Introduction
The Outreach and Research Programme of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health has ten community-based field sites across Pakistan including four in Karachi and focuses on research for betterment of women and child health. The Department has a Nutritional Research Laboratory as well as an Infectious Disease Research Laboratory that cater to the needs of its research projects. It has well-acclaimed work to its credit both at the national and international level.
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 or trainees and partners to share this commitment.
Responsibilities
Reporting to the Chair, Paediatrics & Child Health you will play a critical role in building strong strategic and administrative abilities to manage the research grants, and overall operations of a various community-based, hospital-based, multi-centre and national clinical research projects (ongoing and future) being conducted in various parts of Pakistan by the Department.
Your specific responsibilities will include:
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networking with internal and external stakeholders across strategic planning, grants administration, regulatory affairs, HR, finance, procurement, IT, laboratory space, safety and security, operations management, events, communications, and advocacy
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overseeing professional development, career management, and supervision of staff working across field sites nationally
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leading national and international engagement, representing the division across meetings, visits, and partner interactions with extensive travel
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managing pre‑ and post‑award processes for a large and diverse research grants portfolio, ensuring compliance with University and granting agency requirements
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ensuring conformity with regulatory requirements and donor-specific compliance expectations
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supporting investigators in developing research proposals and completing administrative requirements
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managing research administration for extramural and intramural grants, aligning operations with institutional shared research services
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supervising departmental and divisional finance teams, improving systems for financial controls, audits, and compliance
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identifying, selecting, and establishing outreach field sites for research projects while coordinating with institutional support departments
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developing administrative teams through capacity building, coaching, and process improvements
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monitoring, evaluating, and enhancing operating procedures, administrative workflows, and research operations
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planning and organizing departmental events including meetings, conferences, seminars, and official visits
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developing and implementing systems and policies to strengthen grants regulatory processes
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conducting programme and financial audits at field sites to ensure adherence to donor and University requirements
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conducting monitoring visits to ensure alignment of project activities with approved timelines
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making key operational decisions including financial approvals, staff development, and oversight of research administration.
Requirements
You should have:
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Master’s degree in Business Administration; additional qualifications are an added advantage
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international certification in research and grant administration or general administration
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professional training in grants administration
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minimum ten years of experience in healthcare or service industry settings
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experience in research and grants management within a university or healthcare institution
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proven ability to manage diversified teams including grants, HR, finance, procurement, IT, legal, audit, regulatory, trials, and events
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excellent organisational and analytical skills
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demonstrated ability in capacity building and managing multiple tasks effectively
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strong time‑management skills with a focus on service excellence
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effective team player with strong leadership capabilities
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excellent communication and interpersonal skills
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resilience and the ability to work under pressure and meet stringent deadlines
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willingness to travel and work in community or rural field sites
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excellent computing and report writing skills
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integrity, professionalism, and strong commitment to ethical research practices.
This is a close-ended contractual position.
Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.
Disclaimer:
The Aga Khan University is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment which is free from discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at AKU are based on business needs, job requirements and individual’s qualifications and experience, without regard to race, colour, caste or creed, national, social or ethnic origin, gender (except where gender is a bona fide occupational qualification). AKU does not discriminate among the job candidates on account of any of these characteristics.
