Clinical Officer-Human Genetic Studies at KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP)

JOB PURPOSE: 

The Clinical Officer in this role will assist in running studies on Sickle cell disease. The post holder conducts daily activities to ensure communication with participants, clinical assessment and care, timely recruitment, data collection, follow up and adherence to study-specific procedures.

Description: 

REPORTS TO: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR & PROJECT COORDINATOR

DIRECTLY SUPERVISES: NURSES & FIELD WORKERS.

JOB DIMENSIONS:

The KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme conducts high quality clinical trials focussing on diseases that present a high burden for developing countries.

We run two major studies: An observational cohort study and a clinical trial, involving children with sickle cell anaemia at the Kilifi county hospital.

The post holder will have a high level of responsibility for ensuring study integrity, adherence to guidelines and standard operation procedures, managing staff and ensuring that the studies run smoothly. The post holder will need to be self-sufficient and be able to work mostly without supervision, often with an unpredictable timescale. The post is mentally demanding, and involves a high level of communication among study team, with other participating study sites, study participants and the wider community.

Staff operating at this grade range contribute to a research team and deal with non-standard work situations more regularly than staff at lower grades and take decisions often relating to the interpretation of standard operating procedures.  They are required to provide guidance to team members at lower grades, and also be involved in supervising the work of others. Staff have responsibility for prioritizing their own work and ensuring the necessary equipment/materials are available.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist in providing SCD clinical services.
• Screen, recruit, enrol and follow up of study participants.  
• Provide information, education and support to families or guardians of the research participants.
• Administer or oversee the informed consent process.
• Conduct trial-related assessments and collection of data using case record forms in accordance with Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and protocol.
• Assist with documentation and reporting of serious adverse events and clinical endpoints, including death and prolonged hospitalization.
• Monitor treatment toxicity/side effects and liaise with the clinical care team to initiate changes to treatment as required by the protocol.
• Ensure that the whole team are working according to GCP and research governance standards for clinical trials.
• Help to manage study-specific fieldworkers including planning of field activities.
• Foster good working relations with hospital’s clinical team and be able to contribute to/participate in continuous medical education (CME) activities in paediatric department
• Be required to undertake other duties, which are broadly in line with the above key roles and responsibilities.
• any other duties allocated by the supervisor or PI.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCE:

ESSENTIAL

• Diploma in Clinical Medicine
• Flexible – able to work extra hours when needed
• Able work under stressful environment, self-driven and highly motivated
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written)
• Personnel management skills and computer-literate with proficiency in project management tools and Microsoft applications

DESIRABLE

• Prior experience of clinical trials/research work,
• GCP and research ethics training  
• Ability to communicate in Giriama added advantage.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT/CONDITIONS:

• Based at the Kilifi County Referal Hospital, Kilifi
• Be available to work flexibly, out of hours as necessary.
• Travel to other trial sites for training.
• Exposure to patients and materials considered infectious and/or biohazards.