Research Associate, Community Health Sciences

Research Associate, Community Health Sciences 

Entity: Aga Khan University

The Aga Khan University is a private, international university committed to international standards of excellence in teaching, research and service. Its teaching hospital, the Aga Khan University Hospital has been accredited by the prestigious Joint Commission International for achieving the highest international healthcare standards.

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 a grant funded contractual position based at JPMC.
 

• Oversee and coordinate participant screening, recruitment, enrolment, and follow-up activities in the Labour Room and NICU, ensuring compliance with the approved study protocol;
• verify participant eligibility and ensure timely completion of all study procedures in accordance with protocol requirements and established timelines;
• ensure the informed consent process is conducted ethically and in compliance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP), institutional policies, and regulatory requirements;
• coordinate with consultants, residents, nurses, and other clinical stakeholders to facilitate the efficient implementation of study activities;
• ensure accurate, complete, and timely maintenance of Case Report Forms (CRFs), source documents, regulatory files, and study records, maintaining data quality, integrity, and protocol compliance;
• monitor study conduct, participant safety, adverse events, and protocol deviations, escalating issues to the Study Coordinator, Principal Investigator (PI), or relevant study leadership as appropriate;
• ensure adherence to study protocols, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), ethical guidelines, institutional policies, and applicable regulatory requirements;
• provide training and day-to-day supervision of study personnel and support continuous quality improvement in study implementation;
• support monitoring visits, audits, quality assurance activities, and regulatory inspections by maintaining complete and audit-ready study documentation;
• facilitate effective communication among collaborating departments to support successful study execution;
• participate in study meetings and support project implementation and performance monitoring;
• perform any other study-related duties assigned by the PI, Co-PI, and/or Study Coordinator.
   

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing;
• valid registration with the Pakistan Nursing & Midwifery Council (PNMC) will be preferred;
• willingness to work rotating shifts, including night duties;
• minimum 2 years of experience in clinical research, preferably involving neonatal, paediatric, maternal health, or hospital-based clinical studies;
• certification or training in Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Human Subjects Protection (HSP), and research ethics are preferred;
• special consideration will be given to professionals with clinical experience in Labor Rooms, NICUs, paediatric wards, or similar clinical settings;
• experience in a research setting would be preferable;
• demonstrated experience in participant recruitment, informed consent processes, clinical data collection, and study coordination;
• sound understanding of maternal and neonatal clinical care;
• ability to conduct informed consent in stressful clinical situations;
• knowledge of adverse events and safety reporting;
• problem-solving and decision-making abilities;
• ability to work under pressure, manage competing priorities and adherence to deadlines;
• good command of spoken and written Urdu; working knowledge of English;
• strong interpersonal and coordination skills to ensure protocol adherence;

• high ethical sensitivity and attention to detail and accuracy.

   

  
  Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.