Outbreak Response Epidemiologist_ (Pool)

Outbreak Response Epidemiologist _Medical Teams International – Ethiopia

Department	Program			Work Team: Health
Reports to	Direct: Team Leader			Technical: N/A
Location	This position will be field based in Jinka, southern Ethiopia, with occasional travel to field locations and with frequent travel to health facilities
Workdays & Hours	Monday-Sunday, 40 hours/week, including weekends and public holidays
Travel Required:	Up to 50%		Deployable:	Up to 100%
Supervises	Direct: N/A			Technical: N/A

Medical Teams Calling

Daring to love like Jesus, we boldly break barriers to health and restore wholeness in a hurting world.

Medical Teams International holds strict child and vulnerable adult safeguarding principles and a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct related to sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered. Parallel to technical competence, recruitment & selection, hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates’ eligibility thorough background checks, police clearance, and professional reference check processes.

 

JOB SUMMARY

The outbreak response Epidemiologist will contribute to the calling of Medical Teams by supporting the rapid detection, investigation, and control of Marburg Virus Disease outbreaks. The role focuses on surveillance, data analysis, field investigations, and technical guidance to strengthen outbreak response activities. The position requires expertise in viral haemorrhagic fevers, field epidemiology, and emergency public health operations.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strengthen and manage integrated disease surveillance for Marburg Virus Disease (MVD).
• Support active case search, community surveillance, and early warning systems.
• Validate and ensure quality of case definitions, reporting tools, and alert mechanisms.
• Coordinate with nearby health facilities and woreda health office to ensure timely case notification.
• Conduct rapid field investigations of alerts, suspected cases, and community deaths.
• Map transmission chains, identify exposure events, and assess risk factors.
• Supervise specimen collection, transport, and laboratory confirmation protocols.
• Compile, clean, and analyze outbreak data for trends, transmission patterns, and hotspots.
• Produce daily situation reports, epidemic curves and line lists.
• Provide epidemiological guidance to support isolation, quarantine, and safe burials.
• Assess and monitor IPC practices in treatment centers and community settings.
• Support tracing teams, including classification, follow-up, and risk assessment.
• Provide technical advice to incident management teams, surveillance officers, and district health authorities.
• Facilitate training for healthcare workers on surveillance, case definitions, and reporting.
• Participate in multi-sectoral coordination meetings and emergency response planning.
• Provide epidemiological insights and update for MTI communication department.
• Support community leaders and partners to improve outbreak awareness and risk reduction.
• Maintain accurate documentation of outbreak progression, response actions, and lessons learned.
• Contribute to after-action reviews and emergency preparedness planning.

Other Duties:

• Support other areas of the intervention as requested or needed to ensure efficiency and quality of care to all.
• Additional duties as assigned.

 

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.
• The employee may be required to travel to remote areas of the world where there are potential health hazards and risks, limited hygiene facilities, extreme weather, and very basic living conditions.

NOTE: The above job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by staff assigned to this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of staff in this position. Duties, responsibilities, and skills are also subject to change based on the changing needs of the job, department, or organization. This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned; The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by Medical Teams International as the requirements of the job change.

EDUCATION, LICENSES, & CERTIFICATIONS

Required:

• Master’s degree in Epidemiology, Public Health, Field Epidemiology, or related field.
• Strong skills in data analysis, including use of Epi Info, R, Stata, or similar.

Preferred:-

• Familiarity with program area is highly desired.
• Experience working with INGOs is an added advantage.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of 2 years’ work experience, preferably in a primary healthcare setting.
• Experience in viral hemorrhagic fevers outbreak response such as Marburg and Ebola.

 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of humanitarian principles and operations and project cycle management.
• Knowledge of epidemiological principles.
• Knowledge of Country MoH, WHO, and UN health systems and policies.
• Strong knowledge of evidenced based practices in health in humanitarian settings.
• Basic knowledge of principles and current approaches to monitoring and evaluation in relief and development programs.
• Excellent communicator.

Skills:

• Skilled in communications using email, applications including teams, and WhatsApp.
• Skilled in project cycle management.
• Skilled in capacity building and mobilizing staff to achieve a common goal.
• Skilled at using Microsoft Word, Excel, Power point and Outlook.

   

Abilities:

• Strategic thinker with analytical skills.
• Keen interest to mentor others.
• Ability to travel to health facilities frequently and at times upon short notice.
• Ability to exercise considerable initiative to plan, organize and follow through to meet deadlines.
• Ability to support MTI Calling and adhere to the MTI mission, vision and core values.
• Ability to work cooperatively in a team environment.
• Ability to prioritize tasks.
• Analytical with attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of patient information and test results.
• Ability to support MTI Calling and adhere to the MTI Code of Conduct.

PHYSICAL CONDITIONS

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequent use of a personal computer, database and digital platforms, and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine and computer printer.
• Frequently uses hands, fingers, and arms to reach, handle, touch or feel equipment, medical instruments, materials, computer.
• Frequent communication and exchange of information among colleagues and persons of concern which requires the ability to speak, hear, convey and express oneself.
• Frequent close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Occasionally ascends/descends stairs, steps, or ladder
• Occasionally move about inside an office to access file cabinets, office machinery, meet with colleagues, etc.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25kg.
• Seldom to occasionally positions oneself to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• If in travel status, occasional to frequent traversing over rough or steep terrain in either a motor vehicle or on foot.