Main purpose of the job:
- Ensure projects/applicable programs are executed according to protocol guidelines, unit and sponsor objectives, with effective resource management, planning, and research leadership (including managing multi-disciplinary teams, data analysis, and reporting, manuscripts/publications, and effective grant management/applications)
Location:
- Wits Learning Centre Building (Nurses’ Residence), Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, and other VIDA locations as required
Key performance areas:
Project Management
- Collaborate with investigator/s and design projects in line with protocol requirements
- Project planning including timelines, budgets where applicable, deliverables, dependencies, resource planning, site preparation, and dependencies
- Manage teams and resources required including cross-functional inputs and teams who may work across projects
- Implement, document, and track project deliverables and milestones
- Daily management of study teams including internal reporting, feedback, and progress/targets
- Coordinate and conduct project-related training and skills assessments as well as provide site- or field-specific support in the case of multiple sites and/or fieldwork
- Organise and attend or lead meetings, presentations, and calls as required
- Drive all regular internal and external report preparation and delivery
- Collaborate with colleagues and other departments toward effective and efficient project planning and delivery
- Identify areas for improvement in process flow and project management and collaborate with research leads/senior management to initiate and drive process improvements
Research analysis
- Provide guidance on research database design, review specifications, and testing plan (if applicable)
- Collaborate to ensure effective data management and oversee data quality
- Review and develop research protocol/s and obtain the background of the study/ies
- Develop, present, obtain feedback from stakeholders and revise the analysis plan
- Perform data analysis, prepare tables and write up methodologies used and results
- Contribute to and prepare publications
- Compile relevant reports and research findings to address questions arising from meetings, management or donors
- Disseminate research results appropriately
- Stay abreast of literature relevant to research activities within the organization
Quality assurance, data, and administration oversight
- Develop a research management plan in conjunction with PI and oversee and ensure compliance
- Collaborate with investigator/s on participant recruitment and retention, and contribute to community liaison strategy
- Liaison with data management to ensure high-quality data
- Develop and maintain relevant SOPs
- Maintain the site files (where applicable) and review them monthly in collaboration with the regulatory department
- Create and drive a quality assurance framework and ensure research quality processes are internally monitored
- Training/escalation for corrective action for site staff based on all applicable findings
- Ensure ethics and consent processes are followed as per GCP guidelines
- Complete and submit Ethics and Regulatory documents when required
- Track protocol approvals
- Monitor and report on any challenges as required
- Oversee study closure and archiving as required
- Maintain study documents as required by PI and/or sponsor/s
- Financial and stock oversight of the project as required
- Liaise with the maintenance and operations team to ensure the functionality of unit equipment and facilities
- Generate reports including but not limited to: Participant recruitment and retention rates; tracking follow-up reports; progress reports on compliance; data management oversight reports; study deliverables reports and any reports required by investigators in support of study deliverables
Staff management
- Lead cross-functional teams to promote productivity within projects
- Work with management to empower and develop teams or individuals as skills needs or deficiencies are identified
- Create an environment that promotes talent recognition, development as well as agency and individual leadership
- Mentor, coach and facilitate personal and professional staff development wherever possible
- Ensure teams comply with policies, unit standards, and administrative and internal communications requirement
- Manage staff effectively including performance, conduct, efficient working, processes, and corrective action as required
Self-management and performance ownership
- Take ownership and accountability for responsibility areas, demonstrate effective self-management, and demonstrate team and individual leadership and collaboration to support everyone’s combined and individual objectives
- Manage internal and external stakeholder expectations and communicate appropriately with initiative and solutions
- Support and drives the business’s core values and maintain a positive attitude
- Take ownership of own career development
Required minimum education and training:
- Master’s Degree in Social Sciences
Required minimum work experience:
- 2-3 years project management/social science research work experience in a research environment including planning, delivery, reporting, data, quality, and regulatory
Desirable additional education, work experience, and personal abilities:
- Analytical thinking, exceptional attention to detail, self-motivated
- Ability to work independently as well as delegate effectively, solve problems, and demonstrate collaboration and leadership as part of a multi-disciplinary team
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills
- Experience in using multi-method study designs, grant proposal writing, experience working with multiple grants in a complex grant-funded research environment, and working under pressure
- Writing and presentation skills critical
- Good Clinical Practice
TO APPLY:
- Only if you do meet the minimum job requirements and experience as mentioned above, you may submit a detailed updated CV.
- Please Apply Online and complete your registration on Ditto Hire (our application tracking system) to enable and protect you as a candidate to accept the new POPIA terms and conditions. This will then create your permanent profile with which you can apply for all jobs as advertised by AJ PERSONNEL. However, you may remove your profile from AJ PERSONNEL when you are no longer in the job market.
- AJ Personnel is fully POPIA Compliant.
- Please take note that the applicants who do not adhere to the above criteria will not be considered for the respective position.
- The closing date for all applications: 06 February 2023.
- Wits Health Consortium will only respond to shortlisted candidates.
- Candidates who have not been contacted within two weeks of the closing date can consider their applications to be unsuccessful.
Please note:
- Our Client, WHC – VIDA, maintains mandatory Covid-19 requirements, and as such only Covid-19 vaccinated incumbents will be considered for positions.
- WHC, in accordance with its Employment Equity goals and plan, will give preference to suitable applicants from designated groups as defined in the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 and subsequent amendments thereto.
- AJ Personnel is only responsible for advertising the advertisement on behalf of their client Wits Health Consortium.
- AJ Personnel does not have any salary or other information regarding the position.
Desired Skills:
- Communication
- Computer Skills
- Computing
- Healthcare
- Medical
About The Employer:
BackgroundThe Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics (VIDA) Research Unit of the University of the Witwatersrand, formerly RMPRU (Respiratory and Meningeal Pathogens Research Unit) has for over 20 years conducted numerous studies to assess the burden of and to prevent vaccine-preventable diseases (VPD).Current studies and projects include infant rotavirus and BCG trials.
Employer & Job Benefits:
- Medical Aid Contribution
- Provident Fund Contribution