SCOPE / PURPOSE OF JOB / JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

ABOUT THE UNIT

The Community Outreach Research Unit collaboratively develops intervention programmes to promote early detection and improve access to breast cancer care for women seeking treatment at Ministry of Health hospitals. The Community unit together with other research units in CRMY intends to close the gap in cancer care and our current focus is on breast cancer. The reality today is that who you are and where you live could mean the difference in cancer survival. It isn’t fair. But we can change this by developing the i) most effective healthcare system changes for improving survival and ii) innovative and cost-effective tools for enabling early detection of cancer in B40 communities.

Scope:

The Research Associate will play a central role in delivering a multi-phase implementation research programme focused on risk-stratified breast cancer screening in Malaysia. The successful candidate will take ownership of the day-to-day scientific and operational delivery of the project, including project coordination, under the scientific supervision of the Visiting Scientist and with administrative oversight from the Deputy Head, Community Outreach.

The Research Associate will coordinate the completion of Phase 1 publications, lead the implementation of Phase 2 involving refinement of the risk communication tool, coordinate Phase 3 pilot studies, and contribute to future grant development and scientific dissemination.

This position is ideal for an early- to mid-career researcher seeking to develop research leadership and project delivery experience while working within an established research programme.

Key Responsibilities:

The Research Associate will support the delivery of the research programme through active involvement in study implementation, data collection, analysis, and dissemination. The role requires a combination of hands-on research, scientific writing, and collaboration with project partners to ensure the successful delivery of research objectives.

• Coordinate the completion and submission of Phase 1 scientific publications.
• Lead the day-to-day implementation of Phase 2, including refinement of the risk communication tool, under the scientific supervision of the Visiting Scientist.
• Coordinate Phase 3 pilot studies, including study preparation, site coordination, recruitment, data collection and progress monitoring.
• Lead participant recruitment, data collection and study logistics, including interviews, focus groups and pilot study activities.
• Maintain study documentation, databases and research records in accordance with study protocols and ethical requirements.
• Perform qualitative and quantitative data management, analysis and interpretation.
• Prepare and contribute to scientific manuscripts, conference abstracts, technical reports and presentations.
• Conduct literature reviews to support study design, data interpretation and manuscript development.
• Prepare ethics applications, study materials and other regulatory documentation.
• Liaise with healthcare providers, collaborating sites and other stakeholders to facilitate study implementation.
• Participate in project meetings, contribute to progress reporting and assist in resolving operational challenges.
• Contribute to grant applications, future research initiatives and programme development.
• Supervise or support research assistants, interns and students where appropriate.
• Undertake other duties within the scope of the role, as directed by the Visiting Scientist in relation to the research and by the Deputy Head, Community Outreach in relation to administrative matters.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

Required Qualifications :

Master’s degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Health Sciences, Psychology, Implementation Science or a related discipline; a PhD would be advantageous.

Required Skills and Experience:

• Experience coordinating health research projects, including planning and implementing research activities, monitoring timelines, coordinating stakeholders and delivering project milestones.
• Experience in qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods research, with proficiency in qualitative data analysis software such as NVivo (or equivalent) and appropriate quantitative statistical software.
• Knowledge of and experience in applying implementation science frameworks and methodologies.
• Experience preparing research protocols, ethics applications and associated study documentation.
• Experience contributing to the preparation and submission of scientific manuscripts, with strong scientific writing skills for peer-reviewed publication.
• Ability to interpret and synthesise data to inform research outputs and implementation strategies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple activities and deadlines.