Head of Shared Research Services (SRS)

Aga Khan University (AKU), Pakistan’s first private international university established in 1983, is dedicated to delivering education, research, and healthcare of international standards relevant to Pakistan and the region. The University’s affiliated hospital offers advanced clinical and investigative services. The Head of Shared Research Services (SRS) is a senior leadership role responsible for providing strategic direction and oversight of research administration and support services across the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS). This position ensures the efficient delivery and management of a broad range of community-based, hospital-based, and multi-centre research projects. The role focuses on maintaining compliance, sustainability, and alignment with the University’s strategic research priorities while fostering a high-performing, service-oriented research environment in collaboration with faculty, research teams, and institutional stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:
- Provide strategic and operational leadership for Shared Research Services, ensuring quality, efficiency, timeliness, and responsiveness in support of researchers and research teams.
- Establish and monitor service standards, turnaround times, performance metrics, and user feedback mechanisms to drive continuous improvement.
- Strategically plan and manage resources related to grants administration, regulatory affairs, human resources, financial management, procurement, IT, laboratory space, safety, security, field operations, and stakeholder relationships across Pakistan.
- Build and maintain strategic partnerships with national and international stakeholders, including government representatives, community groups, granting agencies, and research administration societies.
- Develop and implement innovative, sustainable strategies to enhance research and grants administration capacity in line with international standards.
- Optimize resource utilization to achieve cost savings on research grants through modern tools and techniques.
- Lead management of a diverse portfolio of grants, facilitate new grant acquisitions, ensure regulatory compliance, and oversee reporting and operations of research projects.
- Support legal formalities related to granting agencies and sub-contractors, ensuring all requirements are met.
- Assist researchers in proposal development, ensuring completeness and timely submission of non-technical aspects.
- Oversee administration of extramural and intramural research grants according to international best practices.
- Lead and mentor research administration teams, providing feedback to improve systems and ensure compliance with University and granting agency standards.
- Conduct monitoring visits to field sites to verify project progress aligned with grant timelines.
- Facilitate internal audits and compliance reviews, ensuring implementation of recommendations.
- Serve as the accountable lead to the SRS Management Oversight Committee, providing updates on performance, risks, resource needs, and strategic priorities.
- Manage day-to-day operations of SRS, implementing committee guidance, addressing institutional barriers, and fostering collaboration across research support units.
- Facilitate external and internal audits of granting agencies.
- Represent and advocate for departmental research within AKU forums.
- Advocate for research faculty with support departments and the Research Office to resolve research-related issues.
- Promote continuous training and development of senior staff in modern research administration techniques.
- Plan long-term career development and recommend relevant training for senior staff through in-house, national, and international programs.
- Support university-wide start-up services for pre-award, contracting, and post-award grants management across departments.

Required Qualifications:
- Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) or a relevant field. International certifications in research administration (clinical trials, financial management, research law, leadership) are advantageous.
- International degree in Research Administration or general administration is desirable.
- Excellent interpersonal communication and conflict resolution skills.
- Proven experience implementing new systems in large service-based organizations nationally and internationally is preferred.
- Minimum of five years’ relevant experience in administration within healthcare or service industries.
- Experience managing extramural/intramural funded research grants and working with donor agencies is an added advantage.
- Demonstrated leadership in managing diverse teams including grant administrators, HR, procurement, IT, legal, audit, compliance, and clinical trials.
- Knowledge of modern research administration practices, focusing on national and international grant funding.
- Strong compliance and risk management skills, maintaining adherence to best practices and international standards.
- Proven success in capacity development of senior staff aligned with divisional objectives.
- Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams as a leader, facilitator, or participant.
- Commitment to AKU’s principles of Impact, Quality, Relevance, and Access (IQRA).
- Willingness to travel nationally and internationally, including deputations.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.