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. HCPDS is seeking a full‑time, experienced Project Director (PD) for its NIH‑funded study, Health and Aging in Africa:
Longitudinal Studies in South Africa (HAALSA). HAALSA is a community‑based longitudinal cohort study nested within the health and socio‑demographic surveillance system (HDSS) in Agincourt, South Africa. The project explores aging in South Africa, focusing on cognitive health, cardiometabolic disease, HIV and HIV treatment, public policies, social determinants of health, and health inequalities.

• Provides leadership and day‑to‑day management of collaborative processes involving investigators, survey researchers, programmers, and partners.
• Develops and maintains a comprehensive work plan and timeline for HAALSA, ensuring timely achievement of activities.
• Serves as a resource on HAALSA policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with HR, finance, and research protocols.
• Leads survey planning, training on survey design and data collection, and fieldwork logistics.
• Oversees collection of survey, clinical, and biomarker data.
• Troubleshoots fieldwork challenges, oversees sampling implementation, tracks study progress, and directs follow‑up activities.
• Member of the executive committee that reviews progress, guides decisions on conceptual and programmatic priorities, and advises on methodological and strategic choices.
• Supervises the Harvard HAALSA team and oversees research operations, including meeting coordination, newsletters, and maintenance of study protocols and documentation.
• Acts as primary liaison with South African counterparts to manage study systems for tracking scientific progress and monitoring participant recruitment and compliance.
• Oversees and supports Institutional Review Board (IRB) submissions and ensures regulatory and compliance adherence.
• 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.
• Collaborates with the Data and Analytics Lead to refine survey instruments for CAPI, ensuring alignment with study objectives.
• Maintains oversight of analytic dataset production and data analysis, in coordination with the Data and Analytics Lead.
• Oversees public release of data and ensures timely dissemination of research findings, working closely with the Data and Analytics Lead.
• Represents the study at international meetings, conferences, and scientific forums, presenting 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.

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

• Master’s degree or higher in demography, public health, epidemiology, or related field with two or more years of post‑doctoral training/experience is preferred.
• Prior experience with clinical trials, observational studies, budget management, NIH studies, IRB protocol preparation/compliance, and capacity building.
• 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 equivalent 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…