Cancer Epidemiology Expert

Key Expert – Cancer Epidemiology Expert (Cat. II) Project: Technical Assistance to the Syrian Ministry of Health – Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Governance.

Location:
Damascus, Syria Indicative Start Date: 9 December 2026 Implementation Period: 14 months (indicative end date: 9 February 2028) NTU International is currently identifying qualified experts for the EU-funded project “Technical Assistance to the Syrian Ministry of Health – Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Governance.” The assignment aims to support the institutional strengthening and governance capacities of the Syrian Ministry of Health, contributing to more effective institutional performance, evidence-based decision-making, accountability and sustainable capacity development. In this context, we are seeking a highly qualified Key Expert – Cancer Epidemiology Expert (Cat. II) to provide technical assistance in cancer epidemiological research, population-based cancer surveillance, statistical analysis and the translation of cancer registry data into evidence-based public health policies and national cancer-control strategies. Qualifications and Skills Required
• Master's degree or PhD in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Public Health, or a closely related quantitative discipline.
• Additional training or certification in cancer epidemiology or registry-based research is strongly preferred.
• Experience collaborating with cancer registry, health planning and digital transformation teams to ensure that surveillance data inform national cancer-control policy and resource allocation.
• Proficiency in statistical software (e.g. R, STATA, SPSS, SAS) for the analysis, modelling and visualisation of cancer-surveillance data, including age-standardisation and survival-analysis methods.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, statistical analysis software and data-visualisation tools for epidemiological reporting. General Professional Experience
• Minimum 8 years of professional experience in epidemiological research, disease surveillance or biostatistical analysis including at least 4 years of experience specific to cancer epidemiology or population-based cancer-registry analysis. Specific Professional Experience
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and conducting descriptive and analytical epidemiological studies (incidence, prevalence, survival and trend analyses) using registry-derived or health-facility data.
• Experience producing peer-reviewed publications, technical reports or policy briefs translating epidemiological evidence into actionable public-health recommendations.
• Sound understanding of dataquality assessment methods for cancer-registry data (completeness, validity, timeliness) and familiarity with IARC/GLOBOCAN reporting standards.
• Experience building the analytical capacity of national counterparts through structured, competency-based training and mentoring. Language Requirements
• English: Excellent written and spoken command – mandatory.
• Arabic: Working knowledge is considered an advantage. If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply and upload your CV via LinkedIn or send to recruitment@ntu.eu. Please note that only selected candidates will be contacted due to the large amount of applicants.