Role title: Research Program Manager
Organization: Lifebox
About us: Global nonprofit making surgery and anesthesia safer worldwide
Reporting to: Chief Program Officer
Key relationships: Global Clinical Director and Clinical team; TTI and broader program team colleagues; external stakeholders and partners
Time commitment: Full time
Location: Global
Background
Lifeboxis a growing and dynamic global health non-profit dedicated to saving lives by improving the safety of surgery and anesthesia around the world. Lifebox works to increase anesthesia safety, reduce surgical infection rates, and strengthen operating room teamwork through tools, training, and partnerships. Since its founding in 2011, Lifebox has worked in over 116 countries and trained more than 10,000 healthcare providers. Lifebox is registered as a charity in Ethiopia, Liberia, the UK, US, with nearly 50 staff and affiliated faculty, and an operating budget of nearly $4M supported by individual donors and foundations. To learn more, see: www.lifebox.org
Research at Lifebox:
At Lifebox, we are driven by data to inform and shape our work. An evidence-based approach is how we build our programs and monitor their impact, to keep learning and improving.
To date, we have published more than 40 articles in peer-reviewed literature – covering subjects from the global uptake of the Surgical Safety Checklist, and program sustainability, to minimum specifications for a surgical headlight. We currently have a wide-ranging and ambitious portfolio of research projects, including assessing the impact of the introduction of key monitoring devices – pulse oximetry and capnography – across several studies.
Purpose of role
We are seeking a proactive and action-oriented Research Project Manager, to manage the implementation of Lifebox’s safer surgery and anesthesia research work globally. Working as part of a program team, and closely with clinical leads, advisors, fellows, and partners, the Research Program Manager provides operational and strategic leadership for research program development, design, and implementation.
The Research Program Manager will oversee the design and delivery of several key research projects, and develop and manage relationships with academic and implementation partners. They will be responsible for ensuring that all aspects of Lifebox research projects are well designed and coordinated globally, receive IRB approval, and are managed on-budget, on time, and with optimal impact. This position may require travel overseas.
Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):
Research strategic leadership (approx 10% of time)
- Lead the development and implementation of annual and multi-year strategic plans for research, in close collaboration with the clinical team
- Represent Lifebox with key existing and potential academic partners, developing new ideas and opportunities for research
- Develop and strengthen collaborative relationships with external parties, particularly academic and research institutions
- Line or task manage junior members of staff, interns or volunteers where relevant
Research capacity building (approx 10% of time)
- Support early-career clinical researchers, primarily Lifebox Fellows, to build their skills in implementation research through coaching and training
- Organize external research training and additional expert input where relevant
Research project management (approx 80% of time)
- Provide high quality project management to a portfolio of research projects, ensuring that deliverables, milestones and quality are tracked, and that they are delivered on time and within budget
- Together with subject matter experts, lead the design and implementation of Lifebox research projects and plans, ensuring that methodologies including sample sizes and statistical approaches, tool design, data collection and analysis, ethical considerations and IRB requirements, and ultimate results and manuscripts are of the highest standard
- Ensure that best practices in research methodology are applied across all research studies
- Ensure all IRB requirements are fulfilled
- Ensure that research data is managed and stored in accordance with best practices and relevant regulatory requirements
- Review all manuscripts and abstracts and recommend improvements, provide advice on target journals and conferences for submission
- Manage Lifebox Fellowship programs, including coordination of mentorship and impact evaluation
- Facilitate and manage research collaborations with students and academic institutions
- Maintain oversight of relevant conferences and other opportunities, leading the timely preparation and submission of abstracts
- Ensure that best practices and learning is shared within the Lifebox team and partners
Person Specification
Essential
Qualifications
- BSc, MSc or equivalent in statistics or biostatistics
- Postgraduate degree in public health, medicine, or related field
Skills
- Expertise in quantitative and qualitative data analysis
- Knowledge and experience of using standardized statistical packages including SPSS and STATA
- Knowledge and experience of using research databases such as RedCap, DHIS
- Ability to build relationships and networks globally
- Ability to effectively manage and prioritize multiple work streams, and to work independently and proactively
- Ability to provide technical statistical support
- Excellent written and spoken English
Experience
- Significant experience leading the design and implementation of medical and/or public health research projects in the global south, using a range of qualitative and quantitative methodologies
- Significant experience of research project management
- Familiarity with working with various types of medical data and good understanding of associated compliance requirements (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR)
- Experience of preparing and submitting IRB requirements and ensuring ethical standards and requirements for research are met
- Track record of publication
- Experience of the design and management of budgets for research projects
Desirable
- Clinical experience
- Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of global surgery
- Expertise in biostatistics
- Additional language skills (particularly French, Spanish or Amharic)
- Experience of delivering coaching or training in research
How to apply
APPLICATION PROCESS
To apply please email your CV and a cover letter as a single document explaining your motivation and how you are best suited for this position to opportunities@lifebox.org.
Please note the following:
Correspondence will only be entered with candidates who have been short-listed. If you have not received a reply within two weeks of the closing date, please consider your application as unsuccessful.
Closing date: 7 June 2024
Lifebox is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity