Research Associate, Provost Office COE (Thatta, Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan and Karachi)

Research Associate, Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health

Entityaga Khan University

Locationpakistan

Introduction
The Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health aims to support the introduction, scale-up and further piloting of high quality and high impact interventions to improve Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (MNCAH) in Pakistan by harnessing the potential of both public and private sectors, coupled with introduction of women and girls empowerment intervention. 

Pakistan is among the two countries left in the world where the poliovirus continues to threaten the health and well-being of children. Despite many efforts from key stakeholders, Pakistan is still unable to control the transmission and spread of disease. It is therefore imperative to robustly use the surveillance and contact tracing approach to track the positive polio cases. While we know a considerable amount about paralytic polio cases such as their age, location, and vaccination status, relatively little is known about how children get infected, who they may have infected, and, more generally, how polio spreads through communities.

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.

This is a grant-funded contractual position.
 

These positions based on Thatta, Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan and Karachi.
 

Responsibilities
You will be responsible to support the Research Specialist (RS) CoE to facilitate the effective implementation, conduct and evaluation of CoE programs and ensures that programs are adhering to ethical, medical and humanitarian principles. You will be responsible for: 

• Supervise and monitor all field activities at all field sites around Pakistan;
• coordinate with staff working at field sites in multiple cities of Pakistan for the completion of task within the stipulated timelines;
• provide training to the project staff at multiple field sites;
• coordinate with Government and Community stakeholders for carrying out the project activities in high-risk areas of Pakistan;
• visit field sites for monitoring and auditing purpose to ensure proper field operations as per the guidelines and SoPs provided;
• actively work on proposal development of research studies;
• liaison with granting agencies and other stake holders for project operations;
• ensure the completeness, proper entry and archiving of the CRFs and / or questionnaires;
• monitor and report the hospital / mortality surveillance;
• monitor and report on the disease surveillance from non-project facilities (private and public sectors, and NGOs);
• prepare and present weekly, fortnightly and monthly project reports and presentations for the progress of study being carried out at multiple locations.

Requirementsyou Should Have:

• MBBS/ Bachelors in Sociology/Anthropology/ Psychology or in any relevant field;
• 2-3 years of related work experience at the community level;
• strong communication and interpersonal skills;
• team player; 
• good writing skills;
• basic Knowledge of surveys and other research designs;
• experience in community-based data collection and training of primary healthcare providers;
• strong interpersonal skills and communication;
• willingness to work on field sites;
• experience in the CMAM project is preferable.Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted. These positions based on Thatta, Badin, Tando Muhammad Khan and Karachi.