| Position | Translational Research Manager |
| Group | Operations |
| Location | This post is based in Ho Chi Minh City |
| Hours of work | 37.5 hours per week, extra hours may be required. |
| Tenure | Initially for 1 year, including a 2-month probation period, with possibility of extension. |
| Reporting to | Director of Operations |
| Vacancy reference | JDHCM-1025-012 |
| Background | The Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) is a large-scale clinical and public health research unit, with sites offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam, Jakarta in Indonesia and Kathmandu in Nepal. In Vietnam, we are hosted by the Hospital of Tropical Diseases (HTD) in Ho Chi Minh City, and the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases (NHTD) in Hanoi. OUCRU Nepal closely collaborates with the National Academy of Medical Sciences in Kathmandu, and OUCRU Indonesia exists in partnership with the University of Indonesia. As a Wellcome Trust Africa Asia Programme, we have received considerable support from the Wellcome Trust since our establishment in 1991. OUCRU’s vision is to have local, regional and global impact on health by leading a locally driven research programme on infectious diseases in Southeast Asia. Priority is given to health issues important to the hospitals where we work, and to the countries as a whole where we operate: Vietnam, Indonesia and Nepal. All work is intended not only to benefit the patients seen daily at our host hospitals, but also to help improve patient care. Please see more information on OUCRU website: www.oucru.org |
| Job summary | The Translational Research Manager (TRM) will have a broad understanding of the research, translation and innovation processes in the biomedical and healthcare sectors. With experience in research project management and/or technology transfer, the post-holder will identify, encourage, track and help maintain a pipeline of early translational research in OUCRU, supported by the new Wellcome Translational award to the core grant (starts October 1st 2025; ends September 30th 2029). The TRM will lead in the administration of the OUCRU Early Translational Research Fund (ETRF), which will have two calls each year for early translational research projects from across the programme. They will work with the OUCRU Programme Director and the Programme Scientific Committee (PSC) to devise and assess the funding calls. The TRM will also help OUCRU researchers by identifying and advising on other suitable funding sources, supporting bid development to improve success rates and volume of funding, and provide project management advice to these milestone-driven projects. The TRM will also be responsible for leading training initiatives, liaising with Impact hub and working with the Academic Training team in HCMC to coordinate and deliver training events. This includes supporting the new OUCRU Entrepreneur in residence, ensuring he/she is linked to OUCRU researchers to provide guidance and mentorship. The post-holder will work closely with the Oxford Medical Sciences Translational Research Office (TRO), ensuring alignment of OUCRU’s translational research with TRO-driven initiatives in Oxford. They will also be expected to work closely with a new TRM within OUCRU-Indonesia, ensuring consistency and a coordinated approach across the OUCRU programme. The successful candidates will have excellent interpersonal and influencing skills, being capable of winning the trust of academic researchers through the provision of high-quality support in a personable manner, enabling the academics to more efficiently achieve their translational goals. |
| Key responsibilities and tasks | The main responsibilities of the Translational Research Manager are: – Lead in the administration of the OUCRU Early Translational Research Fund (ETRF), organising two calls each year for early translational research projects from across the programme. – Lead innovation and entrepreneurship training initiatives, liaising with Impact hub (responsible for annual entrepreneurship training) and working with the Academic Training team in HCMC to coordinate and deliver training events. – Support the new OUCRU Entrepreneur in residence, ensuring he/she is linked to OUCRU researchers to provide guidance and mentorship. – Provide long-term management of a portfolio of translational research projects supported by the ETRF, ensuring projects deliver against key milestones & anticipating the future funding opportunities. – Organise the development and activities of a new Translational Research Academy in 2027, which will include all researchers with projects supported by the ETRF. – Work closely with the TRO in Oxford, ensuring alignment of OUCRU’s translational research with TRO-driven initiatives in Oxford. They will also be expected to work closely with a new TRM within OUCRU Indonesia, ensuring consistency and a coordinated approach across the OUCRU programme. – Develop understanding and local expertise on intellectual property (IP), working with Oxford University Innovations (OUI) to support researchers and the programme in the appropriate protection of IP. – Identify distinctive opportunities for translational research collaborations within and outside of Asia and support OUCRU academic staff to develop them. – Build an excellent understanding of external resources for translational project funding from the research councils, charities, industry and commercial funders. Maintain awareness of the funder’s bid success criteria, liaise with key funder personnel and ensure feedback is understood and addressed in bid submissions. – Provide bid writing support to researchers for translational research awards to ensure the strongest possible cases of support are generated. Key schemes will include: MRC Confidence in Concept and the Bio-medical Catalyst Development Pathway Funding Scheme, NIHR, Wellcome and Innovate UK schemes. – Coordinate the sourcing of internal & external expertise to strengthen the design of translational projects, in particular with regard to deliverability and intellectual property approach. – Build and maintain excellent working relationships with: (a) researchers to develop detailed knowledge of their research capabilities, activities and aspirations with regard to translation; (b) external funding bodies (especially Wellcome) to understand their selection criteria for awards and long-term direction for travel; (c) existing and new industry partners. |
| Key Duties of the post holder | – Support the development and organisation of a pipeline of early translational research across the OUCRU – Administer the ETRF calls – Develop and maintain a portfolio of ETRF supported projects, ensuring oversight of their milestones and reporting back to the PSC on their progress – Develop the OUCRU Translational Research Academy (years 2-4), with help from the Oxford TRO – Work closely with the Oxford TRO, to ensure alignment of activities, expertise, and opportunities – Organise the provision of entrepreneurship/translational research training across the programme, working with Impact Hub, OUCRU Training team, and the Oxford TRO. |
| Selection criteria | Essential criteria – A degree preferably at the post-graduate level or equivalent. – An understanding of research, translation and innovation processes, management, cultures and environments, translational funding landscape, in bio-medical and healthcare sectors. – Awareness of research translation pathways and the interplay of organisations along the pathway, including universities, research institutes, clinical research providers, pharma companies, spin-out companies, regulators and healthcare providers. – Experience of providing project management support to individual academics. – Significant project, event or relationship management experience, coordinating internal activities to meet deadlines and presentation to external audiences – A collaborative approach, with strong communication skills and ability to build and maintain excellent working relationships, both internally and externally with senior academics and sponsors. Strategic and analytical mind-set, capable of identifying competitive advantage and converting this into bid success. – Self-directed and able to manage a number of complex projects in parallel. Desirable criteria – Experience of supporting or developing translational research projects in an academic, funder or commercial setting. – Experience of dealing successfully with senior researchers and decision-makers from academia, government or the commercial healthcare sector. – Experience in innovation, licensing or entrepreneurial activity plus market analysis and research. |
| Benefits | – Contracted salary: Grade RS5/IC5, salary ranges: $2,186 – $2,300 gross per month – Optional insurance: In-patient and out-patient medical coverage; Personal accident insurance coverage – Two months’ salary for annual bonus and clothes – Annual leave 18 days each year for the first year, a maximum of 30 days – Other responsibilities and benefits are based on Viet Nam Labour Law. |
| How to apply | Interested qualified candidates are invited to send their detailed resume and cover letter in English, including copies of relevant degrees, certificates, either by email to the following address: Oxford University Clinical Research Unit Laboratory of Clinical Science Hospital for Tropical Diseases 764 Vo Van Kiet, Ward 1, District 5, HCMC Email: hr@oucru.org *** We thank all candidates for their interest but only short-listed applicants will be notified for the interview. |
| Contact person | Ms Nguyen Thi Hong Phuc |
| Deadline for submission | 5 November 2025 |