Laboratory Officer

Core Functions / Responsibilities:

• Organize laboratory services and its structure for efficient and optimal service delivery adapting to prevailing local conditions, levels of expertise and available technology.
• Certify that facilities and bio-safety measures in the laboratory/lies meet international standards and country requirements; by actively participating in planning and designing of new or upgrading existing facilities.
• Guarantee that standards of laboratory services correspond to HAPs and other programmes or project requirements via keeping Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) up to date and annual review.
• Ensure high quality with regards to international standards in all aspects of service delivery via internal quality control and organizing and facilitating in external quality assessment.
• Verify optimum staffing levels for planned workload. Recruit, train, supervise and assess laboratory staff. Ensure staff development and continuous training needs for staff.
• Contribute in annual HAP activities planning and budget preparation related to laboratory services.
• Guarantee that the equipment and consumables are sufficient for the anticipated workload. Plan and organize procurement, delivery, installation, servicing and operation of all laboratory equipment and optimal expenditure of consumables.
• Validate system of organized record keeping and information management for timely delivery of results, data collection, analysis and reporting for laboratory monitoring and facilitation to operational research.
• Liaise on laboratory related topics with national laboratories and laboratories in other countries, IOM Departments and national relevant entities.
• Implement and maintain the system of service improvement with available long-term work plan addressing at least laboratory assessment, facilities and safety, process control, information management and customer service.
• Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Position in Organization:

• Position Title: Laboratory Officer
• Duty Station: Harare, Zimbabwe
• Classification: Professional Staff, Grade P2
• Type of Appointment: Fixed term, one year with possibility of extension
• Estimated Start Date: As soon as possible
• Closing Date: 18 July 2023

Qualification:

• Master’s degree in Medical (Clinical) Laboratory Sciences, Microbiology or a related discipline from an accredited academic institution with two years of relevant professional experience; or
• University degree in the above fields with four years of relevant professional experience.

Experience

• Relevant laboratory experience in a busy institution, preferably in a laboratory;
• Demonstrated experience in clinical laboratory techniques including for TB;
• Awareness of the laboratory role in health systems, optimal use of resources for quality and efficient services delivery.

Skills

• Proven management and/or Supervisory, or organizational and planning skills;
• Demonstrated ability to implement a laboratory quality management system;
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles and practices laboratory biosafety including for a TB containment laboratory;
• Demonstrate effective managerial and leadership skills in the provision of quality laboratory services;
• Computer literate with understanding of data collection and analysis for monitoring and continuous improvement of laboratory services and performance; and,
• Effectively applies and transfers relevant technical knowledge and practices to personnel and laboratory operations;
• Organizational skills; and communication skills.

Languages

• IOM’s official languages are English, French, and Spanish.
• For this position, fluency in English is required (oral and written).
• Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.