Research Associate - Paediatrics and Child Health

Job Description

IntroductionAga Khan University, chartered in 1983 as Pakistans first private international university, is committed to the provision of education, research, and health care of international standard relevant to Pakistan and the region.The Outreach and Research Programme of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health has nine community-based field sites across Pakistan (including five in Karachi) and focuses on research for the betterment of women and child health. The Department has a Nutritional Research Laboratory as well as an Infectious Disease Research Laboratory that caters to the needs of its research projects. It has well-acclaimed work to its credit both at the national and international level.The Gavi project?s primary goal is to generate important data on the impact of typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) in reducing the burden of typhoid and drug resistance among typhoid cases in Pakistan by establishing surveillance network for typhoid in collaboration with large laboratory networks and hospitals across Pakistan. In addition, rapid screening analysis to measure the impact of TCV against culture confirmed S.Typhi among children, when the vaccine was administered during a catch-up campaign, to children 9 months-15 years of age will also be measured. The study will be conducted in private and public sector hospitals and laboratory networks of Sindh and Punjab.Aga Khan University invites applications for the position of Research Associate in the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health.ÿThis is a short-term contractual position.ResponsibilitiesSpecifically, you will be responsible to:

• independently conduct interviews and write up detailed notes on interviews and observation visits
• manage field work process to ensure effective use of time
• facilitate meetings among the research team and junior research staff
• training new junior staff (Lady Health Workers - LHWs / Community Health Workers - CHWs) in research / interviewing skills and proper data collection
• visit different hospital areas to enrol patients in the research studies, after obtaining consents
• liaison with admin regarding logistics for field/hospital work
• develop and conduct regular trainings of LHWs and CHWs
• provide supervision and support for approximately LHWs / CHWs liaising with their Supervisors
• raise wider community awareness on Child Health related issues based on prepared project activity guidelines
• follow and ensure field implementation of project related SOPs / guidelines as defined in the research project

• at least Bachelor? s degree or Master?s in Social science will be preferred or equivalent
• One ? Two years of relevant work experience
• strong communication and interpersonal skills
• good writing skills
• basic Knowledge of survey and other research designs
• data collection, analysis and interpretation in terms of report writing and biostatics
• strong interpersonal skills and communication
• integrity and strong research ethics
• excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
• comfort with working in challenging field-based settings
• proven mixed methods research skills
• strong people management skills, particularly in challenging field environment
• strong MS office skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

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