Manager (Research), Department of Community Health Sciences

Location
Karachi, Pakistan

Introduction
The Aga Khan University (AKU) is a private, international university committed to excellence in education, research, and healthcare. AKU invites applications for the position of Research Specialist for a UNICEF-supported project focused on Early Childhood Development (ECD).
The Research Specialist will support implementation and coordination of project activities, trainings, field operations, documentation, stakeholder engagement, and reporting. The role requires strong research, communication, and organizational skills, along with the ability to collaborate with project partners and travel across Pakistan when required.

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.

The Department of Community Health Sciences (CHS) is the leading unit of its type in Pakistan, recognized regionally and internationally for the relevance, quality, and extent of its work in support of public health and the development of primary health care systems. It comprises of five major operational sections: Epidemiology & biostatistics, Health policy & management, Population & reproductive health, Environmental health & climate change, and non-communicable diseases & mental health.

This is a grant funded contractual position.

You will be responsible to:

• coordinate day-to-day implementation of project activities across provinces
• support work planning and implementation of technical assistance activities
• monitor progress against project workplans, milestones, and timelines
• maintain project deliverable trackers and reporting schedules
• coordinate preparation and submission of technical reports and project deliverables
• identify implementation risks, bottlenecks, and coordination challenges and recommend mitigation measures
• liaise with provincial health departments, reform units, and government counterparts
• coordinate meetings, consultations, workshops, and stakeholder engagement activities
• facilitate government review, consultation, and endorsement processes
• conduct desk reviews, policy analyses, and evidence syntheses
• support development of reform roadmaps, technical products, and policy recommendations
• contribute to policy briefs, reports, and knowledge products
• support implementation of monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems
• compile progress reports, lessons learned, and project updates
• support adaptive management and continuous improvement processes
• coordinate with consortium partners, development agencies, and technical collaborators
• organize capacity-building workshops, consultations, and dissemination events
• ensure compliance with AKU, donor, and project requirements
• support administrative, operational, and financial documentation processes.
  

Requirements

You should have:

• a Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Economics, Health Policy, Health Systems, Public Policy, Business Administration, Public Administration, or an equivalent qualification from an HEC-recognized institution
• a doctoral qualification or specialized training in Health Financing or Health Economics will be considered an added advantage
• at least five years of relevant experience in health systems, health financing, health policy research, or management of donor-funded technical assistance programme
• experience working with government counterparts, development partners, and multi-partner consortia
• experience in project coordination, stakeholder engagement, monitoring and evaluation, and policy-oriented research
• sound understanding of health financing functions, including revenue generation, pooling, purchasing, and benefit design
• knowledge of strategic purchasing, contract management, public financial management, and health systems strengthening
• familiarity with Pakistan’s devolved health governance system and provincial health sector reforms
• strong project management, coordination, and organizational skills
• excellent analytical, academic writing, and report-writing skills
• ability to engage effectively with senior government officials, development partners, and academic collaborators
• strong interpersonal, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously and meet deadlines
• proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and data management tools.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.