Cancer Epidemiology Expert (Cat. II)

About the role

NTU International is recruiting a Key Expert – Cancer Epidemiology Expert (Category II) for an EU-funded project supporting the Syrian Ministry of Health in strengthening its institutional capacity and governance. The assignment is based in Damascus, Syria, starts around 9 December 2026 and runs for about 14 months. The expert provides technical assistance in cancer epidemiological research, population-based cancer surveillance, statistical analysis and the use of cancer registry data to inform public health policy.

Key responsibilities

• Support cancer epidemiological research and population-based cancer surveillance
• Analyse cancer registry data and translate it into evidence-based public health policies and national cancer-control strategies
• Work with cancer registry, health planning and digital transformation teams so that surveillance data inform national cancer-control policy and resource allocation
• Build the analytical capacity of national counterparts through structured, competency-based training and mentoring

Required profile

• Master's degree or PhD in Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Public Health or a closely related quantitative discipline; additional training in cancer epidemiology or registry-based research is strongly preferred
• At least 8 years of professional experience in epidemiological research, disease surveillance or biostatistical analysis, including at least 4 years in cancer epidemiology or population-based cancer-registry analysis
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and running descriptive and analytical epidemiological studies (incidence, prevalence, survival and trend analyses) using registry or facility data
• Experience producing peer-reviewed publications, technical reports or policy briefs
• Understanding of data-quality assessment for cancer registries and familiarity with IARC/GLOBOCAN reporting standards
• Excellent written and spoken English (mandatory); working Arabic is an advantage

Required skills

• Statistical software such as R, STATA, SPSS or SAS for analysis, modelling and visualisation, including age-standardisation and survival analysis
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and data-visualisation tools for epidemiological reporting

Applications are made by uploading a CV through LinkedIn or by sending it to the recruiter; only selected candidates will be contacted.