Project Director, HAALSA

Job Summary:

The Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies (HCPDS) is a university-wide initiative dedicated to interdisciplinary research focused primarily on the quantitative social science of population change, socioeconomic development, and public health. Our goal is to produce population-based evidence that will better inform policies needed to create healthy and resilient societies.

The HCPDS is seeking a full-time, experienced Project Director (PD) of its NIH-funded study, Health and Aging in Africa: Longitudinal Studies in South Africa (HAALSA). HAALSA began as a community-based longitudinal cohort study nested within the health and socio-demographic surveillance system (HDSS) in Agincourt, South Africa. The goal of this research project is to explore aging in South Africa, with focal areas in cognitive health, cardiometabolic disease, HIV and HIV treatment, public policies, social determinants of health, and health inequalities. Research focuses on exploring the interrelationships between: Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias; physical and cognitive functioning; lifestyle risk factors; household income & expenditure; depression and mental health; social networks and family composition; HIV infection; and cardiometabolic disease.

HAALSA is currently in the middle of its third renewal, which includes continuation of the community cohort study as well as the launch of a nationally representative survey in South Africa. The community and national surveys each include a sub-study with in-depth focus on cognition and dementia. The studies are designed to be aligned with the international Health and Retirement (HRS) sister studies, and the HRS Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP), while also addressing research questions specific to aging in the South African context. HAALSA is led by Dr. Lisa Berkman at HCPDS and Dr. Thomas Gaziano at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, plus a team of collaborators at the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Cape Town in South Africa, as well as other institutions in South Africa and the US.

The Project Director acts as the lead point of contact and intermediary for HAALSA’s four sub-projects, three cores, and field site. The position involves administrative and technical roles (see below). As such, the desired candidate will have an advanced degree in demography, public health, epidemiology, or related field, and will have extensive experience with primary data collection. The Project Director will work closely with HAALSA PIs Lisa Berkman and Dr. Thomas Gaziano, collaborators at the University of the Witwatersrand, and the University of Cape Town in South Africa, as well as multiple investigators and staff, survey researchers, programmers, finance personnel, partners, and students. The Project Director will also have the opportunity to conduct their own HAALSA related research and author manuscripts.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership and day-to-day management of the collaborative processes of investigators, survey researchers, programmers, and partners.
• Develops and maintains a comprehensive work plan and timeline for the HAALSA project, ensuring activities are effectively achieved and integrated.
• Acts as a resource on HAALSA policies and procedures, ensuring that HAALSA related studies comply with the project’s HR, finance, and research protocols.
• Leads survey planning, training on survey design and data collection, and fieldwork logistics.
• Oversees the collection of survey, clinical, and biomarker data.
• Troubleshoots fieldwork challenges, oversees sampling implementation, tracks study progress, and directs follow-up activities.
• Serves as key member of the executive committee which is charged with reviewing progress, guiding decisions on conceptual and programmatic priorities, and consulting on methodological and strategic decisions.
• Supervises the Harvard HAALSA team and oversees research operations, including meeting coordination, newsletters, and maintenance of study protocols and documentation.
• Acts as a primary liaison with South African counterparts to plan and manage study management systems for tracking scientific progress and monitoring of participant recruitment and compliance.
• Oversees and supports Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions and ensures adherence to regulatory and compliance requirements.
• Coordinates collaborator communication and meetings across partner institutions.
• Works with PI and HCPDS Finance Director in managing HAALSA budget.
• Manages grant administration, including NIH progress reports, invoice review, and contributes to grant writing and renewal applications as needed, with increased involvement during renewal cycles.
• Collaborates with the Data and Analytics Lead in the development and refinement of survey instruments administered via CAPI, ensuring alignment with study objectives and overall design.
• Maintains oversight of technical project activities, including analytic dataset production and data analysis, in coordination with the Data and Analytics Lead.
• Oversees the public release of data and ensures timely and appropriate dissemination of research findings, working closely with the Data and Analytics Lead.
• Represents the study at international meetings, conferences, and scientific forums, and presents research findings to diverse academic and policy audiences.
• Leads manuscript preparation and conducts statistical analyses, contributing to analytic outputs and peer-reviewed publications.
• Performs additional duties as assigned by the PI.
• Occasional travel is required.

PLEASE NOTE: This position has a term appointment of May 31, 2027 with the possibility of extension. The position may require travel to South Africa for short durations up to twice a year.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience is required
• 7+ years of relevant experience is required

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Master’s degree or higher in demography, public health, epidemiology, or related field with two or more years of post-doctoral training/experience preferred
• Prior experience with clinical trials, observational studies; budget experience; experience working on NIH studies; IRB protocol preparation/compliance; prior capacity building experience.
• Extensive experience working on health-related research projects involving primary data collection and field work in Africa or other developing countries.
• Experience with US Health and Retirement Survey or sister study (with longitudinal data)
• Experience and/or strong interest in low-income, low literacy settings.
• Tablet or web-based data collection experience.
• Supervisory experience.
• Experience developing survey instruments, especially those involving CAPI systems.
• High level of proficiency with statistical software such as Stata, SAS, and/or R.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with professionals at all levels in diverse settings. Must be flexible, dependable, responsive, and resourceful.
• Superior organizational and communication skills required.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and meet multiple deadlines.