Research Officer

About The George Institute

The George Institute for Global Health was established in 1999 with a mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide, particularly underserved populations, by challenging the status quo and using innovative approaches to prevent and treat the world’s biggest killers: non-communicable diseases and injury.

With offices in Australia, China, India and the UK, our 700+ people support 245+ active projects and clinical trials across 50+ countries, with 400+ more staff across our social enterprises. We focus on the global health challenges that cause the greatest loss of life, the greatest impairment of life quality and the most substantial economic burden, particularly in resource-poor settings.

Together with our academic partners, UNSW Sydney in Australia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India and Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, we work with a global network of collaborators, undertaking clinical, population and health systems research.

Our experts are among the most cited globally, bestowed accolades for excellence and innovation, and regularly participate in policy fora. Our research is published in leading academic journals, referenced in policy documents, and recognised for its excellence, innovation and impact. We are designated a WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO CC) for Injury Prevention & Trauma Care, and a WHO CC for Population Salt Reduction. Since 1999, we have raised more than $1 billion for research and produced over 10,000 peer-reviewed publications and other academic outputs.

What we do

• Lead world-class, large-scale clinical trials, epidemiological studies and health systems research to transform treatments and healthcare delivery
• Look beyond single diseases, across the life course, to identify patient-centred approaches to care that can be implemented at scale
• Develop low-cost, innovative solutions to global unmet needs
• Drive our global impact through a program of research, advocacy, thought leadership and disruptive social entrepreneurship

For more information about The George Institute, visit www.georgeinstitute.org.

The George Institute India

The George Institute, a wholly owned legal not-for-profit Indian research institute, has been conducting research related activities in India since 2002. The George Institute India’s mission mirrors that of the parent organization, namely the discovery and implementation of solutions to chronic and disabling health problems through research, policy development and capacity building.

A number of large-scale projects in population, health systems and clinical research, funded by a diverse group of sponsors, both public and private, are conducted in India. The George Institute India comprises two distinct operating groups: Research and Development, and Infrastructure and Resources. It has two separate offices - in Hyderabad and New Delhi, where the research staff and senior management are based.

Context and Role

Community Action for Health (CAH) is a very important feature of health systems and critical to ensuring health for all. Across states like Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Kerala, some of these models are well documented and, in some cases, evaluated. However, the methods used to evaluate and understand how such initiatives are formed, and their impacts are diverse. The scalability, sustainability and cost of these initiatives are also under-studied. Consequently, there is limited knowledge on whether/how to adopt or adapt successful initiatives across contexts or at scale in India, even as in May of 2024, a World Health Assembly resolution on Social Participation for Health has been tabled.  

Well respected organisations in Chhattisgarh (State Health Resource Centre, SHRC) will be collaborating with the George Institute for Global Health to co-produce and evaluate PATANG, a co-produced technology-enabled learning platform for CAH, where government and civil society actors may share experience and evidence related to CAH, network and interact with others to adapt and scale up CAH and access practical tools to design and evaluate CAH initiatives.   

The Research Officer will be joining the work of a team and is expected to be passionately committed to health equity and systems strengthening, with experience handing large survey datasets as well as programme data within health systems but also datasets maintained by civil society organisation. Experience carrying out or coordinating qualitative research is also expected. The position requires strong team-based skills working across multiple sites, while also requiring motivation and an ability to work autonomously with quick turnaround times on deliverables.

The appointee may be based in Chhattisgarh but should be willing and able to undertake extensive domestic travel. The appointment is for a period of 24 months with the possibility of an extension of an additional 24 months. 

Reporting Relationships

Direct report will be to Program Director - Health Equity George Institute for Global Health with dotted line reporting to the managers designated by the Program Director.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

The Research Officer would be expected to:

• Lead the coordination of PATANG for the organisation including but not limited to
• Support all Aims of this study including:

• • Oversight of research administration including attending and holding trainings with field researchers and other partners in research ethics and methods and relevant IRB submission requirements
  • Tool inputs and piloting
  • Support with collating qualitative and quantitative data from existing studies
  • Conduct/lead of field research including working with field data collectors, interpreters, translators, transcribers
  • Management and curation of data strictly following ethical procedures and data sharing requirements
  • Coordination of analysis of data for Gujarat
  • Support for sharing of intermittent and ad hoc outputs of findings
  • Coordination of cross learning and joint data analysis

• Coordinate with other team members and partners for further refinement of analyses.
• Support the design and refinement of a data visualization tool to report this data.
• Coordinate continuous interaction and collaboration with state department and other partners in the state.
• Ensure and in some cases lead peer (reviewed journal) dissemination and public engagement related to this project.
• Organize workshops, meetings and events related to this project, particularly the component related to analysis (including witness seminars)
• Support for curation and archiving of data as part of PATANG platform.
• Assist with any additional activities relevant to the project, as delegated by Manager.

Work, Health and Safety

• Comply with GI’s Work Health and Safety Policy and related procedures, and similar policies which apply when visiting the premises of affiliates and collaborating sites.
• Promote and contribute to a safe, secure environment for staff and visitors.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Appropriate master’s level qualification in public health, sociology, anthropology, development or a related subject in one of the disciplines of public health.
• At least 3 years of experience working in research, with fluency in and use of Hindi or other Chhattisgarhi dialects, as appropriate, as well as other languages used in the state

• Experience working closely with state governments as well as civil society organisation data.
• Passion for and demonstrated experience in the field of public health.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams, managing relationships with external partners and engaging senior stakeholders, including those in government. 
• Availability and willingness to undertake extensive local travel in Gujarat, and occasionally domestically and internationally (for conferences/learning exchanges). 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work well independently and in multiple teams.
• Ability to see the big picture, yet still focus on detail.
• Ability to be flexible and adaptable in the face of networked and sometimes ambiguous environments.
• Strong focus on quality of work. 

For more details, please see the Position Description for this role.

How to apply:

Interested candidates should send their resume with full contact details, current and expected CTC/salary in CV or Resume. Clearly mentioning the job title “Research Officer” in the subject line to hrindia@georgeinstitute.org.in by the 08 September 2024.

Our big and bold mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide needs a diverse and innovative team to deliver it.  So we foster a dynamic, inclusive and flexible workplace where each individual can bring their best selves to work.

Everyone is encouraged to apply, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with a disability, people of all gender identities and sexual orientations, and mature-aged adults.