Project Research Scientists II Non-Medical / Consultant Scientific Non-Medical/ Study-Coordinator (Project Lead)

Craft a career story that makes you proud! Every human, after all, is a greater possibility!

Project Research Scientists II Non-Medical (Project Lead)

Number of Vacancies: 5 ( Multicentric Trials -2; Implementation Research 3)

Primary Location: Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow, Kanpur and Varanasi)

What is Community Empowerment Lab?

We, at Community Empowerment Lab, love to watch our people write their own stories – stories of success and challenges, stories of connecting with communities, of serving mothers and children. Stories of serving our nation.

So, who are we exactly? We are a Not for Profit Research Organization working on the frontiers of maternal and neonatal health, serving some of the most vulnerable through innovations and leveraging cutting-edge scientific approaches in public health. We are driven by scientific evidence, national priority, and global public health challenges!
Our mission revolves around empowering communities by providing them with evidence-based solutions to address their needs, thereby bridging the gap between communities and scientific knowledge. We adopt a grounds-up approach, engaging with communities to understand their requirements and co-designing solutions with scientific rigor. These solutions undergo trials and implementation research to ensure efficacy. The insights gained are then scaled up to influence state, national, and global policies and practices. Our focus lies at the intersection of newborn survival and maternal health, health system strengthening, and early childhood development, aligning all our initiatives to tackle both local and global challenges faced by newborns and mothers.

We are the Collaborative Centre of Excellence for Indian Council of Medical Research joining hands with several scientific research organizations pan-India to address numerous national priorities and building a future scientific workforce for the country! We are also an ICMR - Centre for Advanced Research for Neonatal and Maternal Health working on solutioning newborn survival. In Uttar Pradesh, we support UP National Health Mission as a newborn survival specialist through UP TSU (Uttar Pradesh Technical Support Unit).

For more information please visit our website

What defines us as a team?

We are young, collegial, committed, and sensitive- a bunch of creative people which love to do science with a compassionate heart. We believe in human goodness, unending capacities to grow as leaders, and finding meaning through their consistent efforts that often meet success and failure too. We believe in learning by doing! We believe in soiling our hands, doing science in the midst of the community, and keeping the community at centre! We are not merely desktop researchers. We value high-impact research publications and simultaneously bringing solutions to the doorstep of those who need them most!

Our people drive the organization and contribute to mutual growth. Some bright public health scientists, tech talent, management mavens, community organizers, and volunteers have kept us going for over twenty years now. We are ambitious, and growing and we need many more of our tribe now. At CEL, we encourage people to pursue a career and a passion for public health service.

What do you get? The freedom to express your talent, the joy of watching the difference your work makes to our nation, and the reward of working with a vibrant, joyful team.

Who are we looking for?

CEL is now looking for a Project Lead, an experienced scientist who would have project and people leadership skills. These would be scientists who have trained in some of our best public health institutions, have worked in research and applied research, traveled and spent months with communities, have experience in practicing grounds-up evidence-based science, and can show us some original, published papers, apart from a couple of great professional references. This is a mid-senior level position that will have considerable autonomy and an outsized impact on our program.

Scope of Work

● Lead the design, plan and execute implementation research studies and /or multicentric trials related to maternal, newborn, and child health.

● Conduct literature reviews and situational analyses to identify gaps, emerging trends, and best practices in MNCH with a special focus on neonatal care.

● Develop research protocols, methodologies, data collection tools, and ethical considerations in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.

● Coordinate data collection activities, including recruitment, training, and supervision of research and field teams.

● Ensure the quality, integrity, and ethical conduct of research activities in compliance with institutional and regulatory standards.

● Support in analyzing research data using appropriate statistical methods and software, and interpret findings to generate actionable recommendations.

● Prepare research reports, policy briefs, manuscripts, and presentations for dissemination to project stakeholders, peer-reviewed journals, and conferences.

● Engage with project teams, government counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders to integrate research findings into program design, implementation, and advocacy efforts.

● Provide technical support and mentorship to project staff and partners on research methodologies, data analysis techniques, and research ethics.

● Collaborate with academic institutions, research organizations, and other partners to leverage expertise, resources, and funding opportunities for research in MNCH.

● Stay abreast of developments in MNCH including neonatal research, policy, and practice, and contribute to knowledge-sharing and capacity-building initiatives

● Any other task assigned by the Line Manager.

Qualification and Experience

● First Class Post Graduate Degree, including the integrated PG degrees, in Public Health/ Epidemiology/Social Sciences/Engineering/ IT/ CS or a related field, with a focus on maternal, newborn, and child health with three years’ Experience OR PhD.

● ICMR age norms will apply and applicants must be age 45 years or below.

● Strong research design and methodology skills, including qualitative and quantitative research methods, data analysis, and interpretation.

● Working knowledge in statistical analysis software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R) and/or qualitative data analysis software (e.g., Dedoose, NVivo, ATLAS.ti).

● Knowledge of implementation methodology including conceptual frameworks (CFIR, RE-AIM etc.)

● Excellent writing and communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear and concise reports and presentations.

● Experience in manuscript writing, publication, and dissemination of research findings in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

● Familiarity with research ethics principles, protocols, and regulatory requirements.

● Ability to work independently, manage multiple tasks simultaneously, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

● Willingness to travel extensively to the study sites.

● Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders.

● Experience in ethical use of AI tools in research (chatGPT etc.)

● Proficiency in Hindi and English is required.

Compensation: As per ICMR norms.

Application Procedure:

If you find this opportunity aligning with your skills and passion, we welcome you to apply by following these steps:

• Apply on this link
  
• Craft a brief yet impactful cover letter, around 500 words, that details your motivation for applying, your interest in Maternal and Newborn Health, and your enthusiasm for contributing to the work of Community Empowerment Lab.
  
• Attach your updated resume with a recent photograph.
  
• We kindly request that you include your current and expected salary details, along with your anticipated start date, in your cover letter.
  

Requirements

● First Class Post Graduate Degree, including the integrated PG degrees, in Public Health/ Epidemiology/Social Sciences/Engineering/ IT/ CS or a related field, with a focus on maternal, newborn, and child health with three years’ Experience OR PhD.

● ICMR age norms will apply and applicants must be age 45 years or below..