Public Health Fellowship – Job Opening (August 2020)

Type: 8 Month Fellowship (start August 2020)

Experience: Undergraduate Degree (experience with data and research preferable)

Division: Global Health and Rural Development (Non-Profit Sector)

Positions Available: 1
This is a full-time, unpaid fellowship, with room and board provided.

Based in Nepal's Kalikot district, the Oda Foundation supports integrative community development solutions for some of Nepal's most geographically isolated communities. With a focus on healthcare, education, and identifying community needs, we create innovative solutions for rural Nepal in tandem with local leaders, private partners and government support. Oda Foundation Fellowships are the opportunity of a lifetime to work with our team and be part of compassionate, sustainable change in this remote corner of the world. 

Oda Foundation's Public Health Fellow (alongside two Education Fellows) works most intimately with the Oda Foundation’s healthcare team, contributing to healthcare efforts and helping to shape the organization’s public health approach. The Public Health Fellow will first be oriented to Oda’s public health priorities and ongoing initiatives through exposure to our primary healthcare center’s management and operational system. The Fellow will subsequently contribute to: ongoing research, staff and community trainings, data analysis, healthcare reporting needs, and various implementing activities. Additionally, the Public Health Fellow will engage in conversations around healthcare and organization-wide policies, procedures, and initiatives giving this role a great degree of exposure into Oda’s higher-level decision making process.

Much of this job entails working with and communicating effectively among marginalized Nepali communities with little to no English comprehension. Thus, the Public Health Fellow will arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal on August 1, 2020 and will take a month-long Nepali language course before traveling out to the Oda Foundation’s rural campus and headquarters in Kalikot. The intensive, one-month language course will be taken in a group setting with all Fellows participating.

While public health initiatives will be this role’s primary focus, it is a strength of the Oda Foundation Fellowship program that Fellows understand the integrative nature of Oda’s work and their role within it. Maintaining their immediate responsibilities, the Public Health Fellow is strongly encouraged to pursue any of their interests outside of healthcare that may align with ongoing Oda Foundation programming. In previous cohorts, Fellows have also supported in an operational fashion through: social media management, media content generation, report and grant writing support, quarterly board meeting participation, strategic partnership generation, and more!

Key responsibilities can include:

  • Assisting the healthcare team with research as well as data accumulation and analysis through Oda Foundation electronic health record system and SPSS program

  • Working closely with and developing relationships with Foundation staff and our surrounding community

  • Assisting in the coordination of preventative healthcare programs such as: youth group sessions, women’s circles, and student and community workshops

  • Coordinating trainings and development for clinic staff's understanding of data analysis

  • Data collection and evaluation for ongoing Oda Foundation Global Health Research

  • Using your own knowledge and online resources to identify relevant and needed curriculum for staff and community trainings

  • Assisting Oda Foundation staff with a variety of clinic and programming operations

  • Writing proposals for potential public and private partnerships as well as relevant funding opportunities

  • Developing social media and marketing content for quarterly newsletters, Instagram, Facebook, and Odafoundation.org including photos, blog posts, and videos including photos, blog posts and videos

 Successful candidates will have:

  • A desire to work in the public health and/or development sector, specifically in a developing country

  • A keen interest and ability to form relationships with youth, community members and staff, and to be conscientious of building relationships within a new culture

  • A positive attitude with a proven track record for being a thoughtful team player

  • Experience with grant and proposal writing

  • Experience engaging in public health research

  • Excitement for close collaboration and program development with the Fellows team

  • A genuine desire and work ethic towards making a difference in the lives of the people living in the Karnali State of Nepal

  • Ability to quickly learn and work with SPSS and EHR (system for Electronic Health Records); prior experience with a statistical program such as SPSS will stand out but is not required

  • Solid comprehension of Excel and Microsoft Office; strong organizational skills

  • A proven track record for success, whether this is academically or otherwise

  • An open-minded attitude towards living and working in extremely remote and rural Nepal. There are daily challenges that accompany living and working in a developing country; Fellows have limited access to internet and electricity

  • A cultural competence and patient nature towards dealing with a drastically different work environment than what is found in developed countries

Oda Foundation Values

Before sending in your application please review our team values listed below. Oda’s values were created with the purpose of cultivating a positive working environment for all team members. In order to do so, when hiring, we look for candidates who represent these values.

Care and Compassion

  • We will demonstrate our compassion and caring through our action and words

  • We will take time to ensure each person feels listened to, secure, understood and is treated compassionately

  • We will be approachable and contribute to creating a calm and friendly atmosphere

  • We will provide a safe and caring setting for patients and staff, and an efficient, effective experience

  • We will meet people's needs for information and involvement

  • We will be considerate, calm and proactive in solving problems

  • We will not be aggressive or passive aggressive to anyone

Respect, Dignity & Justice

  • We will demonstrate respect for all staff through our words and actions

  • We will all follow Oda rules, policies and procedures

  • We will accept fair and equitable punishment for all

  • We will be polite and courteous in our communications and actions

  • We will demonstrate respect for dignity, choice, privacy and confidentiality

  • We will recognize and value uniqueness, diversity and different cultures

  • We will be sincere, honest and constructive in giving, and open to receiving, feedback

  • We will maintain a professional attitude and appearance.

Effectiveness

  • We will demonstrate a commitment to doing our best

  • We will be proactive in problem solving and above all, our work commitments. 

  • We will be responsible and reflect on our actions

  • We will be accountable for our actions

  • We will focus on our work and practice time management by meeting all proposed deadlines.

  • We will encourage and explore ideas for improvement, innovation and creativity.

  • We will seek out opportunities to enhance our skills and expertise

  • We will work together to achieve high quality services

  • We will use our knowledge and enthusiasm to implement positive change and overcome challenges

Teamwork & Communication

  • We will understand and value each other's role and contribution

  • We will be fair, thoughtful, welcoming and kind to colleagues, fellows and guests.

  • We will communicate with each other and express our successes and our concerns.

  • We will offer support and encouragement to others

  • We will maximize each other's potential and contribution through shared learning and development

  • We will recognize, share and celebrate our successes, big and small

  • We will practice coordination and collaboration interdepartmentally

  • We will have a positive outlook and motivation

  • We will demonstrate commitment to the Oda Foundation, patients, staff and our guests.

Honesty and Responsibility

  • We will build trust by displaying transparency and doing what we say we will do

  • We will commit to doing what is right

  • We will welcome feedback as a means of informing improvements

  • We will use our resources and each other's time efficiently and wisely

  • We will maintain and enhance public confidence in our service

  • We will be a positive role model

How To Apply

For more information about our organization please follow us on Instagram, @odafoundation. You can also look around our website - blog posts from many previous Fellows are a helpful resource that show the breadth of work possible, and the impact of this once-in-a-lifetime Fellowship! Please contact Oda Foundation Country Director, Nick Kraft with any questions or comments during the application process at nick@odafoundation.org.

Applicants should send a resume and cover letter outlining how they meet the specific requirements of the position to info@odafoundation.org by June 15, 2020.  Application materials will be viewed and interviews will be determined on a rolling basis.

While we sincerely appreciate all applications, only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.  Please note the selected candidate will be required to submit to a liability waiver and proof of international travel insurance.