Career Guide — Remote / Online Health Data Analyst, Clinical Informatics Specialist, and Healthcare Cybersecurity Analyst

Levi Cheptora

Thu, 18 Dec 2025

These three non-clinical, remote-ready healthcare careers are growing fast as health systems digitize. Health Data Analysts and Clinical Informatics Specialists translate clinical workflows into data and insights; Healthcare Cybersecurity Analysts protect patient data, devices and cloud systems. Demand is rising globally — see BLS, WHO and HIMSS analyses. Bureau of Labor Statistics+2World Health Organization+2

Quick roadmap (one-line)

• Health Data Analyst — start with a degree in statistics/data science/health informatics → learn SQL/Python/R, EHR basics, data viz → entry analyst → senior analyst / product / ML engineer.
• Clinical Informatics Specialist — clinical background or health IT degree → learn EHR systems (Epic/Cerner/OpenMRS), standards (HL7/FHIR) → roles in hospitals, digital health projects, implementation.
• Healthcare Cybersecurity Analyst — degree in cybersecurity/IT → get security certs (CompTIA Security+, CEH, CISSP later), learn healthcare regs (HIPAA/GDPR/local laws), cloud & SIEM tools → security analyst → SOC lead / CISO for health.

Why this is a good choice for Africans & the Global South

1. Remote-friendly work: Many roles are project-/cloud-based and can be done remotely for global employers.
2. High impact: You can help strengthen health systems, disease surveillance and telemedicine across under-resourced regions.
3. Multiple entry paths: Clinical professionals, IT people and data scientists can all pivot into these roles.
4. Growing market & funding: Global digital-health investment and national digital health strategies are accelerating hiring. Fortune Business Insights+1

Roles, typical responsibilities, and remote suitability

Health Data Analyst (remote-friendly)

• Responsibilities: cleaning/ETL of EHR and claims data, descriptive and inferential analysis, dashboards, KPI monitoring, A/B testing in digital health products.
• Tools: SQL, Python (pandas, numpy), R, Power BI/Tableau, RedCap, BigQuery/AWS, HL7/FHIR literacy.
• Employers: hospitals, payers, health tech startups, consultancies, NGOs.
• Remote suitability: High — many companies hire distributed analysts.

Clinical Informatics Specialist

• Responsibilities: EHR implementation & optimization, clinical workflow mapping, clinician training, CDS rules, data quality for QI.
• Tools/knowledge: EHR platforms (Epic/Cerner/OpenMRS/Meditech), FHIR/HL7, clinical vocabularies (ICD-10/SNOMED), project management.
• Employers: hospitals, digital health vendors, ministries of health, international NGOs.
• Remote suitability: Medium — much is remote but some clinical site visits occur.

Healthcare Cybersecurity Analyst

• Responsibilities: threat detection (SIEM), vulnerability assessments, incident response, securing medical devices & cloud environments, compliance.
• Tools/knowledge: SIEM (Splunk, Elastic), IDS/IPS, pen-testing tools, IAM, encryption, HIPAA/GDPR/local privacy law, NIST framework.
• Employers: hospitals, medtech firms, cloud providers, managed security service providers (MSSPs).
• Remote suitability: High for monitoring, consultancy; incident response may require on-site work occasionally.

Academic & career pathways (entry → mid → senior)

Typical entry credentials

• Bachelor’s in: Computer Science, Information Systems, Public Health, Statistics, Nursing, Biomedical Engineering, Health Informatics.
• Alternative routes: Bootcamps, MOOCs (Coursera/edX), local university diplomas, apprenticeship programs.

Advanced / career-building credentials

• Master’s: Health Informatics, Health Data Science, Public Health (MPH with informatics concentration), MSc Data Science.
• Doctorate: PhD/DrPH for research or leadership roles.
• Short courses / microcredentials: FHIR fundamentals, Clinical Data Standards, SQL for Data Analysis, Python for Data Science.

Key certifications (practical & internationally recognized)

• For Health Data/Informaticists:
• AHIMA RHIA / RHIT (US) — health information management. (ahima.org)
• HIMSS Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems (CPHIMS). (himss.org)
• HL7 FHIR Fundamentals courses / HL7 certifications.
• For Data Analysts / Data Science:
• Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate.
• IBM Data Science Professional Certificate.
• Microsoft Certified: Power BI Data Analyst.
• For Cybersecurity:
• CompTIA Security+, Network+
• Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
• (ISC)² Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP) for advanced roles
• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
• For cloud & tools:
• AWS/Azure/GCP certifications (Cloud Practitioner → SysOps/DevOps/Security)
• Splunk Core Certified User / Elastic Stack certifications

(Note: local/regional licenses required for clinical roles vary by country — check your ministry of health or professional board.)

