Medical Scientist / Microbiologist

As a Medical Scientist/Microbiologist you are responsible for establishing and/or supervising a laboratory within an MSF project, requiring resourcefulness and adaptability. Our medical programs (including disease-specific components such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and hepatitis C are complex, and place a strong emphasis on quality control. 

As a Medical Scientist/Microbiologist you are responsible for establishing and/or supervising a laboratory within an MSF project, requiring resourcefulness and adaptability. Our medical programs (including disease-specific components such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and hepatitis C are complex, and place a strong emphasis on quality control. A major part of your work will involve training and supervising local laboratory staff e.g., training technicians in sputum microscopy as part of a TB treatment program or helping set up a laboratory in such a way as to prevent airborne infection – without the use of common technology such as laminar air flow cabinets.

In addition to general clinical laboratories, MSF is increasingly establishing microbiology laboratories, to increase access to advanced TB diagnostics (by setting up independent laboratories, in collaboration with national organizations, or by using validated external facilities) where advanced experience in microbiology (bacteriological culture, including by manual methods) and/or tuberculosis (culture, drug sensitivity testing, molecular methods) is required.

ACTIVITIES

  • Manage a laboratory for all departments in a field hospital and provide support in outreach clinics, testing for neglected tropical diseases
  • Perform quality control tests and analyses
  • Ensure that hygiene and safety protocols such as required clothing and equipment are implemented in laboratories and that cleaning personnel are informed about biohazards
  • Ensure proper registration and records of all lab-related activities; prepare and send slides/samples for external quality control; check and oversee the proper maintenance of equipment (e.g. updated inventories of laboratory materials and equipment)
  • Manage, train and supervise the laboratory team through activities such as recruitment, defining job descriptions, capacity-building, briefing/debriefing and evaluation of staff
  • Compile, analyse and report on lab activities and results and participate in the development of epidemiological surveys and reports

REQUIREMENTS

  • Compliance with the essential requirements for all international staff candidates
  • Degree or diploma in Medical Laboratory Science or equivalent and/or Microbiology with applied parasitology and bacteriology
  • Knowledge of clinical laboratory techniques and laboratory testing quality control methods.
  • Experience in sample collection and analysis (e.g. blood, CSF, stool, sputum)
  • Experience in laboratory activity organization and principles
  • Minimum of two years of relevant professional experience in clinical laboratory services preferably in a hospital
  • At least one of the below skills sets:

• Advanced experience of haematology and biochemistry testing methods including manual methods for low resource settings, including a good understanding of rapid diagnostic tests.
• Advanced experience in microbiology processes, bacteriological cultures, organism identification, and susceptibility testing by manual methods and/or Tuberculosis processes, cultures, smears, drug sensitivity testing, and molecular methods. Strong competencies in antibiograms analysis and identification of resistance mechanism.

  • Strong competencies in antibiograms analysis and identification of resistance mechanism
  • Available for assignment for a minimum of nine months or longer
  • Experience in team management, training, supervision
  • Experience in stock management

DESIRABLE

  • Knowledge of epidemiology and tropical diseases (for example STDs, virology, TB, blood bank, malaria, HIV, kala azar)
  • Experience in using laboratory software packages and carrying out surveys
  • Degree/postgraduate degree in biology/tropical medicine

 

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION 

Please apply if your skills and experience match the requirements for this role and the essential criteria for all international staff, listed above. Allow approximately 1 hour to complete to application.

Before starting the application, please prepare the following:

  1. CV 
  2. Motivation letter 
  3. Skills assessment form 

If you’re not yet ready to apply, register to receive updates from our International Human Resources team including information on upcoming recruitment events.

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