Postdoctoral Fellow, Medicine

Postdoctoral Fellow, Medicine

Entity: Aga Khan University

Location: Karachi

Department: Medicine

Introduction to the Aga Khan University:

Chartered in 1983, it is a private, autonomous and self-governing international university with 13 teaching sites in 6 countries distributed across three continents. As an integral part of the Aga Khan Development Network, Aga Khan University (AKU) provides higher education in several disciplines, carries out research pertinent to the countries in which it exists and has campuses, programmes and/or teaching hospitals in Afghanistan, Kenya, Pakistan, Tanzania, Uganda and the UK. As an international institution, AKU operates on the core principles of quality, relevance, impact, and access; and AKU is a model of academic excellence and an agent of social change.

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.

Key Responsibilities:

The selected candidate will serve as a full-time researcher in the Department of Medicine, with 100% research time supported by the Centre for IMPACT grant awarded to the Department. The primary purpose of this role is to support the implementation of CVD (cardiovascular diseases) research and capacity-building activities, while contributing to the University’s and Department’s independent CVD research capacity. The candidate will plan, execute, and manage CVD-related research projects, including monitoring, process evaluation, and data analysis, while completing on the-job research training. They will also publish and present findings under the mentorship and guidance of the Pls of the grant. In addition, the role entails overall coordination of the research project, including preparing and updating project documents, training research staff, implementing activities across field sites in Thatta and Matiari, liaising with stakeholders to ensure smooth project execution, and compiling reports.

The candidate will be responsible to:

• Supervise field-based project operations, and ensure complete alignment with protocols;
• follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for field sites, data management flow, and administrative processes;
• implement rigorous internal audits, quality checks, and process evaluations to maintain research integrity;
• lead the recruitment, training, and performance evaluation of Senior Research Assistants, field investigators, and community health workers;
• design and execute training modules regarding field compliance, data collection technologies, and research ethics;
• collaborate closely with Data Managers to oversee data monitoring, cleaning, and preparation for analysis;
• lead and contribute to the drafting, submission, and revision of scientific abstracts and manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals;
• present research findings at national and international forums;
• serve as the primary operational liaison with community stakeholders, local health authorities, and public/private healthcare providers;
• foster partnerships across institutional borders to facilitate smooth field access and dissemination of findings;
• Operational decisions regarding daily field tracking, staff re-allocations to overcome field bottlenecks, and standardizing data troubleshooting techniques on-site;
• assessing and implementing corrective action plans when field protocols deviate or data quality checks identify anomalies;
• multi-site operations requiring regular travel and extended site management in rural districts, specifically Thatta and Matiari or other parts of Sindh;
• direct supervision and training of multidisciplinary field research staff (SRAs, data collectors, and community health workers;
• flexibility to undertake national and international travel as required for project dissemination, steering committee meetings, and collaborative workshops.
   

Requirements:

• PhD in Public Health, Epidemiology, Global Health, Health Sciences, or a closely related discipline with a clear research focus on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs), or Health Systems Research;
• valid certification in Good Clinical Practice (GCP) is highly desirable;
• strong competency in applied health research designs, mixed-methods research, process evaluation frameworks, and real-time data capture methodologies;
• proficiency in statistical software (e.g., STATA, SPSS, R) and/or qualitative data analysis software (e.g., NVivo);
• proven ability to plan, execute, and monitor complex field logistics, manage site budgets, and lead field teams independently;
• deep familiarity with public health infrastructure, working alongside Lady Health Workers (LHWs) and Lady Health Supervisors (LHS);
• exceptional academic writing skills, with the ability to draft progress reports, ethical dossiers, and high-quality research manuscripts;
• excellent interpersonal skills to collaborate collegially with community leaders, government health officials, and international academic collaborators;
• demonstrated experience in applied health research, implementation science, or community-based clinical trials;
• proven track record of working with large-scale field operations, particularly within rural or low-resource health systems (experience in Sindh or similar settings is an asset);
• prior experience in an academic or university research setting with a strong portfolio of peer-reviewed publications or active contributions to scientific manuscripts;
• a long-term career commitment to NCD prevention, implementation research, and digital health innovations.
   

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.