Education Research Specialist - Field-Based (Balochistan)

aku; Pakistan; On-site; PKR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Job summary

Aga Khan University invites applications for a Research Specialist in Educational Development, based in Quetta & Karachi. The role supports the GRADES-B Parental Engagement Project, coordinating with AKU-IED and PMU Balochistan to design and test resources for early learning and school readiness.

The position involves developing methodologies, conducting fieldwork, training Master Trainers, and ensuring inclusive, low-literacy materials. Travel within Balochistan and to Karachi is expected.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Social or Natural Sciences from a reputable national or international university.
• At least five years of relevant professional experience in research, monitoring and evaluation, preferably within education, ECE/ECD, primary education, or related programs.
• Experience in developing, reviewing, field-testing, or evaluating parent/caregiver learning resources or training materials.
• Experience in qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis.
• Excellent English and Urdu communication skills.
• Proficiency in local languages spoken in Balochistan for the Quetta-based position.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills; excellent report writing.
• Proficiency in MS Office and SPSS.

Responsibilities

• act as a liaison between PMU Balochistan and AKU-IED to coordinate project-related activities, specifically for the Research Specialist – Balochistan
• develop research methodologies, sampling approaches, ethical review processes, consultation protocols, and qualitative and quantitative data collection tools
• conduct and support focus group discussions, interviews, field consultations, data collection and analysis, and preparation of research findings and reports
• plan and support field pre-testing of parent/caregiver learning resources to assess clarity, usability, cultural relevance, feasibility, inclusion, gender responsiveness, and suitability for low-literate and non-literate audiences
• conduct and support training of Master Trainers on the parental engagement curriculum, parent resource packs, facilitation approaches, inclusion, and effective delivery of parent sessions
• coordinate with parents/caregivers, teachers, head teachers, facilitators, and relevant government stakeholders during research, field-testing, monitoring, and evaluation activities
• support monitoring, evaluation, and learning activities of the GRADES-B Parental Engagement Project across selected districts of Balochistan
• travel within Balochistan and to Karachi, as required, for research, training, monitoring, and project-related activities.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Written & verbal communication

MS Office

SPSS

Excel

Data collection

Qualitative analysis

Quantitative analysis

English Urdu proficiency

Education

Master’s degree in Social or Natural Sciences

Tools

SPSS

Excel

MS Office

Job description

Aga Khan University invites applications for a Research Specialist in Educational Development, based in Quetta & Karachi. The role supports the GRADES-B Parental Engagement Project, coordinating with AKU-IED and PMU Balochistan to design and test resources for early learning and school readiness.

The position involves developing methodologies, conducting fieldwork, training Master Trainers, and ensuring inclusive, low-literacy materials. Travel within Balochistan and to Karachi is expected.