronous courses. They will work with the Community Coordinator to align Support Desk operations with community forum activities. They will work with the Epidemiology Lead to integrate applied epidemiology content and expertise into the training and support pillars.

Training and support activity (contingency only) - To a limited extent, the Operations Manager fills emergency gaps in training shifts and support calls. Any hours spent teaching or answering support calls will be logged and paid at their respective rates outlined in the Applied Epi compensation framework (e.g. lead instructor for an advanced R course at $60 per hour).

Candidate profile
Candidates for the role of Operations Manager must be able to prove:

Essential
Masters-level degree in public health or epidemiology or a related discipline
4 years experience with public health and epidemiological practice
Demonstrated expertise in R used for public health practice
Excellence in R instruction to beginner, intermediate, and advanced audiences with a variety of technical and cultural backgrounds
Experience creating technical training materials and instructional content for public health audiences
Strong understanding of statistics as used in applied epidemiology
Management skills including attention to detail, leadership best practices in multicultural teams, sensitivity to issues relating to diversity and gender equity, and ability to serve as a role model of ethical standards and integrity
Fluency and clear communication in English (written and spoken)
Willingness to work with a flexible schedule and occasionally on weekends

Desirable
Graduated or associated with an advanced field epidemiology training programme (FETP) or equivalent
In-depth knowledge of Applied Epi’s values and mission
Experience leveraging networks of partners in global health and academia
Experience establishing or implementing Help/Support Desk services
Knowledge of other languages used in Applied Epi trainings and services (e.g. French, Spanish)
Interest in longer-term employment with Applied Epi (beyond 1 year)
Compensation

Payment:
The Operations Manager will track and submit their hours and receive $45 USD per hour worked. For reference, this translates to $86,400 for the full-time, 11-month term.
Any time spent doing Specialist-band technical work is tracked and paid at its respective pay rate in the Applied Epi compensation framework (e.g. development of advanced R courses at $60 per hour). As noted above, any time teaching or taking support calls is also logged and paid at their respective pay rates.
Taxes are the responsibility of the consultant.
Location: The candidate must have the right to work in their location. Applied Epi cannot at this time provide visa sponsorship.
Benefits: There are no other benefits provided.
Opportunities: The Operations Manager can enrol in Applied Epi courses for free and may be offered opportunities to work on emergency responses and deliver in-person training courses, as they arise.

How to apply
The following should be sent to staffing@appliedepi.org by 1 January 2024. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.
CV
Cover letter
Contact details of three references
A public health-related R markdown or Quarto code sample with the accompanying output

Questions can be addressed to the hiring manager: staffing@appliedepi.org

Applied Epi is committed to recruiting a team that reflects the experiential, geographic, linguistic, and cultural breadth of the global public health workforce. All candidates will be emailed with their application outcome, with short-listed candidates invited to interview.