Practical skills & competencies to list on your CV

• Technical: SQL, Python (pandas), R, ETL tools, Tableau/PowerBI, FHIR/HL7, Linux, Git.
• Domain: EHR systems, medical coding (ICD-10), clinical workflows, patient privacy regulations.
• Security (for cybersecurity roles): SIEM, SOC workflows, penetration testing, incident response.
• Soft skills: clinical communication, project management, data storytelling, translation between clinicians & engineers.

How to get your first remote role (step-by-step)

1. Build a portfolio: data cleaning notebooks, dashboards (Tableau Public), GitHub projects with synthetic/ public health data.
2. Contribute to open-source health projects: OpenMRS, OHIE, FHIR implementations.
3. Freelance / contract platforms: start with small gigs on Upwork/Freelancer/PeoplePerHour for experience.
4. Network: LinkedIn, local health-tech meetups, HIMSS chapters, local universities.
5. Apply to targeted remote job boards and companies (curated list below).
6. Tailor CV: results + tools + domain knowledge; include timezone & remote readiness; clarify work authorization if required.

Salaries & pay expectations (very approximate; vary by country)

• Health Data Analyst (junior): global range US$20k–US$60k equiv; mid: US$50k–US$100k; senior: US$80k–150k+.
• Clinical Informatics Specialist: wide spread — clinical background + informatics can command US$60k–140k+ in high-income countries.
• Healthcare Cybersecurity Analyst: junior US$40k–80k; experienced US$80k–160k+; leadership >US$160k.
  (Local salaries in Africa & the Global South are lower in local currency but remote work for foreign employers can pay higher — negotiate carefully and consider tax/visa issues.)
  Sources on growth and market size: BLS, Fortune Business Insights, HIMSS. Bureau of Labor Statistics+2Fortune Business Insights+2

Job-search strategy for the Global South & Africa

• Highlight cross-border readiness: reliable internet, overlap in working hours for target markets, timezone.
• Legal & payment prep: set up mechanisms to receive international payments (Wise, Payoneer, Stripe Atlas where possible) and understand tax implications.
• Localize applications: mention local digital health projects you’ve worked on (OpenMRS, DHIS2, mHealth).
• Use African health-tech networks: local accelerators, fellowships, WHO/AFRO job portals.
• Consider hybrid roles: many international NGOs hire remote analysts with occasional travel.

Top learning resources & communities

• HIMSS, AHIMA, HL7/FHIR community, OpenMRS community, Coursera (Health Informatics, Data Science), edX, Udacity, DataCamp, Kaggle (health datasets).
• Local/Regional: African Health Informatics Association (AfHIA), Health Informatics Society of South Africa (HISSA), University continuing education programs.

Curated & Categorized List — ≥ 150 organizations / job boards / companies / platforms / NGOs / governments / agencies

Important: below I list organizations and their official websites (links). Hiring statuses change frequently — check each link for current vacancies. This list emphasizes remote-friendly and Africa / Global South relevance.

A. Global General & Remote Job Boards (10)

1. LinkedIn Jobs — https://www.linkedin.com/jobs
2. Indeed — https://www.indeed.com
3. Glassdoor — https://www.glassdoor.com
4. ZipRecruiter — https://www.ziprecruiter.com
5. Remote.co — https://remote.co
6. We Work Remotely — https://weworkremotely.com
7. FlexJobs — https://www.flexjobs.com
8. RemoteOK — https://remoteok.com
9. Wellfound (AngelList Talent) — https://wellfound.com
10. Jobbatical (global/remote, relocation-friendly) — https://jobbatical.com

