Research Administration Manager at Aga Khan University (AKU)

The position holder will be responsible for planning and coordinating research administrative support services in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) working closely with other academic entities in East Africa (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania). The incumbent will ensure efficiency in research management processes, compliance with university policies, and performance monitoring and reporting in keeping with university stipulations. In addition, he/she will be responsible for the establishment, of performance standards and metrics to ensure the conduct of quality and ethical research in the FHS. She/he will be expected to contribute in strategic planning and liaise with the Karachi based office of Sponsored Research (OSR), working closely with administrative departments for efficient budgeting, use and accountability of resources.

Responsibilities

Program Management and Collaboration

• Deliver the FHS RO’s support standard of excellence through common understanding of research administration goals, proactive listening and proper professional responses.
• Ensure that adequate controls and resources are in place to support research undertaken within FHS in East Africa, including scope, types and locations.
• Contribute to development and revision of university research administration procedures, ensuring compliance with policies set forth by the university and/or external agencies
• Participate in teamwork to establish/maintain procedures and guidelines according to Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation standards for Academic Medical Centre
• Lead in planning and execution of key events of the FHS RO including conferences, workshops, meetings, training/capacity building sessions, Faculty Academic Rounds/ output dissemination events
• Maintain comprehensive inventory of research protocols & dissertations, IERC approvals, regulatory permits, publications, and source documents for resident dissertations
• Oversee information dissemination and timely action on research related matters – announcements and key reports including updates for the Institutional website- research section
• Maintain research inventory and share periodic reports with relevant university offices
• Keep abreast on changes involving internally and externally sanctioned policies and procedures and ensures all research projects are administered in accordance with such policies.

Leadership and Staff management

• Provide strategic backing to the Associate Dean of Research to facilitate FHS research enterprise including guiding researchers/faculty/students through the research grants life cycle from Pre-award, Award, Implementation to Closeout; including related regulatory compliance requirements for human subject protection/ethics reviews, national regulations, related permits.
• Prepare Research Office’s annual budget including staffing and capital equipment requirements.
• Lead in budget implementation in alignment with approved budgets as well as monitoring expenditures and discussing with the Associate Dean financial variance reports, in addition to propositions for cost containment measures.
• Support the implementation of FHS research strategic plan, ensuring activities are undertaken as per expected timelines and within budget to promote efficient use of resources (financial, space and manpower).
• Liaise with the HR department on matters relating to FHS RO recruitment, interviews, hiring, orientations, confirmations, appraisals, continuous training for staff/capacity building based on needs assessments, leave schedules and also facilitate processes for exit at an employee’s end of contract/resignation/retirement.

Management of the Institutional Ethics Review Committee (IERC)

• Lead in preparation of initial IERC accreditation documents, annual accreditation reports, as well as lead the triennial reaccreditation as required by the National Commission of Science Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI).
• Lead in preparation of initial registration documents with the Office of Human Subject Protection (OHRP) and subsequently ensuring the organization maintains an active Organizations (IORGs) registration as well as, institutional review boards (IRB) and Federal Wide Assurances (FWA).
• Ensure IERC roster is maintained and is compliant with NACOSTI and OHRP regulations
• Lead in implementation of institutional human research protections’ policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Manage the Institutional Indemnity provision by leading in the reporting and annual renewal of the no fault compensation insurance for clinical trials and / or human volunteer studies
• Routinely advise and guide Principal Investigators (PIs) on IERC, NACOSTI, Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) and Ministry of Health (MoH) regulations, policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Interact regularly with a wide variety of internal and external contacts including but not limited to students/trainees, PIs, representatives from national regulators, research institutions, universities, and corporate sponsors of research on a regular basis; provides guidance on the IERC application and review process; interprets IERC regulations, and acts as a liaison to the IERC Chair, Associate Dean of Research and external agencies.
• Provide oversight in the operations of the IERC and accountable for the output(s) of the IERC officer
• Maintains IERC files and databases. Generates IERC statistical reports based on databases.
• Supports the hospital quality assurance section on IERC related regulatory and assurance issues.

Logistics and Procurement management

• Responsible for the management, administration, and supervision of the office’s acquisition requirements including purchase of supplies, equipment, and materials.
• Review and approve stock item requests on CARE
• Inventory of assets within the section and asset tracking liaising with MMD for new acquisitions and disposals
• Review section transport request and authorize expense via Little Cab online app or Dispatch department daily
• Regularly consolidate transport tracker, review and approve vendor invoices
• Support field research sites with logistics for efficiency
• Technology and Systems Management

• Identify Research Office software needs and facilitate acquisition and renewals of the same including but not limited to system and methodology software
• Entity Management registration in SAM for AKU Kenya which comprises of; managing the entity’s entire Entity Management registration, including entities in the organization’s hierarchy; update and renew the Entity Management registration and any entities in the organization’s hierarchy including deactivations as may be required; Manage and assign which users have roles with an entity and approve or reject hierarchy registration requests
• Perform signing official (SO) roles in eRa commons comprising of registering the institution, creating and modifying the institutional profile and user accounts.
• Perform E-Business POC roles including submission of grants via in Grants.gov
• Manage and maintain registration for the AKU IERC with OHRP
• Manage and maintain registration of the AKU IERC with NACOSTI

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social sciences/humanities/administration or related field from reputable academic institution
• International certification in Research Administration, IRB Administration and Leadership & Management in Health).
• Valid current qualification in Responsible conduct of Research for Research Administrators, Good clinical and Laboratory research practice
• Minimum five years’ progressive work experience in research operations management preferably, in an academic institution
• Health research projects administration experience is an added advantage
• Working competence with MS Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, Power Point, Outlook) and PeopleSoft Grants Management Module
• Professional writing experience
• Budget planning and accounting
• Knowledge of the East Africa region environment and culture
• Excellent analytical approach to the international research standards and policies, its privacy and the required confidentiality to be maintained of study related matters;
• Demonstrated ability to work in a professional, multi-disciplinary team as a group leader, facilitator, or participant
• Proactive approach to situations, continuous strife for improvement, drive for innovative ideas and a cohesive approach to teamwork
• Ability to multi-task and to work under pressure within tight timelines
• Good problem-solving skills: demonstrates resilience and initiative when faced with challenges