Description

Position Title: Biobank Coordinator (Administrative & Research Operations)

Department: Institute of Global Health Equity Research (IGHER)

Reports To: Head of Biobank 

Location: Kigali with regular travel to research sites

Contract Duration: Two year contract with possible extension for another two years

Position Summary

The Biobank coordinator will provide operational, administrative, and research coordination support for biobank activities and clinical trial projects. The position will ensure effective planning, implementation, documentation, and monitoring of research activities while maintaining compliance with institutional policies, ethical requirements, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and biobank quality standards.

The Coordinator will serve as a key liaison between investigators, clinical trial teams, laboratory personnel, research participants, regulatory bodies, and collaborating institutions. The role requires strong organizational skills, attention to detail, experience in research administration, and the ability to coordinate multiple activities simultaneously.

Key Responsibilities

  • Coordinate daily biobank operations, including specimen collection, processing, storage, tracking, inventory, access, documentation, and compliance.
  • Support clinical trial implementation, including timelines, regulatory documentation, site coordination, monitoring visits, recruitment tracking, essential documents, and logistics.
  • Coordinate research activities, work plans, meetings, reports, budgets, procurement, travel, and project documentation.
  • Ensure adherence to GCP, ethics and regulatory requirements, biobank policies, data protection, and support audits and accreditation activities.
  • Serve as a coordination point among investigators, clinical teams, laboratory/biobank staff, sponsors, regulators, and research partners, ensuring effective communication and follow-up.

Required Qualifications and competence

  • Bachelor’s degree in Health/Biomedical/Laboratory Sciences, Public Health, Clinical Research, Life Sciences, Health Administration, or related field; Master’s degree is an advantage.
  • Experience: 3–5 years’ experience in clinical research, clinical trials, biobanking, laboratory research, or research administration.
  • Experience with research documentation, databases, regulatory/ethics submissions, and multidisciplinary teams.
  • Knowledge of ICH-GCP, biobank operations, sample management, and research compliance.
  • Experience with REDCap, CTMS, LIMS, or similar research data systems is an advantage.
  • Strong organizational, coordination, communication, documentation, problem-solving, and time-management skills.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to manage confidential research information.
  • GCP, research ethics, clinical research, biobank, or data management certification is an advantage.
  • Ability to coordinate multiple activities, maintain accurate records, meet deadlines, and support clinical trials, audits, reporting, and research logistics.

To apply 

Applicants should provide: (1) a curriculum vitae, (2) graduate transcripts, (3) examples of relevant teaching experience or course materials, where available, and (4) a personal statement describing their teaching approach and experience working with diverse student populations. Applicants may also include an example of relevant scholarly work. Please upload these under the ‘Additional Files’ tab on the application page.

University of Global Health Equity is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Organizational Profile 

UGHE is a new kind of university focused on training the next generation of global leaders in health care delivery. The university launched in Rwanda in September 2015. Through an academic experience uniquely rooted in the values of equity, students are empowered to both ease suffering at the bedside and drive transformational, systemic changes to the health system. 

UGHE is an initiative of Partners In Health (PIH), an internationally recognized non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. In over nearly three decades of operating alongside public sectors in countries around the world, PIH has developed a model to deliver high quality healthcare to some of the world’s most marginalized communities. Nowhere has this impact been more profound than in Rwanda, where Inshuti Mu Buzima—PIH’s sister organization—and our government partners have driven innovation for a decade. 

Members of the UGHE community are tenacious and resolute in our drive to attain social justice, make common cause with those in need, listen to and learn from others, and operate with honesty and humility as we uphold academic integrity and intellectual curiosity. The University of Global Health Equity seeks individuals committed to these values to join the team. 

Commitment to Safeguarding and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment: 

At UGHE, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including community members – as well as our students, contractors, staff, and visitors to our campus are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment and any form of systemic abuse, whilst reducing risk and vulnerabilities. A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with UGHE’s policy.

UGHE will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of fraud, harassment, sexual harassment and any form of systemic abuse or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By applying, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

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