Assistant Research Officer-UZIMA Study at KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP)

JOB PURPOSE: 

To maintain and strengthen relations and mutual understanding between research communities and stakeholders and the programme for UZIMA-DS research project. The post holder will also support the systematic planning, implementation, documentation and scientific reporting of community and stakeholder engagement activities for the project, working in close collaboration with CLG team members and the broader Engagement Platform, Communications team and the Neuro Assessment Research Group

Description: 

REPORTING LINES:

REPORTS TO:

• Head of Engagement
• Team Leads, Dissemination and Sustainability Core (DSC) under UZIMA-DS Research Project

INDIRECT REPORT

Any interns/students and field team as assigned by the above

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

Responsible for petty cash budget for planned engagement activities (up to approx. Kes 150,000) and for proper care of assigned gadgets i.e., a laptop computer and digital voice recorder(s) to be used during engagement activities.

JOB DIMENSION

Key Responsibilities

• Planning and implementing community, public and stakeholder engagement activities for UZIMA-DS research project within Kilifi County.
• Maintain close contact and communication with diverse community representation structures for UZIMA-DS such as the KEMRI Kilifi Representatives (KCRs) at the different research stages i.e., inception, project implementation (e.g., progress update), and dissemination of study findings.
• Document, notify the DSC leads and respond to concerns/issues/opinions coming from the community and/or stakeholder groups engaged with the research project.
• Conduct continuous mapping and identification of potential engagement stakeholders that can be engaged by UZIMA-DS.
• Ensure appropriate implementation and documentation of all assigned engagement activities, including developing and sharing of activity summary reports.
• Contribute to data collection and analysis of data emerging from community and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Contribute to the dissemination of research findings, including through the preparation of scientific reports/manuscripts for publication and giving presentations at scientific meetings, e.g., local and international conferences.
• Working closely with the UZIMA-DS and KWTRP Communications teams to showcase UZIMA-DS public engagement activities.
• Supporting in training and capacity building activities for the study field team and research interns/students in the implementation of their roles and responsibilities.
• Any other duties that may be assigned from time to time.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

• A bachelor’s degree (BSc/BA) in Social Science, Public Health, Community Development, or related field.
• At least 2 years’ relevant experience working in a research environment (academic or research institution)

DESIRABLE

• Experience/keen interest in research engagement and communication.
• Experience working with a multi-disciplinary research team and in a multi-cultural research environment.
• Experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods, in particular: data collection, organisation, and analysis using supporting software such as N-Vivo.  

COMPETENCIES:

• Good planning and time-management skills
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Flexibility, adaptability and ability to handle multiple tasks.
• Self-motivation, with the ability to work under minimal supervision.
• Willingness to (sometimes) work out of routine office hours to meet required deadlines.
• Exposure to research ethics training (refresher/additional short courses on research integrity will be offered)
• Computer literacy with proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, and knowledgeable about online file storage and meeting platforms.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili