Notices

Vacancy for the post of Temporary Research Coordinator and Temporary Research Assistants

Published On 18/08/2025

University of Jaffna  

Regional Collaborating Centre (RCC) for the SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute, Faculty of Medicine

 Vacancy for the post of Temporary Research Coordinator and Temporary Research Assistants

The University of Jaffna will entertain applications from qualified persons for the following positions for the project titled “Exploring the mental health and well-being status of adolescents, contributory factors, services available, and existing gaps in Northern Sri Lanka” implemented by the Regional Collaborating Centre for SingHealth Duke-NUS Global Health Institute (SDGHI) & Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna.

  • Temporary Research Coordinator- (1 Vacancy)

Requirements:

  • A Bachelor’s degree or higher degree from a UGC-recognised university or institution.
  • Previous experience in working on scientific research projects will be considered as an advantage.
  • Proficiency in English, Tamil, and Sinhala, with demonstrated fluency in English (reading, writing, and communication).
  • Proven leadership qualities with strong analytical, organizational, communication, liaison, and negotiation skills.
  • Sound knowledge of research methodology, including both quantitative and qualitative methods, data collection, analysis, academic writing, and presentations.
  • Proficiency in data analysis software such as SPSS, R, NVivo, Python, and other qualitative tools.
  • Competency in organization skills, and financial and budget management

Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Undertakes overall implementation of the research project.
  • Communicates with and receives advice from the PI, Co-PI, or any other delegated researcher of the project and the Regional Collaborating Centre at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna.
  • Holds the responsibility of planning, coordinating, and implementing the research project according to the study protocol and timeline.
  • Oversees the work of the Research Assistants and makes sure the methodology and the ethical practices are strictly followed, in order to achieve the objectives within the stipulated timeline as planned.
  • Plays the lead role, building the team, planning the activities, supervising the data collection, ensuring the post-data collection activities, and troubleshooting in unforeseen circumstances.
  • Acts as a liaison officer between project stakeholders, collaborators, healthcare and other service-providing institutions, and participants.
  • Conducts field visits to make sure that the process of participant recruitment, data collection, data entry, and record maintenance is in order according the standards.
  • Ensures data quality by performing regular checks and validation.
  • Performs literature reviews relevant to the project and update the researchers and the project team.
  • Prepares progress reports, manuscripts, and presentations for academic and stakeholder meetings.
  • Holds the responsibility of communicating with different persons, stakeholders, agencies, and ethics review committee as per the advice provided by the PI and Co-PI.
  • Supports the organisation of workshops, training sessions, capacity-building activities, and knowledge dissemination activities in relation to the project by providing logistical and administrative support.
  • Assists in the preparation of project budgets, financial statements, procurement, and other reporting expected by the RCC – Jaffna.
  • Complies with any other duties as requested by the Dean of the Medical faculty, PI and CO-PI and the RCC-Jaffna.
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.

Remuneration:

  • A monthly salary of LKR 104,348 will be paid
  • Temporary Research Assistants- (4 Vacancies)

 Requirements:

  • A Bachelor’s degree from a university or higher education institution recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
  • Basic understanding of scientific research at the undergraduate level (prior experience in research studies will be an added advantage).
  • Proficiency in English, Tamil, and Sinhala, with the ability to demonstrate fluency in reading, writing, and verbal communication in English.
  • Experience and ability in translating between Tamil and English (both directions).
  • Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
  • Basic knowledge of research methodology, including both quantitative and qualitative approaches, data collection, analysis, academic writing, and presentation skills.
  • Familiarity with data analysis software such as SPSS, R, NVivo, or Python will be an added advantage.
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks effectively and meet deadlines.

Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Function as effective team members in a research team under the leadership of the research coordinator.
  • Assist in the implementation of the research project under the guidance of the Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PI, or delegated researchers.
  • Engage in data collection (both quantitative and qualitative), data entry, and record maintenance as per research standards.
  • Transcribe and translate the verbatims of the qualitative studies.
  • Perform desk studies in view of understanding the policies and practices available for the well-being of adolescents in northern Sri Lanka.
  • Participate in the recruitment, screening, and enrolment of study participants as per ethical guidelines.
  • Perform data entry, validation, cleaning, and preliminary analysis to ensure accuracy and completeness.
  • Maintain records of research data, project documentation, and progress reports in an organized manner.
  • Ensure adherence to research protocols, ethical guidelines, and data collection methodologies.
  • Coordinating with other researchers and institutions as needed
  • Assist in preparing progress reports, manuscripts, and presentations for academic and stakeholder meetings.
  • Ensure proper procurement of research materials and compliance with financial reporting requirements under the guidance of the Research Coordinator.
  • Perform other research-related tasks as assigned by the PI, Co-PI, or the Regional Collaborating Centre (RCC) – Jaffna.

Remuneration:

  • A monthly salary of LKR 80,000.00 will be paid.

General note to all the above posts

  • All selected candidates will be appointed on a full-time basis.
  • The Temporary Research Coordinator position is for a duration of one year, and the Temporary Research Assistant position is for nine months.
  • Candidates must be citizens of Sri Lanka.
  • Selected candidates should be willing to travel across the five districts of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka.
  • A valid driving license is required for all selected candidates.
  • Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 35 years.
  • All selected candidates will be enrolled in the Employee Provident Fund (EPF) and the Employee Trust Fund (ETF). The employee will contribute 8% of their monthly salary to the EPF, while the employer will contribute 12% to the EPF and 3% to the ETF.

A non-refundable fee of Rs. 100.00 must be paid via bank deposit to the People’s Bank, Account No: 970000090000387, in favor of the Bursar, University of Jaffna. A copy of the bank slip must be attached to the application.

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Applicants are requested to send their applications with copies of the educational certificates and any other relevant certificates in proof of qualifications and experience via registered post to reach the Deputy Registrar, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jaffna, Adiyapatham Road, Kokuvil, Jaffna. Applicants are requested to send scanned copies of all the documents to the email address: fomvacancy@univ.jfn.ac.lk on or before the 29th of August 2025.

Applicants from the University System/Government Departments/Corporations and Statutory Board should channel their applications through the Head of the respective Institutions.

The candidates who apply for more than one post should submit a separate application along with a separate Bank slip for each of the posts. Illegible & incomplete applications, as well as those received after the closing date, will be rejected without notification. The post applied for should be marked on the top left-hand corner of the envelope. Only short-listed applicants will be called for an interview.

 

Registrar
University of Jaffna