Overview
Provide technical expertise on laboratory-related inputs for pandemic preparedness and response projects, working cooperatively with other officials to ensure best practices are adopted.
Key Responsibilities
- Strengthen coordination mechanisms among animal health reference labs, provincial labs, and district labs.
- Foster linkages between the National laboratory network for the Animal Health sector and relevant public health, wildlife, environment, and aquaculture laboratory networks.
- Develop a national laboratory strengthening road map.
- Upgrade animal health sector national reference labs and provincial labs to appropriate BSL levels for priority zoonotic diseases.
- Develop/update protocols/SOPs for transport capacities of biological samples.
- Deliver training programs on SOPs for field personnel on sample collection, labelling, packaging, and transportation.
- Develop and deliver targeted training programs for laboratory personnel on isolation, identification/Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST), and molecular diagnostics.
- Provide support and/or training towards ISO 17025 and/or 17043 accreditation.
- Facilitate enrolment of federal and provincial labs in External Quality Assurance Programs (EQA) and National EQA Schemes (NEQAS).
- Develop a 2027 workplan for the laboratory component of the project.
- Contribute to technical progress reports, donor reports, success stories, and knowledge products.
- Document lessons learned, best practices, and scalable models for laboratory system strengthening.
- Perform other duties as needed.
Required Experience
- Minimum of 8 years of work experience in the field of animal disease diagnosis and zoonotic diseases (HPAI, salmonella, brucellosis, CCHF etc).
- Experience in the diagnosis of infectious diseases, particularly zoonotic diseases.
- Experience in arrangements of stakeholders’ workshops.
- Previous experience in similar settings would be considered a distinct asset.
- Liaison with the Technical staff and Administrative staff of the provincial Livestock Departments.
- Understanding of the purpose and functions of technical programmes, operational guidelines and programme/project management procedures, preferably those adopted by the United Nations or FAO, would be considered an added asset.
- Proven past experience in advising and supporting laboratories in meeting requirements for ISO 17025 and ISO17043 accreditation.
- Proven experience in SOPs development and in training on sample collection, handling and transportation.
- Good knowledge of common administrative and financial rules and regulations.
- Good knowledge of communication and documentation standards.
Qualifications
• Advance university degree in Microbiology/Molecular biology or related field to perform duties with a basic degree in Veterinary Sciences.
