Research Associate, Department of Medicine

Introduction:

Chartered in 1983, Aga Khan University (AKU) is a private, autonomous, and self-governing international university with 13 teaching sites in 6 countries distributed across three continents. As an integral part of the Aga Khan Development Network, AKU provides higher education in several disciplines, carries out research pertinent to the countries in which it exists and has campuses, programs and/or teaching hospitals in Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda, and the UK. As an international institution, AKU operates on the core principles of quality, relevance, impact, and access; and AKU is a model of academic excellence and an agent of social change.

This position is for a highly motivated, positively charged individual with strong social science and nutrition skills to support IMPACT grant project, including Community Engagement & Involvement (CEI) activities, CEI data management, CEI CAP Meetings, and report writing, with general oversight from the project principal investigator, co-investigators, and Sr. research manager. The incumbent is expected to have strong communication and liaison skills to nurture positive workable relations with the national and international project teams.

Job Roles/Responsibilities:

• assisting the CEI research team in arranging meetings, record keeping, and report writing
• assisting the CEI research team in interviews (Key informant interviews, survey) 
• collecting data from respondents by using a full range of qualitative and quantitative research tools
• conducting field visits for CEI Meetings in Karachi,Matiari and Thatta district
• coordinating communication between the research team and other stakeholders for CEI updates and meetings 
• assisting Sr Manager in report and minutes writing, and updated excel versions of CEI shared folders and files
• assisting in planning, organizing, and conducting CEI related courses and workshops in liaison with the research team
• management, compilation & analysis of CEI data
• provide assistance in the smooth implementation of the project
• liaison with project sites assigned in the project, visiting field sites
• any other duty or responsibility assigned by the Project lead / Sr. Research Manager

Requirements:

You should have/be:

• a bachelor’s degree in basic or health science from a well-reputed local or international university
• one to two years of experience working in community based research studies (Qualitative, Quantitative, and mixed-method study) is desirable
• understanding of the principles of community engagement and involvement and relevant experience will be highly valued
• excellent interpersonal;  particularly communication skills with all team members and different stake holders
• proficiency in the use of computer applications, particularly MS Word and Excel
• ability to manage time and prioritize tasks effectively
• ability to work effectively in teams and resilience to cope-up with work pressure
• excellent written communication skills including report and meeting minuteswriting 
• willingness to work in a community setting and travel as per work requirements    
• basic scientific writing skills (participated in the publication of 1-2 research papers)
• command over EXCEL software
• ability to conduct qualitative research projects effectively