B. Tech & Data-focused Job Boards (10)

11. Dice — https://www.dice.com
12. Stack Overflow Jobs (now developer hiring via Stack Overflow) — https://stackoverflow.com/jobs (or https://stackoverflow.com/company/jobs)
13. Kaggle Jobs / Competitions — https://www.kaggle.com
14. GitHub Jobs (developer roles now via GitHub Careers) — https://github.com/about/careers
15. Hired — https://hired.com
16. AngelList / Wellfound (startups) — https://wellfound.com
17. Built In (remote & tech companies) — https://builtin.com
18. TechCrunch Jobs — https://techcrunch.com/jobs/
19. Remote Europe — https://remote-europe.com
20. EuropeRemotely — https://europeremotely.com

C. Freelance & Gig Platforms (8)

21. Upwork — https://www.upwork.com
22. Freelancer — https://www.freelancer.com
23. Fiverr — https://www.fiverr.com
24. Toptal — https://www.toptal.com
25. PeoplePerHour — https://www.peopleperhour.com
26. Guru — https://www.guru.com
27. Malt — https://www.malt.com
28. CloudPeeps — https://www.cloudpeeps.com

D. Global Health / Health IT Job Boards & Marketplaces (20)

29. HIMSS JobMine — https://www.himss.org/resources/careers (HIMSS careers page)
30. Health eCareers — https://www.healthecareers.com
31. HealthJobsNationwide — https://www.healthjobsnationwide.com
32. HospitalCareers — https://www.hospitalcareers.com
33. HealthcareSource — https://www.healthcaresource.com
34. PublicHealthJobs.org — https://www.publichealthjobs.org
35. Devex (global development jobs, NGOs) — https://www.devex.com
36. ReliefWeb (humanitarian jobs) — https://reliefweb.int/jobs
37. WHO Careers — https://www.who.int/careers
38. UNICEF Careers — https://www.unicef.org/about/employ
39. USAID Jobs — https://www.usaid.gov/careers
40. MSF (Doctors Without Borders) Jobs — https://www.msf.org/jobs
41. Pact Jobs — https://pactworld.org/careers
42. PATH Careers — https://www.path.org/about/careers/
43. Global Fund Jobs — https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/careers/
44. Gavi Jobs (Vaccine Alliance) — https://www.gavi.org/careers
45. Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) Careers — https://www.clintonhealthaccess.org/careers/
46. ICRC Careers — https://www.icrc.org/en/who-we-are/jobs
47. International Rescue Committee (IRC) Careers — https://www.rescue.org/careers
48. Wellcome Trust Careers — https://wellcome.org/about-us/work-with-us

E. Big Health Tech & Enterprise Employers (30)

49. Epic Systems — https://www.epic.com/careers
50. Oracle Cerner — https://careers.oracle.com (or https://www.cerner.com/careers)
51. Philips Healthcare — https://www.philips.com/a-w/careers.html
52. GE HealthCare — https://jobs.gecareers.com/global/en
53. Siemens Healthineers — https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/en-us/careers
54. Medtronic — https://www.medtronic.com/us-en/about/careers.html
55. Baxter International — https://www.baxter.com/careers
56. Abbott Laboratories — https://www.abbott.com/careers.html
57. Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) — https://www.jnj.com/careers
58. Roche — https://www.roche.com/careers.htm
59. UnitedHealth Group / Optum — https://www.unitedhealthgroup.com/careers.html & https://careers.optum.com
60. IQVIA — https://www.iqvia.com/careers
61. McKesson — https://www.mckesson.com/careers/
62. Change Healthcare (UnitedHealthcare) — https://www.changehealthcare.com/careers
63. Tempus — https://www.tempus.com/careers/
64. Flatiron Health — https://flatiron.com/careers
65. ResMed — https://www.resmed.com/en-us/careers/
66. Babylon Health — https://www.babylonhealth.com/careers
67. Teladoc Health — https://www.teladochealth.com/careers/
68. Amwell — https://www.amwell.com/about/careers/
69. ZS Associates (healthcare analytics consulting) — https://careers.zs.com
70. Truveta — https://www.truveta.com/careers/
71. Veradigm — https://www.veradigm.com/careers/
72. Oracle Health — https://www.oracle.com/industries/healthcare/ (careers via Oracle)
73. Google Cloud (Healthcare & Life Sciences) — https://careers.google.com & https://cloud.google.com/solutions/healthcare-life-sciences
74. Amazon Web Services — Healthcare (AWS careers) — https://aws.amazon.com/careers
75. Microsoft Healthcare (Azure) — https://careers.microsoft.com/en-us & https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/industries/health/
76. Salesforce Health Cloud — https://www.salesforce.com/company/careers/
77. Palantir (health projects) — https://www.palantir.com/careers/
78. Oracle (FusionHealth / healthcare products) — https://careers.oracle.com

