Research Director, Faculty of Health Sciences

Research Director, Faculty of Health Sciences

Introduction:

Aga Khan University, chartered in 1983 as Pakistan's first private international university, is committed to the provision of education, research and health care of international standard relevant to Pakistan and the region. The affiliated Aga Khan University Hospital has well-equipped investigative services and provides state-of-the-art clinical facilities.

Reporting to the Dean, Medical College and Associate Dean for Research, Medical College, this leadership position entails strong strategic management, research administration, and analytical abilities to lead and manage a wide spectrum of community, hospital-based and multi-centre clinical research projects throughout the Faculty of Health Sciences with specific focus on Division and Departments of Medical College. The position requires demonstrated ability to successfully manage Pre and Post grant award processes of significantly big grant portfolio in terms of numbers as well as value that are being conducted at national and international levels. It requires understanding the current processes and implementing a culture of continuous improvement in Shared Research Services (SRS), which combines all the relevant grant administration and support services activities under one office. SRS provides a one window operation and support to all the internal and external (national and international) clients and developing the team members into leaders of the future.

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.

Aga Khan University invites applications for the position of Research Director, Faculty of Health Sciences.

Responsibilities:

You will be responsible to:

• demonstrate effective strategic planning of resources to manage the wide spectrum of research data of on-going research projects (and future projects); pertaining to grants administration, regulatory affairs, human resources, financial management, procurement functions, IT management, laboratory space, safety & security, field operations, and relationship building; being conducted in various areas of Pakistan
• build strategic relationship with relevant stakeholders at national and international level which includes local, federal and national government representatives; community stakeholders; international granting agencies and research administration societies
• develop and implement innovative and sustainable strategies to inculcate efficiency in existing research and grants administration capacity of the Medical College through international standards and techniques
• spearhead the optimization of available resources for a greater cost saving on the research grants of the Medical College through adaptation of modernized tools and techniques
• lead the diversified portfolio of current grants and facilitate new grants acquisition for all the departments of Medical College, correspond with the granting agencies, ensure conformity to regulatory compliance of the agencies, track and deliver narrative and financial reports and operations of research projects
• provide active support in ensuring legal formalities of granting agencies (and sub-contractors) while ensuring they are adequately met and endorsed
• facilitate researchers towards development of Research Proposals, finalizing contents and procedural formalities (non-technical) and ensuring timely submission
• oversee research administration of various extramural and intramural research grants as per the international practices and standards of granting agencies
• lead the existing research administration teams of various departments by providing feedback for the improvement of the systems and ensuring compliance of University and granting agency’s standards
• integrate the existing electronic systems of Medical College with AKU’s PURE system to ensure greater facilitation and control
• conduct monitoring visits at the field sites to ensure that project activities are in line with the agreed upon timelines with the granting agencies
• facilitate AKU internal audits and compliance reviews, ensure that recommendations are agreed and implemented
• facilitate external and internal audits of granting agencies
• represent, advocate, and promote departmental research at relevant AKU forum
• advocate on behalf of research faculty with AKU Support Departments and Research Office when needed to solve research-related issues
• facilitate the indoctrination of senior level staff through continuous training and development to get acquainted with modern research administration techniques
• plan the long-term career development of senior staff and recommend relevant research administration focused trainings for them through in-house, national and international trainings with an aim for the enhancement of their technical capacity
• facilitate university-level start-up service and facilitation to researchers in other Departments for pre-award, contracting and post-award grants management.

Requirements:

You should have:

• a minimum of Master’s in business administration (MBA) or other relevant field. International certifications in Research Administration would be a plus. Certifications should be relevant (clinical trials, research administration, financial management, research law, leadership etc)
• international degree in the field of Research Administration or general administration is desirable
• demonstrated ability to have implemented new systems in a large service-based industries nationally and internationally will be preferred
• a minimum of ten years plus relevant experience in the field of Administration with any Healthcare Institution / Service Industry
• experience of managing extramural/intramural funded research grants and working with donor agencies would be an added advantage
• proven track record of managing a diversified team comprising of grant administrators, human resources, procurement, IT, legal, audit, compliance and clinical trials
• demonstrated leadership skills evident from team building
• knowledge of modern research administration practices focusing on grants from national and international agencies
• strong record of compliance and risk management, maintaining adherence to best practices and international standards
• proven track record of successful capacity development of senior staff with an aim to strengthen the individual capacity in line of achieving the overall development objectives of the division
• demonstrated ability to work in a professional, multi-disciplinary team as a group leader, facilitator, or participant
• willingness for travelling (and deputation as well), at national and international levels.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.