Head of CARPHA Medical and Microbiology Laboratory

Applicants are invited from interested and suitably qualified nationals of Member States

The Head of CARPHA Medical and Microbiology Laboratory

The Head of CARPHA Medical and Microbiology Laboratory provides technical and management leadership in the planning and implementation of the programme of work for the CARPHA Medical Microbiology Laboratory, including the provision of information and training services to CARPHA and its Member States. The incumbent functions as lead of the Laboratory Management Team (LMT) and is a member of the Departmental Management Team (DMT). Additionally, the incumbent will be responsible for the development and implementation of strategic plans, in support of the Agency’s Surveillance Disease Prevention and Control programme.

 Summary of Responsibilities

• Leads the LMT to plan, direct and coordinate the technical activities of the CARPHA Medical and Microbiology Laboratory in support of the Agency’s priority programmes.
•  Provides microbiological, advisory, and advocacy services for disease surveillance, response, prevention and control.
•  Organizes and implements training in diagnostic and public health microbiology and its application to the epidemiology of disease surveillance, response, prevention and control throughout the Caribbean.
• Conducts collaborative research and provides technical advice and assistance to Member States for the assessment and solution of priority disease problems.
• Develops and builds laboratory capabilities for disease detection, antimicrobial resistance and typing in CARPHA and its Member States.
•  Formulates, elaborates and promotes plans of action for the development of new techniques including the implementation of rapid tests and molecular biology tools for early diagnosis, upgraded strain characterization and outbreak investigation.
• Provides technical support for technology transfer within the Caribbean Public Health Laboratory Network.
• Disseminates technical information on disease trends in the region, sub-region and countries and on new advances in microbiology.
•  Provides technical advice and assistance to Member States for the assessment and solution of disease problems.
•  Provides technical oversight for the efficient management of Microbiology laboratory services to support the surveillance work of CARPHA, Member States and a quality technical and scientific service in the Caribbean laboratory network.
•  Formulates, elaborates and prepares plans of action for the implementation of new Bacteriology methods and techniques to provide appropriate response in disease surveillance and outbreak investigation, including molecular biology tools.

•  Promotes and supports the development of laboratory networks.
•  Promotes effective laboratory bio-risk management and good laboratory practices at CARPHA and national laboratories.
• Develop, review and update the CMML business plan and work collaboratively with other CARPHA laboratories to contribute to the integrated laboratory business plan
• Monitors and analyzes Microbiology laboratory data and ensures the generation of appropriate and timely reports as part of the coordination of a laboratory-based surveillance system in the sub-region.
•  Disseminates technical information for various public audiences on disease trends in the region and on new advances in Microbiology.
•  Provides advice and assistance to national authorities, in epidemiological surveys, surveillance and control of communicable diseases and in the investigation of outbreaks in accordance with International Health Regulation
• Assists in the development and coordination of national laboratory technical capabilities including quality management, especially in Bacteriology in collaboration with the national laboratory directors.
• Collaborates in the development and dissemination of publications and other written or electronic materials providing editorial support in the technical area of expertise.
•  Provides a mentoring role in bacteriology to staff of the bacteriology unit. Sets departmental and individual employee goals and undertakes routine evaluations of progress toward these goals. Identifies and promotes professional growth opportunities for staff.
•  Provide technical oversight and support to the virology function.
•  Provide technical oversight and support to quality function.
•  Develops and sustains partnerships, identifies and mobilizes information, human and financial resources for the prevention and control of bacterial diseases.
•  Participates in the preparation of annual work plans and annual reports, providing editorial support in the technical area of expertise.

Technical Expertise

• Ability to initiate, develop, maintain and leverage partnerships with key stakeholders and communities.
• Ability to successfully apply the Agency’s communication policies and strategies in interactions with key stakeholders in member states and international partners.
• Demonstrates a commitment to efficient and effective response to member states in emergency situations.
• Excellent skills in technology transfer, standard operating procedure, external quality assessment schemes, professorship and fellowship in bacteriology technical cooperation.
• Expertise in developing and implementing strategies that promote the incorporation of new laboratory technologies for Bacteriology in health agendas and integrated national health plans and services, particularly within public health laboratory networks.
• Teaching ability in the provision of advice and training on the use of bacteriology methods in disease control.
• Ability to cooperate with national and international staff in disease surveillance activities.
• Ability to work in teams.
• Ability to design and develop project interventions.
• Excellent knowledge of quality management systems.
• Strong professional writing skills including the development of reports, oral presentations, and technical/persuasive documents for consideration at the highest levels of the Organization

Education (Qualifications)

• Doctorate in Pharmacy, with a Board Certification in Medical Microbiology or in Medical Biology-Bacteriology or in Microbiology, Virology or Molecular Biology.
• MD degree would be an asset.

Experience

• Ten (10) years of experience in Medical Bacteriology including Mycobacteriology, with particular emphasis on laboratory bacteriological techniques.
• Practical experience at national and international level in activities related to the laboratory-based evidence for surveillance and control of transmissible diseases caused by bacteriological agents.
• Experience with project design, development and implementation. Good track record of publication of applied research in peer reviewed journals.
• Mentoring, supervisory and managerial experience would be an asset. Experience at reference laboratory level would be an asset.
• Experience of working in the Caribbean is desirable.

Languages

• Excellent knowledge of English.
• Knowledge of French and/or Spanish would be an asset.

IT Skills

• Demonstrated ability to use a computer with knowledge of windows-based applications, e.g., Microsoft Office and Outlook.
• Demonstrated ability to use electronic applications for document sharing, data analyses and report generation.
• Demonstrated ability to manage the use of web conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, GoTo Meetings etc

Kindly visit our website for more information

https://www.carpha.org/More/CARPHA-Talent-Acquisition