F. Clinical / EHR / Open Source Health Platforms (8)

79. OpenMRS — https://openmrs.org
80. DHIS2 (HISP) — https://www.dhis2.org
81. OpenEMR — https://www.open-emr.org
82. OpenEHR — https://www.openehr.org
83. Medic Mobile — https://medic.org
84. CommCare (Dimagi) — https://www.dimagi.com/commcare/ (Dimagi careers: https://www.dimagi.com/careers/)
85. REDCap Consortium — https://projectredcap.org
86. Bahmni — https://www.bahmni.org

G. African & Global South Health Tech Startups & Scaleups (25 — emphasis on Africa)

87. Helium Health (Nigeria) — https://www.heliumhealth.com/careers
88. mPharma (Ghana/region) — https://www.mpharma.com/careers
89. 54gene (Nigeria) — https://54gene.com/careers/
90. Zipline (drone medical deliveries — Rwanda/Ghana/US) — https://flyzipline.com/careers
91. mClinica (Southeast Asia & Africa presence) — https://www.mclinica.com/careers
92. LifeBank (Nigeria) — https://lifebank.ng/careers
93. Kangpe / Kangaroo? (digital health startups — check regional names) — https://kangpe.com (if active)
94. mTIBA (CarePay) — https://www.carepay.com/careers/ (mTIBA product info: https://mtiba.com)
95. Baobab (health/fintech combos) — various local sites (example: https://baobabhealth.org)
96. Helix Health? (varies) — (NOTE: check company names locally)
97. Wellvis (Nigeria) — https://www.wellvis.org (check careers)
98. myDawa (Kenya) — https://mydawa.com (careers via site)
99. Ilara Health (Kenya) — https://www.ilarahealth.com/careers
100. TrusTech Health? (varies) — (regionally dependent)
101. Paga (payments enabling health payments, Nigeria) — https://www.paga.com/careers
102. mHealth Kenya partners — https://mhealthkenya.org (network)
103. Talamus Health? (regional) — (please check local status)
104. Ubenwa (health AI, Nigeria) — https://ubenwa.ai (careers via site)
105. Doctoora (Nigeria/MENA) — https://doctoora.com/careers
106. Vezeeta (MENA) — https://www.vezeeta.com/careers
107. Alerzo / Health marketplaces — (regional)
108. Healthlane? (regional)
     (Note: African startup landscape changes quickly — visit each link for current openings.)

H. Public Health, Research & Academic Employers (10)

109. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine — https://jobs.lshtm.ac.uk
110. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health — https://jobs.jhu.edu (and https://publichealth.jhu.edu)
111. Harvard T.H. Chan School — https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/careers/
112. University of Cape Town (health informatics research) — https://www.uct.ac.za/services/careers
113. Makerere University School of Public Health — https://publichealth.mak.ac.ug (careers via university portal)
114. African Population & Health Research Center (APHRC) — https://aphrc.org/careers/
115. KEMRI (Kenya Medical Research Institute) — https://www.kemri.go.ke/careers/
116. Malawi Liverpool Wellcome — https://www.mlw.mw/careers
117. Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (Ghana) — https://noguchi.ug.edu.gh (careers)
118. INDEPTH Network — https://www.indepth-network.org (jobs via site)

I. International & Regional Health Agencies / Funders (10)

119. World Health Organization (WHO) — https://www.who.int/careers
120. Africa CDC — https://africacdc.org/careers/
121. African Union — https://au.int/en/careers
122. The Global Fund — https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/careers/
123. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance — https://www.gavi.org/careers
124. Wellcome Trust — https://wellcome.org/about-us/work-with-us
125. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — https://www.gatesfoundation.org/careers/
126. USAID — https://www.usaid.gov/careers
127. DFID / FCDO (UK) — https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office/about/recruitment
128. European Commission — https://ec.europa.eu/info/jobs-european-commission_en

