Purpose

• The Recruitment and Retention Officer will primarily support participant retention, follow-up, and tracking activities for the REACH programme.
• The role focuses on maintaining regular contact with participants, coordinating follow-up visits, and tracing individuals who miss scheduled appointments, with the aim of minimising loss to follow-up across mobile and facility-based services.
• This role is primarily office-based and focuses on telephonic and remote participant follow-up, including appointment tracking, tracing of missed visits, and ongoing engagement to minimise loss to follow-up across mobile and facility-based services.

Requirements

• Grade 12 certificate
• At least 2 years’ experience in participant retention, follow-up, adherence support, or community-based health programmes.
• Experience in participant tracing, follow-up, or lost-to-follow-up (LTFU) management
• Knowledge of HIV/AIDS, adolescent sexual health, PrEP
• Experience in Addressing barriers to participation by coordinating logistical support (e.g., transport assistance, flexible appointment scheduling and appointment reminders)
• Experience with Data and Compliance: Track participant retention rates, draft protocol-specific retention Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs and compile routine reports on attrition
• Intermediate computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Fluency in English and/or Afrikaans and/or IsiXhosa

Skills & Competencies

• Ability to take initiative
• Attention to detail
• Ability to work with teams and independently
• Good planning and organising
• Time management

Responsibilities

Participant Retention & Follow-up

• Maintain regular communication with participants and address any concerns or challenges
• Conduct follow-up activities, including telephonic follow-ups and home visits
• Track participant appointments and proactively follow up on missed visits
• Develop and implement retention plans to enhance participant engagement and minimise loss to follow-up

Participant Engagement & Support

• Support participant counselling activities and provide basic adherence support
• Facilitate youth reference group (YRG) and/or intervention sessions in alignment with project objectives
• Support participant engagement initiatives to strengthen retention and study participation

Study Coordination & Support

• Support the research team with study-specific activities, including focus group discussions, consent form quality control, and participant follow-up
• Collaborate with the research team to support recruitment strategies aligned with study objectives
• Support recruitment activities on mobile clinics and assist with community-based surveys

Data Management & Reporting

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of recruitment and retention activities
• Develop and manage retention tracking tools, including weekly and monthly PrEP retention reports
• Provide regular activity updates and progress reports to the project team
• Follow up on HIV self-test results and capture data accurately in REDCap
• Conduct informed consent form (ICF) quality checks and report findings to the Project Manager.

Operational & Clinical Support

• Work closely with clinical staff to support PrEP and STI treatment packaging and distribution
• Coordinate PrEP courier services and liaise with the Data team regarding scheduled deliveries

Administrative & Compliance

• Assist with filing and maintaining research documentation and participant records
• Ensure strict adherence to confidentiality and ethical research standards
• Perform any other project-related duties as required

Additional Information

• Submit a detailed cover letter, updated CV with certified copy of highest qualification and details of two (2) current contactable referees.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• If you are a foreign national applying for this position, please attach a copy of your work permit to your application.
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
• If you have not heard from us within four weeks after the closing date, please consider your application as unsuccessful.
• We are committed to equity in our employment practices. It is our intention to appoint individuals with the aim of meeting our equity objectives. We reserve the right not to appoint if no suitable candidates are identified.
• This job may be removed before it expires.
• Desmond Tutu Health Foundation is a child-friendly organisation committed to the protection of children.
• For more information about the organisation please visit our website.

Advantageous:

• Experience in a community-based research projects
• Valid Driver’s license
• Good Clinical Practice (GCP) Certificate
• Training in PrEP (including lenacapavir)

Ref No

• DTHF-173

Remuneration

• Market Related

Centre

• Philippi Village -Reach

Duration

• ONE (1) YEAR FIXED-TERM (FULL-TIME)