Director Research, Innovation, Consultancies and Extension at Amref Kenya

Reporting To: Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs

Job Description

The holder of the job will lead and coordinate the University’s Research, Innovation, Consultancies and Extension activities.

Main Duties and Key Responsibilities

• Identify research, innovation, consultancy and extension opportunities for the University
• Assemble and coordinate teams in responding to calls and bids for research grants, consultancies and partnerships
• Develop and coordinate innovative products in the University
• Ensure intellectual protection of innovations and inventions
• Ensure regular communication and timely reporting with research, consultancy and extension partners and collaborators within and without the University
• Coordinate dissemination of research products to: legislators, policy makers and communities
• Develop policies for effective research, innovation and consultancy and other relevant University activities
• Enhance staff capacity in participating in research, innovation, consultancy and extension activities

Academic Requirements

• An earned PhD in health or biomedical sciences, research or other relevant discipline
• Holding or qualified to hold the position of at least an associate Professor
• Well published with at least forty eight (48) points of publications as per the CUE criteria
• Supervision of four (4) post graduate students one of whom is a PhD student
• Training in research proposal writing
• Training in research ethics
• Registered with relevant professional body

Experience

• At least six (6) years’ experience in University teaching or nine (9) years’ experience in research/industry
• Over ten (10) years’ experience in grantsmanship, research, consultancies
• Has handled large research grant(s) or consultancy portfolio
• Been a Principal investigator in large projects
• Successful fundraising for research, consultancies or extension in the last five years
• Experience in Intellectual Property Rights/Protection
• Experience in Project management
• Patents or other intellectual property registered alone or jointly with others
• A wide network work of local, regional and international donors/development partners
• Regional and international research and consultancy partnership networks

Qualities and Competencies

• Knowledge, skills and attitude of a team leader
• Very good interpersonal skills
• Ability to work with multidisciplinary and multicultural team members
• Excellent proposal writing knowledge and skills
• Ability to identify, mobilize and motivate research/consultancy consortia
• Outstanding report writing knowledge and skills
• Exceptional presentation skills
• Ability to work within strict deadlines
• A strategic and critical thinker with ability to generate and grow new ideas
• Computer proficiency