Lead Data Analyst

SUMMARY:
Work with data that follows a generation—and helps shape their future.
 
The Centre for Child and Adolescent Lung Health (CHILD) at the UCT Lung Institute is looking for a Lead Data Analyst to join the Drakenstein Child Health Study (DCHS)—one of South Africa’s most established longitudinal birth cohort studies. This is a full-time, 12-month contract (with the possibility of renewal), based at Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital.
 
This role is offered under the University of Cape Town Lung Institute’s own employment terms and conditions, which are separate from UCT conditions of service.

POSITION INFO:
💡 Why this role matters
DCHS follows over 1,000 mother–child pairs from birth into adolescence, generating rich, multi-dimensional data to understand:

• Childhood lower respiratory illness
• Long-term health outcomes, including chronic disease
• The interaction of environmental, biological, and social risk factors

• Honours degree in Statistics, Epidemiology, Demography, or Public Health (quantitative focus)
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in clinical research and statistical analysis
• Strong working knowledge of STATA and experience with R or similar tools
• Experience with data management platforms (e.g. REDCap)

• Experience in maternal or child health research
• Knowledge of longitudinal data analysis
• Experience working in a collaborative research environment
• Publication experience in peer-reviewed journals
• Good Clinical Practice (GCP) knowledge

• Provide leadership and mentorship to the data team, fostering strong performance and development
• Define and evolve data strategy, frameworks, and best practices across projects
• Ensure delivery of high-quality, reliable data outputs aligned to research objectives
• Uphold robust data governance, quality, and security standards
• Partner with Principal Investigators to prioritise and respond to data requirements
• Manage workflow and resource allocation across multiple studies and requests

• Interpreting complex longitudinal data and translating it into meaningful insights
• Supporting both experienced investigators and emerging researchers/students
• Strengthening data quality and ensuring robust, reliable outputs
• Contributing to a research environment with high publication output

• Fixed Term Contract (12 Months)
• Monday to Friday | 40 hours per week
• Based across Red Cross Hospital, Rondebosch & includes travel to local clinics