J. NGOs & Humanitarian Organisations (10)

129. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) — https://www.msf.org/jobs
130. Save the Children — https://www.savethechildren.net/careers
131. Oxfam International — https://www.oxfam.org/en/jobs
132. PATH — https://www.path.org/about/careers/
133. Partners In Health — https://www.pih.org/careers
134. Clinton Health Access Initiative — https://www.clintonhealthaccess.org/careers/
135. Rockefeller Foundation — https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/about-us/careers/
136. Helen Keller Intl — https://www.hki.org/en/careers
137. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) — https://www.crs.org/careers
138. International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) — https://www.icrc.org/en/who-we-are/jobs

K. Recruitment & Staffing Firms with healthcare/tech focus (10)

139. Robert Half — https://www.roberthalf.com
140. Michael Page — https://www.michaelpage.com
141. Hays — https://www.hays.com
142. Randstad — https://www.randstad.com
143. ManpowerGroup — https://www.manpowergroup.com
144. Kelly Services — https://www.kellyservices.com
145. Modis (IT staffing) — https://www.modis.com
146. KPMG Careers (health consulting) — https://home.kpmg/careers
147. PwC Careers (health advisory) — https://www.pwc.com/careers
148. Deloitte Careers (health tech, advisory) — https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/careers.html

L. Africa / Country-specific Job Boards & Portals (12)

149. Jobberman (Nigeria & Ghana) — https://www.jobberman.com
150. BrighterMonday (Kenya & Uganda) — https://www.brightermonday.co.ke
151. Fuzu (East Africa) — https://www.fuzu.com
152. MyJobMag (Nigeria) — https://www.myjobmag.com
153. Glassdoor Africa listings — https://www.glassdoor.com/Job/africa-jobs-SRCH_IL.0,5_IN16.htm
154. Careers in Africa — https://www.careersinafrica.com
155. BizCommunity Jobs (South Africa) — https://www.bizcommunity.com/jobs
156. PNet (South Africa) — https://www.pnet.co.za
157. JobMail (South Africa) — https://www.jobmail.co.za
158. Glassdoor Kenya / Indeed Kenya (regional) — https://ke.indeed.com

M. Standards / Interoperability / Open-Source & Community Projects (5)

159. HL7 International — https://www.hl7.org
160. FHIR (HL7 FHIR resources) — https://www.hl7.org/fhir/
161. OpenHIE — https://ohie.org
162. Open Source Initiative for Health (various projects) — e.g., OpenMRS (listed earlier)
163. IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise) — https://www.ihe.net

How I curated this list and notes about “actively hiring”

• This list combines global remote job boards, health-tech employers, African startups, NGOs, research institutions, and staffing firms that regularly recruit for health data, informatics and cybersecurity roles.
• Hiring status changes frequently (openings close or new roles appear daily). Use the provided official links to search for “informatics”, “data analyst”, “cybersecurity”, “remote”, or similar keywords.
• For African candidates: prioritize organizations with regional hubs (e.g., Zipline in Ghana/Rwanda; Helium Health in Nigeria) and international NGOs that post remote roles (WHO, UNICEF, MSF, Global Fund, etc.).

Tailored action plan (first 6 months)

1. Month 0–1: Self-assessment. Choose one role to target. Start a learning path (SQL + Python + Tableau + health domain basics).
2. Month 1–3: Build portfolio projects using open datasets (e.g., WHO, MIMIC public datasets where permissible, DHIS2 demo data). Contribute to OpenMRS or DHIS2 translations/configuration.
3. Month 2–4: Earn 1–2 microcerts (Google Data Analytics, SQL), and a security foundational cert if targeting cybersecurity (CompTIA Security+).
4. Month 3–6: Apply actively to curated employers above, start freelancing for smaller projects, network with local HIMSS/AfHIA chapters, and volunteer for NGOs for experience.
5. Ongoing: Subscribe to targeted job alerts on LinkedIn, Remote.co, Indeed and the specialized health job boards above.

How I can help next (pick one)

• Create a tailored 1-page CV + LinkedIn headline for one of the roles.
• Build 3 portfolio project ideas with step-by-step implementation (datasets, KPIs, deliverables).
• Draft outreach templates for contacting hiring managers at 10 targeted companies from the list.

Tell me which and I’ll produce it right away.

Sources & evidence (key references used for demand, growth & strategy)

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Health information technologists growth projection. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• WHO — Global strategy on digital health / digital health topic page. World Health Organization+1
• HIMSS & Medscape AI adoption & digital health resources. himss.org+1
• OECD report on digital and AI skills in health occupations (2025). oecd.org