COVID-19 Laboratory and Surveillance Advisor
Healthcare, Pharmacy, Doctors Jobs
- Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AI…
- Expires 24 Nov 2022
- Bulawayo
- Full Time
Job Description
Position Details
Job Title: COVID-19 Laboratory and Surveillance Advisor
Number of Positions: 1
Location: Harare, Zimbabwe
Reports to: EGPAF Senior Technical Lead and collaborating with the Director Laboratory Services
EGPAF Global TA Project Background
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), a recognized leader in the global effort to eliminate pediatric AIDS, is also one of the most successful international implementation organizations for pediatric, adolescent, youth, and adult HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs. Through support from the U.S. government as well as private and multilateral donors, EGPAF currently provides technical assistance (TA) at the health facility, community, district, and national levels in 20 countries to effectively support implementation, scale-up and evaluation of HIV, TB and coronavirus disease (COVID-19) programs. EGPAF is able to provide high-impact, high-quality, innovative, contextually responsive TA across a wide range of areas including health system strengthening, strategic information and evaluation, operational research, community engagement, organizational development, innovation/emerging technical priorities, project management, and HIV/TB/COVID-19 service delivery. Recognizing the immediate threat of the COVID-19 pandemic on the communities it serves, EGPAF leveraged its core expertise in service delivery and capacity building to begin direct COVID-19 interventions in June 2020. EGPAF's decades of experience in epidemic prevention and control as a technical leader in the global fight against HIV/AIDS has made the organization uniquely prepared to respond to pandemics. As of early 2022, EGPAF in close collaboration with MOH is providing direct COVID-19 interventions in SARS-COV-2 testing, COVID-19 treatment, vaccine roll-out, data management and surveillance Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, DRC, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
For more information, please visit the EGPAF website: www.pedaids.org
Assignment Overview
The assignment presented will be implemented as part of the global cooperative agreement for the delivery of technical assistance (DELTA2), a five-year, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded cooperative agreement implemented by EGPAF. The purpose is to provide comprehensive, effective and efficient TA, capacity building, and program implementation expertise for PEPFAR and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM)-supported global health activities. Through this assignment, EGPAF DELTA2 will provide TA to the direct COVID-19 pandemic response, and towards mitigating the effects of COVID-19 on ongoing programs
and service delivery Zimbabwe primarily through the identification and secondment of Technical Advisors to national and regional response efforts.
Job Summary
The COVID-19 Laboratory and Surveillance Advisor is a key member of the project staff responsible for strengthening the COVID-19 diagnostic network and disease surveillance to ensure high-quality COVID-19 diagnostic and COVID-19 surveillance with enhanced external quality assurance, strengthened diagnostics supplies, guidelines and tools COVID-19 testing access, testing and vaccination, and related contract tracing. The COVID-19 Laboratory and Surveillance Advisor will directly report to EGPAF Senior Technical Lead and work closely with the Directorate of Laboratory Services in the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MOHCC) and other Implementing Partners.
Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
• Act as the principal advisor of COVID-19 PCR testing laboratories
• Responsible for supporting MoHCC directorate of laboratory services with the administrative and technical operations of all COVID-19 laboratory services at national level. in the country
• Provide technical guidance in the delivery of high-quality diagnostic and surveillance services for COVID-19 testing (PCR, Antigen and genomic sequencing)
• Support national laboratory system strengthening with focus on COVID-19 testing laboratories/sites
• Supporting the development of the National Covid 19 Laboratory Budget
• Provide technical assistance to ensure that diagnostic tests are performed with accuracy and effectively implement COVID-19 laboratory quality control and quality assurance programs
• Support implementation of laboratory quality management systems towards accreditation
• Provide technical assistance to national laboratory service policy formulation, review, and national strategic planning for the COVID-19 Laboratory Pillar
• Provide oversight for all COVID-19 testing activities across network
• Support the development of a daily, weekly quarterly and monthly COVID-19 updates, presenting data on behalf Laboratory Pillar
• Support the Ministry to ensure availability and use of COVID-19 testing strategies, guidelines and policies in line with the most recent WHO recommendations
• Provide technical assistance in ensuring and promoting inter-departmental collaboration and effective contribution to regional and international organizations related to laboratory services
• Support planning and implementation of supportive laboratory programmatic activities at national levels
• Support training of laboratory and clinical staff on COVID-19 testing and integration of testing to other platforms and mentorship of COVID-19 testing services at site level
• Provide technical expertise in COVID-19 Global Fund grant writing
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned by senior management
Qualifications and Experience
Qualifications and Skills
• Degree in Laboratory Sciences (HBMLS) or equivalent from a reputable University and Post-graduate training in Public Health, Clinical Epidemiology, Microbiology or equivalent
• At least 5 years’ experience in laboratory services and surveillance in infectious disease program (especially within the context of health systems strengthening or laboratory systems development in capacity building); or quality assurance/quality management
Skills
• Proven ability to analyse laboratory activities in diagnostic, biosafety and quality management, in order to develop innovative and appropriate solutions for their improvement.
• Sound knowledge in genomic sequencing, biosafety standards, methodology and techniques in health laboratories, including those in molecular virology and biosafety.
• Sound knowledge in Quality Assurance Systems for laboratories.
• Ability to actively engage the ministry officials in the COVID-19 response at national and sub-national level related to laboratory services
• Ability to translate and adapt international guidelines into local context
• In-depth understanding of the country’s health and laboratory system
• Demonstrated ability to work with senior MoH officials at national and subnational levels
• Ability to travel to different sites within the country based on need
• Experience with donor related projects is desired
• Ability to work effectively as member of a dynamic team in a fast-paced environment
• Strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills
Competencies
• The Foundation expects all employees to possess the fundamental competencies of interpersonal skills, communication, accountability, continual learning, and driving results. The ideal candidate will either be proficient or advanced in the following set of competencies, specific to this position’s level of Manager:
o Developing Others – Developing others is a person’s ability to perform and contribute to the organization by providing ongoing feedback and by providing opportunities to learn through formal and informal methods.
o Managing Conflict – Managing conflict is a person’s ability to encourage creative tension and differences of opinions. He/she will anticipate and take steps to prevent counter-productive confrontations while resolving conflicts and disagreements in a constructive manner.
o Managing People – Managing people is a person’s ability to build and manage workforce based on organization goals, budget, considerations, and staff needs. He/she will ensure that employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, and rewarded. He/she will also manage a multi-cultural workforce and a variety of workforce situations.
How to Apply
Deadline 24 November 2022
