Job Ref #: DTHF-165
Industry: Pharmaceutical And Medical/Healthcare
Job Type: Permanent
Positions Available: 1

Job Description

RESEARCH UNIT LEAD

PERMANENT

MASIPHUMELELE RESEARCH UNIT

The Desmond Tutu Health Foundation (DTHF) is a registered non-profit organization focused on the pursuit of excellence in research, treatment, training and prevention of HIV and related infections in Southern Africa. 

We have fantastic job opportunities across our businesses for talented people wanting to realize their full potential. Could that be you? If so, we invite you to explore the possibility of joining us to play your part in Desmond Tutu Health Foundations’ exciting vision and future.

The Main purpose of this position will be to lead the  Masiphumelele Research Unit (including research units and Health and Wellness facility) with expertise in clinical research and clinical trials, business acumen and a proven track record of leading a medical research unit. This position is permanent, full-time, and will be made at the level of Senior Research Officer, commensurate with applicable experience, qualifications, leadership, and interpersonal abilities as outlined in the profiles below.

Job Requirements

• MBChB degree and valid registration with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA)
• At least 8-10 years’ post graduate clinical working experience of which 5 years should be in a clinical research and trials environment
• At least 5 years in a senior management capacity including leading teams
• Experience in overseeing a facility from end to end, including people, finance and operations
• Proven experience of proactively working with Medical/Patient/Industry Associations to build strong networks and to promote clinical trials
• Detailed understanding of all aspects of clinical protocol design and implementation, clinical site monitoring as well as overall an understanding of clinical research and development of diagnostics and therapeutics.
• Expert knowledge of clinical regulatory and governance environment e.g. ICH GCP and applicable regional/local regulations as well as engagement with ethics review boards, regulatory agencies and community advisory boards
• Computer literate in MS Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint
• People management skills including recruitment, performance management, team building, leading and capacity development  
• Knowledge of quality control, activities, systems and processes (QC) across clinical, fiscal and operational areas.
• Project Management and financial planning skills with proven ability to adapt and respond to change
• Experience in overseeing funder budgets and ensuring expenditure aligns with deliverable milestones

Advantageous:

• Background in research and experience working with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other research agencies
• Previous experience in liaising with stakeholders from global funding organisations
• Graduate background (e.g. Public Health) in research related discipline or equivalent
• Additional graduate background in other relevant disciplines such as an MBA/Business studies

Responsibilities (in no particular order):

• Develop and maintain a high level of awareness in the national and international community of the Research site to ensure their on-going relevance and sustainability
• Develop knowledge of site capabilities and past performance to assess their potential as participating sites in sponsors clinical trials
• Reach out and bid for new clinical trials, generate investigator driven ideas for new grants and contribute to overall strategic direction of the organisation.
• As a senior member of the organisation to adhere to organization policies and uphold good governance
•  Effective communication and organizational skills
• Lead and develop strategic goals for the research site. 
• Oversight of and be fully responsible for clinical operations activities
• Accountable for adequate resourcing, (current and strategic), ensuring the site meets its contracted funder deliverables with high quality work within budget constraints
• Ensure research and Publication output relevant to the organisation
• Research Management (as Principal Investigator) but overall oversight on research outputs, quality and integrity
• Overall attention to safety and regulatory/ethical safeguards for the site
• Student supervision

Values fit:  Passion Innovation Progress Integrity Respect Excellence

Submit a detailed cover letter, updated CV with certified copy of highest qualification and details of two (2) current contactable referees by 16 June 2026. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

If you are a foreign national applying for this position, please attach a copy of your work permit to your application.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

If you have not heard from us within four weeks after the closing date, please consider your application as unsuccessful.

We are committed to equity in our employment practices. It is our intention to appoint individuals with the aim of meeting our equity objectives. We reserve the right not to appoint if no suitable candidates are identified.

I understand and accept that by applying for this position, I authorized DTHF to process my personal information in accordance with its internal operational requirements.

I further understand that the personal information I disclose to DTHF will be processed in accordance with the requirements set out in the Protection of Personal Information Act and may include the transferring thereof to third parties for the purposes of verification.

This job may be removed before it expires.

Desmond Tutu Health Foundation is a child-friendly organisation committed to the protection of children.

For more information about the organization please visit our website.