A Research Assistant, Coms

About COMS-A

The Consortium of Medical Schools–Africa (COMS-A) is a continent-wide initiative launched in March 2025. It brings together over 135 medical schools from 30+ countries to:

• Strengthen medical education and research
• Harmonize curricula across Africa
• Foster collaboration and shape policy in line with continental and global frameworks

About the SHINE Initiative

COMS-A’s SHINE Initiative focuses on two strategic priorities:

1. Women in Leadership (WIL) in African medical education
2. Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) and Gender, Sexual and Reproductive Health (GSRH) via medical education, research, and simulation-based training

The Research Assistant position supports both workstreams at the Secretariat level.

Position Summary

The Research Assistant will:

• Provide research, data, and M&E support to WIL and MNCH/GSRH programs
• Assist with baseline and follow-up studies
• Coordinate surveys and research activities across COMS-A institutions
• Contribute to literature reviews, policy briefs, technical reports, and academic manuscripts
• Work closely with Program Leads and the Secretariat team

Key Responsibilities

Research & Data Support

• Support the continental baseline study on women in leadership in African medical schools (data collection, management, analysis)
• Assist with qualitative and quantitative research activities (instrument development, data collection, transcription, coding, cleaning, and basic analysis)
• Coordinate online and institutional surveys across COMS-A member schools

MNCH Program Support

• Support the MNCH Research Mentorship Program, including project tracking, training activities, and ethics/reporting support
• Contribute to the development of MNCH and gender-responsive educational resources, curricula, and case studies

Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E)

• Track program indicators and maintain updated databases
• Support data visualization and preparation of M&E summaries

Administrative & Coordination

• Provide logistical support for meetings, workshops, and webinars
• Maintain organized records and document repositories
• Facilitate communication with COMS-A member institutions and partners

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Global Health, Education, Social Sciences, or related field (Master’s preferred)

Skills & Competencies

• Strong qualitative and quantitative research skills
• Experience supporting academic or programmatic research (health or education preferred)
• Proficiency in Excel, and familiarity with STATA, R, SPSS, NVivo, or similar tools
• Excellent writing and editing skills
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to collaborate across teams and time zones
• High professionalism, integrity, and discretion
• Fluency in English (French or Portuguese a plus)
• Commitment to COMS-A values: Excellence, Equity, Collaboration, Integrity, Sustainability, Social Accountability

Terms of Employment

•  Full-time, based in Kigali, Rwanda
• 1-year contract, renewable based on performance and funding
• Competitive salary and benefits commensurate with qualifications and experience

Skills Required:

• Health / Medical