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RESEARCH OFFICER (STUDY COORDINATOR) - 2 YEAR TERM APPOINTMENT

Department

Research

Entity

Medical College

Location

Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction

Chartered in 1983, Aga Khan University (AKU) is a private, autonomous and self-governing international university, with 13 teaching sites in 6 countries over three continents (www.aku.edu). An integral part of the Aga Khan Development Network (www.akdn.org), AKU provides higher education in several disciplines, carries out research pertinent to the countries and operates 7 hospitals (soon 8) and over 325 outreach clinics, all at international standards. It has almost 2,500 students and 14,000 staff. The University is both a model of academic excellence and an agent of social change. As an international institution, AKU operates on the core principles of quality, relevance, impact and access.

The Medical College in East Africa is part of the Faculty of Health Sciences. The College is working with the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, and Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam to build a new academic community providing outstanding health pprofessional education, building strong programmes of research supporting graduate student and postdoctoral training and providing programmes and services relevant and impactful across East Africa.

We have the distinct advantage of being part of an over one hundred year history of service to the East African community through the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) that includes a broad range of community development and healthcare delivery services across East Africa. In addition, we are transforming the quality of health care in the region via the Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi where we are building a Faculty of Health Sciences campus closely integrated with the broader health care delivery system of the AKDN.

The university has excellent international partners who provide great strength and opportunity for our growth as an academic health system stretching across East Africa.

The AKU Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health (CoEWCH) focuses on establishing high quality education, multidisciplinary research and training programmes on women, child and adolescent health. The centre is collaborating with the Kilifi County Department of Health Services in a number of research studies as part of a larger collaboration: the Pregnancy Care Integrating Translational Science, Everywhere (PRECISE) network. These studies are establishing and following a cohort of pregnant women and their children to study the environmental, clinical, epidemiologic, socio-demographic, physical and mental health factors affecting pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes.

The department is looking to hire a Research Officer for the PRECISE – DYAD (Linking maternal and infant health trajectories in sub-Saharan Africa) study project. The study focus is to determine the pathways to healthy outcomes for mothers and their children following normal and complicated pregnancies.

The position holder will be required to contribute to recruitment of participants, data collection, sample collection and follow-up for the PRECISE-DYAD study project. The incumbent will also play a study coordinator role, contributing to planning, coordination and implementation of research activities primarily for the PRECISE-DYAD paediatric component. This research role will include setting up sub-studies or sub-analysis of research data with expected academic outputs of a PhD project/ qualification.

He/she will be based at the study research sites - public health facilities in Kaloleni and Rabai sub-counties in Kilifi County. The role will include some local travel between sites and to the community.

Responsibilities

  • Support the PI in contact and follow-up of relevant participants while working closely with the relevant government officials and community representatives.
  • Coordinate the implementation of research activities under the supervision of the P.I.
  • Training of data collectors and other members of the research team in tasks relating to the paediatric component of the study.
  • Coordinate data collection ensuring adherence to ethical procedures.
  • Develop site specific SOPs, policies and processes for study activities.
  • Organize for data collection, entry, transcription, cleaning and coding.
  • Maintaining all documentation and providing reports are done on time and reporting procedures adhered to.
  • Work with the Community liaison officer and community team to plan and implement communication with the community and community stakeholders.
  • Work closely with the AKU communication team to ensure project activities are profiled through the different channels of communication targeting all key stakeholders including adolescents, parents, implementers and policy makers.
  • Contribute scientifically to the research with a focus on neurodevelopmental outcomes and/or other early childhood developmental aspects and potential associated factors impacting development. This research role will include setting up sub-studies or sub-analysis of research data with expected academic outputs of a PhD project/ qualification.

Requirements

  • A Master’s degree in Public Health, Psychology, Nursing or other allied fields with a strong research and project coordination background with interest and aptitude to pursue doctoral level training.  
  • Demonstrated experience in coordinating or supporting a research project preferably in health research.
  • Excellent ability to multitask and delivery of assignment on time.
  • Excellent communication skills and good knowledge of English, both written and oral.
  • Demonstrated strong prioritization and time management skills.
  • Knowledge on both qualitative and quantitative statistical software such as Stata and SPSS.
  • Experience in community mobilization and partner engagement processes.
  • Ability to document research study processes and outcomes and compile donor reports.
  • Interest and aptitude to pursue doctoral level training.  
  • Demonstrable experience in neurodevelopment assessment for children is desirable.
  • Fluency in Swahili and working knowledge of the Mijikenda language will be an added advantage.

To Apply

​Interested candidates should submit a Cover letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae, names and email contacts of three professional referees, telephone contact, e-mail address and copies of relevant academic certificates as well as transcripts to the Director, HR Academic, Aga Khan University’s Campus Nairobi, Kenya. P. O. Box 30270-00100 or by email to hr.universityke@aku.edu .  

Your application should bear the reference number ROSC-CoEWCH.  Applications by email are preferred.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.  More information about the Aga Khan University is available at www.aku.edu

Applications should be submitted latest by March 2, 2021