Research Coordinator, Department of Community Health Sciences

Research Coordinator, Department of Community Health Sciences

Entity
Aga Khan University

Location
Karachi, Pakistan

Introduction
Aga Khan University chartered in 1983 as Pakistan's first private international university, is committed to the provision of education, research, and health care of international standards relevant to Pakistan and the region. The affiliated Aga Khan University Hospital provides state-of-the-art clinical facilities and well-equipped diagnostic services. The University currently has teaching sites in Pakistan, East Africa, the United Kingdom, and Afghanistan, and is a major component of Aga Khan Development Network.
 
As an equal opportunity employer, AKU believes in promoting a diverse and inclusive culture and is committed to adopt appropriate standards for safeguarding and promoting a respectful relationship with and between diverse workforce of its faculty, staff, trainees, volunteers, beneficiaries, wider communities, and other stakeholders with whom it works, including children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees/trainees and partners to share this commitment.
 
The Department of Community Health Sciences (CHS) is the leading unit of its type in Pakistan, recognized regionally and internationally for the relevance, quality, and extent of its work in support of public health and the development of primary health care systems. It comprises of five major operational sections: Epidemiology & biostatistics, Health policy & management, Population & reproductive health, Environmental health & climate change, and non-communicable diseases & mental health.
 
This is a grant-funded contractual position.

Responsibilities           

You will be responsible for:

• increase community demand for vaccination through strategic networking and house-to-house visits
• boost referrals to immunization centers and identify local influencers, especially women, to promote routine vaccinations
• develop and manage social networks of community influencers and establish connections with gynecologists and birth attendants (BA/SBA/TBA)
• organize community engagement events, pop-up clinics, influencer houses, and awareness sessions to enhance immunization coverage
• facilitate community communication through WhatsApp, social media, and digital tools using Android devices
• create social profiles of designated union councils, map local resources, and maintain daily activity reports
• work closely with vaccinators, Community-Based Volunteers (CBVs), and frontline health workers to strengthen outreach efforts
• provide capacity-building support to the community on effective interpersonal communication
• perform other duties as assigned by the Senior Manager or Project Team.

Requirements             

You should have:

• a bachelor's degree in any discipline
• at least two years of relevant experience in immunization programs (EPI/PEI)
• strong community mobilization experience and knowledge of local dynamics
• ability to build networks and engage effectively with community influencers
• fluency in Urdu and one additional local language (Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, or Seraiki)
• excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• proficiency in social media and digital communication platforms.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.