Research Assistant / Research Assistant (Senior) [CARE/AD]

National University of Singapore; Singapore; On-site; SGD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

The National University of Singapore invites applications for a full-time Research Assistant / Senior Research Assistant to join CARE, Duke-NUS Medical School. The role focuses on fieldwork with Malay Muslim residents in Mei Ling / Queenstown, building rapport, recruiting participants, and supporting data collection.

Candidates should have a social sciences/public health background, fluency in English and Malay, and a passion for community-based research and fieldwork.

Qualifications

• Possess a Bachelor's Degree for Research Assistant or Master's Degree with at least 2 years of relevant experience for Research Assistant (Senior), in the Social Sciences, Public Health, or other related fields — including but not limited to Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work, or Nursing.
• Prior experience with community-based research is highly valued; familiarity with local ageing, health, and/or social policy contexts in Singapore is an advantage.
• Fluency in both English and Malay are required, given the study population.
• Genuine enjoyment of fieldwork and face-to-face engagement — someone who is comfortable approaching residents, spending extended time in the community, including homes and mosques, and building relationships with older adults.
• Possess strong interpersonal and communication skills with empathy, patience, and able to exercise cultural competence when engaging with Malay-Muslims, other minorities or vulnerable populations and community stakeholders.
• Social work background and/or extensive volunteer or Malay-Muslim community engagement experience is highly valued; a strong interest in community building and development is essential.
• Comfortable working independently on the ground, exercising good judgement, and adapting to the pace and rhythms of community life.
• Willingness to travel to and be regularly present at the research site in Queenstown, including occasional evenings or weekend sessions to accommodate residents' schedules.

Responsibilities

• Community Engagement & Participant Recruitment: Build and sustain rapport and trust with Malay Muslim residents in Mei Ling / Queenstown through door-knocking, ad hoc engagement events, and regular presence at community spaces and events.
• Recruit and screen eligible residents for surveys, interviews, Residents' Advisory Groups, focus group discussions, and co-design workshops, using convenience and snowball sampling approaches.
• Communicate the purpose, expectations, and value of the study clearly and sensitively to residents, addressing questions or concerns and obtaining informed consent.
• Maintain relationships with residents over time to support retention and minimise attrition across study waves, being attentive to community fatigue.
• Work alongside and support the training and day-to-day mentoring of resident Community Connectors, including facilitating the peer buddy system.
• Fieldwork & Data Collection: Coordinate logistics for fieldwork sessions, Residents' Advisory Groups, and co-design workshops, including scheduling, venue arrangements, and materials preparation.
• Undertake ethnographic observations and stakeholder recces within the research site to map community assets, resources, and social networks.
• Conduct in-depth and go-along interviews and support the facilitation of focus group discussions and Residents' Advisory Group sessions.
• Respond to participants with sensitivity and discretion, using trauma-informed approaches where relevant, and refer residents to appropriate social or emotional support when needed.
• Data Management & Research Support: Support transcription, translation (Malay to English where applicable), and organisation of qualitative data in NVivo or equivalent software.
• Assist with data checking, verification, and cleaning of quantitative and qualitative data collected through surveys, interviews, FGDs, and field notes.
• Contribute to rapid thematic analysis and preparation of materials for team debriefs and community feedback sessions.
• Prepare research reports, toolkits, and dissemination of materials for academic, community, and policy audiences.
• Assist with ad-hoc duties and CARE's broader initiatives and events as assigned by the supervisor.

Skills

English fluency

Malay fluency

Fieldwork

Interpersonal skills

Cultural competence

Travel willingness

Empathy

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree + 2 yrs exp

Tools

NVivo

Job description

Company description:

The National University of Singapore is the national research university of Singapore. Founded in 1905 as the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States Government Medical School, NUS is the oldest higher education institution in Singapore

Job description:

Job Description

About CARE

The Centre for Ageing Research and Education (CARE) is an academic research centre based in Duke-NUS Medical School. We bring together interdisciplinary expertise spanning public health, demography, anthropology, sociology, epidemiology and psychology to conduct community-engaged research on the determinants of healthy ageing. CARE is a vibrant, inclusive workplace made up of people from diverse academic and personal backgrounds who share a commitment to rigorous, community-centred research.

