Senior Research Assistant, , Community Health Sciences

Entity: Medical College                

Location: Karachi

Introduction

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.
 

Responsibilities

You will be responsible to:

• Identify, screen and enrol eligible households and children as per the study eligibility criteria and sampling plan;
• explain the study to parents/caregivers and obtain written informed consent before any study procedure;
• administer the Household Assessment Questionnaire and other structured tools on tablets using SurveyCTO, as per the study protocol and SOPs;
• conduct household observations and document potential sources of lead exposure (e.g., cookware, ceramics, spices, cosmetics, paints, toys), including photographs where required;
• assist in the collection, labelling (QR/ID codes) and chain-of-custody documentation of household product and environmental samples for XRF testing;
• review completed forms for completeness and consistency before submission, and resolve queries raised by the data management team;
• upload data to the server daily and maintain field logs, household tracking sheets and visit records;
• conduct revisits for absent, refused or incomplete households as per protocol;
• ensure participant confidentiality and safe custody of tablets, forms and study materials;
• report protocol deviations, adverse events and field challenges promptly to the Field Operations team and Project Lead;
• maintain respectful and culturally sensitive engagement with communities and local stakeholders;
• submit daily and weekly progress reports to the field supervisor;
• participate in trainings, refresher sessions, mock interviews and pilot testing of study instruments;
• support pre-testing of study tools in Urdu and regional languages and provide feedback on translation and clarity;
• assist in community mobilisation, introductory meetings with local stakeholders and communication of study results to households, as required;
• participate in team meetings and quality assurance activities such as spot checks and back-checks;
• perform any other study-related task assigned by the supervisor or Project Lead.
   

You should have:

• Bachelor's degree (minimum 14 years of education) in Public Health, Social Sciences, Nursing, Life Sciences or a related field;
• at least 2 years of experience in household or community-based survey data collection, preferably in health research projects in urban or peri-urban settings of Karachi, including experience with electronic (tablet-based) data collection;
• sound knowledge of quantitative survey methods, including household listing, screening, structured interviews and observation checklists;
• proficiency in electronic data collection using SurveyCTO or similar platforms (e.g., Open Data Kit, KoBoToolbox) on tablets/smartphones;
• understanding of research ethics, including informed consent, confidentiality and Good Clinical Practice (GCP); certification in human subjects protection will be preferred;
• fluency in Urdu (spoken and written) and good command of English for reporting and documentation; proficiency in Pashto and/or Sindhi will be an added advantage;
• ability to communicate effectively with parents/caregivers and communities, with cultural sensitivity and respect for local norms and traditions;
  basic computer skills, including Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel;
• ability to work extended hours in the field, travel across Karachi and work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team;
• female candidates are preferred, as the role involves household visits and close interaction with mothers and young children.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.