Operational Research Fellow

Organisation: International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)
Position: Operational Research Fellow
Number of Positions: Two (2)
Reporting to: Head of Centre for Operational Research (COR)
Location: Home based
Duration: One-year
Travel: 25% to 30%
Organisation background:
The Union is a global membership, technical and scientific organisation. We were established in 1920 and are led by people who are committed to our vision, mission and values. Our members are organisations and individuals from all parts of the world. We are made up of government and non-government agencies, charities, donors and funders, professional groups, patient groups and civil society organisations. We bring together clinicians, managers, policy makers, front-line workers and implementers, scientists, patients and survivors, advocates and civil society.
The Union’s Vision: A healthier world for all, free of tuberculosis and lung disease
The Union’s Mission: The Union strives to end suffering due to tuberculosis and lung disease by advancing better prevention and care. We seek to achieve this by the generation, dissemination and implementation of knowledge into policy and practice. We aim to ensure that no-one is left behind, people are treated equally and we have a focus on vulnerable and marginalised populations and communities.
The Union’s Values:
· Quality: we deliver our services and products to the highest possible standards.
· Transparency: we are open and direct in our dealings.
· Accountability: we are responsible stewards of resources, deliver on our commitments, and are accountable to our stakeholders.
· Respect: we recognise people’s intrinsic value and have due regard for the welfare, beliefs, perceptions, customs and cultural heritage of those we deal with.
· Independence: we seek to pursue our mission free from interference by conflicts of interest.
Overall Role
The Operational Research Fellow is responsible for developing research proposals and for operationalising and conducting operational research on strategies, interventions, tools, and new knowledge that improve health care delivery in programme settings or address important health-related problems. The Fellow will also facilitate Operational Research (OR) capacity-building activities conducted by The Union’s Centre for Operational Research and its partners.
Role and Responsibilities
Research Fellows will:
Develop grant proposals and research protocols addressing one of the country’s research priorities, under the mentorship of staff at the Centre or within The Union, and in collaboration with country programme teams.
Support ongoing implementation projects run by country teams to generate evidence that improves implementation efficiency, outcomes and scalability.
Provide data analytics and actionable insights for all ongoing implementation projects run by country teams.
Develop scientific manuscripts based on the findings of these implementation projects.
Submit at least two papers annually to peer-reviewed journals as part of their performance targets. Failure to meet this requirement will result in discontinuation of the fellowship.
Manage post-submission processes, including responding promptly to peer reviewers’ comments, to ensure timely publication.
Facilitate and mentor in SORT IT courses led and organized by The Union and WHO-TDR, as requested by the Head of Centre for Operational Research. Organize and lead national OR courses in line with the Centre’s Annual Work Plan, monitor course outputs, and track:
o Acceptance and publication of submitted papers within 18 months.
o Assessment of whether research has influenced policy and practice.
o Continued engagement of participants/institutions in operational research after course completion.
Advocate for operational research and network with relevant stakeholders at national, regional, and international levels.
Produce case studies demonstrating how operational and implementation research impacts policy and practice.
Participate in monthly internal conference calls of the Centre for Operational Research and submit quarterly progress reports upon request.
Pursue PhD requirements, where applicable.
Perform other relevant duties as assigned by the Head of Centre for Operational Research.
Qualifications, skills and experience
Required:
MBBS followed by an MD in Community Medicine / Preventive and Social Medicine, or a Master’s degree in Public Health / Health Economics / Epidemiology.
Desirable: PhD in Public Health or Epidemiology.
Key Competencies
Research methods: Strong grounding in epidemiology, biostatistics and operational/implementation research methods, including study design, sampling, and quantitative and qualitative approaches.
Data management and analysis: Proficiency in at least one statistical package (e.g. Stata, R or EpiData) and the ability to turn routine programme data into actionable insights.
Scientific writing and publishing: Demonstrated ability to write grant proposals, research protocols and manuscripts to the standard of peer-reviewed journals, and to respond constructively to reviewers’ comments.
Teaching and mentoring: Ability to facilitate structured operational research training, such as SORT IT, and to mentor participants from protocol development through to publication.
Research ethics and governance: Sound understanding of research ethics, informed consent, data protection and the ethics review process.
Stakeholder engagement and research uptake: Ability to work collaboratively with national programmes, government bodies and partners, and to communicate findings in ways that inform policy and practice.
Communication: Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of one or more regional languages is an advantage.
Planning and self-management: Ability to work independently in a home-based role, manage several projects at once and deliver high-quality outputs to tight deadlines.
Values and teamwork: Commitment to The Union’s values, cultural sensitivity and the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary, multicultural teams.
To apply
Interested candidates must submit their applications by 10 November 2026 and complete the online Job Application Form available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Q698KV5 before the deadline. Applications submitted without completing the Job Application Form will not be considered.
Interview Process: Interviews will be conducted remotely.
Application Deadline: 10 November 2026.
The Union is an equal opportunity employer. For more details about the organisation please refer to our website https://theunion.org/.

Work arrangement
Yes