Project Overview

SEJAHTERA (Strengthening Equity and Joint Action in Health among Malay Muslim Older Adults: Towards Empowerment, Recognition and Agency) is a community-based participatory research programme led by CARE, Duke-NUS Medical School. The project works with Malay Muslim residents aged 40 and above in the Health District at Queenstown (HD@QT), co-located at Happy Village @ Mei Ling, a community hub led by the National University Health System's Blended Care Team (BCT).

The project seeks to understand how Malay Muslim residents experience and navigate health and wellbeing, and to co-design a culturally congruent care framework together with residents, Community Connectors, and community partners such as MUIS, Lions Befrienders, NTUC Health, and RIMA. Over the course of the study, the research team will conduct household surveys, ethnographic and go-along interviews, Residents' Advisory Groups, focus group discussions (FGDs), and co-design workshops, and will train and support a network of resident Community Connectors.

Role Overview

We are seeking a full-time Research Assistant / Research Assistant (Senior) to join our team. The successful candidate will be deeply integrated within the Mei Ling / Queenstown community while working closely with the Principal Investigator and fellow research staff.

This is a fieldwork-intensive and community-facing role. The successful candidate will spend a significant proportion of their time on the ground in Queenstown in building rapport with residents, running recruitment activities, and supporting data collection. This role suits someone who is energised by meeting new people and genuinely enjoys spending time in the community.

Key Responsibilities:

Community Engagement & Participant Recruitment

• Build and sustain rapport and trust with Malay Muslim residents in Mei Ling / Queenstown through door-knocking, ad hoc engagement events, and regular presence at community spaces and events.
• Recruit and screen eligible residents for surveys, interviews, Residents' Advisory Groups, focus group discussions, and co-design workshops, using convenience and snowball sampling approaches.
• Communicate the purpose, expectations, and value of the study clearly and sensitively to residents, addressing questions or concerns and obtaining informed consent.
• Maintain relationships with residents over time to support retention and minimise attrition across study waves, being attentive to community fatigue.
• Work alongside and support the training and day-to-day mentoring of resident Community Connectors, including facilitating the peer buddy system.

Fieldwork & Data Collection

• Coordinate logistics for fieldwork sessions, Residents' Advisory Groups, and co-design workshops, including scheduling, venue arrangements, and materials preparation.
• Undertake ethnographic observations and stakeholder recces within the research site to map community assets, resources, and social networks.
• Conduct in-depth and go-along interviews and support the facilitation of focus group discussions and Residents' Advisory Group sessions.
• Respond to participants with sensitivity and discretion, using trauma-informed approaches where relevant, and refer residents to appropriate social or emotional support when needed.

Data Management & Research Support

• Support transcription, translation (Malay to English where applicable), and organisation of qualitative data in NVivo or equivalent software.
• Assist with data checking, verification, and cleaning of quantitative and qualitative data collected through surveys, interviews, FGDs, and field notes.
• Contribute to rapid thematic analysis and preparation of materials for team debriefs and community feedback sessions.
• Prepare research reports, toolkits, and dissemination of materials for academic, community, and policy audiences.
• Assist with ad-hoc duties and CARE's broader initiatives and events as assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications

• Possess a Bachelor's Degree for Research Assistant or Master's Degree with at least 2 years of relevant experience for Research Assistant (Senior), in the Social Sciences, Public Health, or other related fields — including but not limited to Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work, or Nursing.
• Prior experience with community-based research is highly valued; familiarity with local ageing, health, and/or social policy contexts in Singapore is an advantage.
• Fluency in both English and Malay are required, given the study population.
• Genuine enjoyment of fieldwork and face-to-face engagement — someone who is comfortable approaching residents, spending extended time in the community, including homes and mosques, and building relationships with older adults.
• Possess strong interpersonal and communication skills with empathy, patience, and able to exercise cultural competence when engaging with Malay-Muslims, other minorities or vulnerable populations and community stakeholders.
• Social work background and/or extensive volunteer or Malay-Muslim community engagement experience is highly valued; a strong interest in community building and development is essential.
• Comfortable working independently on the ground, exercising good judgement, and adapting to the pace and rhythms of community life.
• Willingness to travel to and be regularly present at the research site in Queenstown, including occasional evenings or weekend sessions to accommodate residents' schedules.