IT Business Analyst (ACRN) - Harare or Johannesburg

Location: Harare or Johannesburg South Africa - On site at one of these locations 

Hours: Full Time 

Reports to: Chief Technology Officer – Africa Clinical Research Network Our Mission:  

The African Clinical Research Network (ACRN) is an African-led and African-driven clinical research organisation. Our work not only promotes and supports a vibrant life sciences ecosystem but also profoundly impacts Africa's health and economic development. By facilitating sustainable, innovative, collaborative, and community-oriented research, ACRN is poised to transform healthcare and improve lives across Africa, inspiring a new era of clinical research.  

We provide high-quality data, harmonise regulatory processes to improve timelines, support capacity building within the existing ethics and regulatory systems, and enhance community trust and research participation. These are some of the first key steps to making Africa more competitive in the global life sciences industry, a goal we are proud to contribute to.  

The ACRN drives clinical research excellence by connecting researchers to opportunities, enhancing research capacity in existing facilities, implementing high-quality trials and research, and leveraging a robust digital infrastructure.    

We are committed to fostering the community's understanding of research. Through our community engagement network, we significantly increase stakeholder buy-in of clinical results, thereby enhancing the transparency and credibility of our research.

Job Summary:

We are seeking an experienced IT Business Analyst with a strong background in health information systems (HIS) to support the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of health IT solutions. The role involves collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure business processes, system implementations, and service delivery meet regulatory requirements, industry standards, and user expectations in the healthcare and life sciences sectors.

Key Responsibilities:

Business Analysis & Process Documentation:

Analyse, design, and document business processes within health information systems (HIS) for clinical life science, ensuring alignment with best practices and regulatory requirements.

Conduct stakeholder interviews, workshops, and requirement-gathering sessions to define business and system requirements.

Develop comprehensive process flow diagrams, use cases, user stories, and business requirement documents (BRDs).

Work with cross-functional teams, including IT developers, healthcare professionals, and regulatory bodies, to translate business needs into technical specifications.

Service Delivery & System Implementation:

Collaborate with IT teams to support the deployment and enhancement of health information systems and related applications (Lab and related applications for integration)

Ensure IT service delivery meets user expectations and healthcare operational needs, identifying areas for improvement and efficiency.

Provide guidance on data governance, interoperability, and security within health IT environments.

Assist in system validation, UAT (User Acceptance Testing), and training for end-users.

Regulatory Compliance & Quality Assurance:

Ensure adherence to healthcare data standards, such as HL7, FHIR, ICD-10, GCP, GLP and GDPR/HIPAA compliance.

Support quality assurance activities, including system audits, risk assessments, and regulatory reporting.

Monitor and evaluate key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure system effectiveness and user satisfaction.

Stakeholder Engagement & Communication:

Act as a liaison between IT teams, business users, and external vendors to facilitate clear communication and alignment on project objectives.

Prepare reports, dashboards, and presentations for senior management and executive stakeholders.

Drive change management initiatives and promote the adoption of new IT solutions.

Qualifications & Experience:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Health Informatics, or a related field.

5+ years of experience as an IT Business Analyst, preferably in healthcare, life sciences, or medical research domains.

Strong expertise in health information systems (HIS), Electronic Medical Records (EMR), and Digital Health Solutions (LAB, IoT, Telemedicine).

Proven experience with business process modeling (BPMN, UML) and technical documentation.

Broad understanding of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.

Familiarity with ITIL service management frameworks and healthcare IT regulatory standards.

Experience with Agile and Waterfall methodologies in software development and implementation projects.

Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.

Ability to work effectively with multi-disciplinary teams and manage multiple stakeholders.

Preferred Skills & Certifications:

Certification in Business Analysis (CBAP, CCBA) or Healthcare IT (CPHIMS, HITPro).

Knowledge of cloud-based health IT solutions (AWS, Azure, Oracle, Google Cloud).

Experience in data analytics and visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI) for healthcare insights.

Work Environment: 

This position can be based in Zimbabwe or South Africa, with occasional travel to other office locations as necessary. The role may require flexible working hours to support remote teams and ensure systems are running smoothly across time zones. 

Please apply online providing a covering letter specifically highlighting how your existing skills and experiences support fulfilling the responsibilities of this role.