Diagnostics Program Officer

Diagnostics Program Officer (Greater Mekong Sub-region)

About PATH

PATH is a global organization that works to accelerate health equity by bringing together public institutions, businesses, social enterprises, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing health challenges. With expertise in science, health, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales solutions—including vaccines, drugs, devices, diagnostics, and innovative approaches to strengthening health systems worldwide. By mobilizing partners around the world, we take innovation to scale, working alongside countries primarily in Africa and Asia to tackle their greatest health needs. Together, we deliver measurable results that disrupt the cycle of poor health. Working in Vietnam since the early 1980s, PATH established a permanent office in Hanoi in 1997 and an office in Ho Chi Minh City in 2014.

Job summary

Location: Hanoi

Position type: Full-time/Regular

Deadline: None

Job description

PATH seeks a Diagnostics Program Officer to support a potential CDC-funded project entitled “Enhancing Global Health Security: Strengthening Public Health Surveillance Systems and Preparedness Globally.” The project goal is to build upon activities funded by CDC to support global health security through implementation of disease diagnostic and surveillance activities that focus on protecting and improving public health globally through strategic planning, policy, strengthening diagnostic and surveillance capacities and systems in coordination with Ministries of Health and other governmental institutions.

The Diagnostics Program Officer will be based in Vietnam and will work closely with country and regional teams in the Greater Mekong Sub-region as well as global teams, and in collaboration with donors as well as national and international project partners. The Diagnostics Program Officer will provide technical leadership and support to the design, implementation, and monitoring of strategies and activities to integrate and strengthen diagnostic systems within and across countries in the Greater Mekong Sub-region.

This position will operate under management and oversight of the project director based in Vietnam and report to the project director of Global Health Security based in PATH headquarters.

Key responsibilities include

Provide technical leadership and oversight for the project team on strengthening diagnostics and laboratory system networks to improve testing and reporting capacity.
Provide oversight, technical assistance, and capacity building to establish and expand quality assurance testing within the region and/or across countries in collaboration with partners and stakeholders.
Work in close collaboration with the Surveillance Program Officer to strengthen Laboratory Health Management Information Systems and use of program data to improve reporting at all levels of the project.
Support efforts to improve in real-time reporting, data sharing, and interoperability among surveillance and laboratory systems.
Support the development, updating or dissemination of national diagnostic network strategic plans, standard operating procedures, policies, and guidelines.
Provide technical assistance to project partners for activity implementation in improving laboratory workforce
Participate in laboratory external quality assessments, good laboratory practices and data quality assurance activities.
Identify issues/challenges and develop strategies for effective implementation.
Work closely with partners, regional, and country technical leads and other stakeholders to ensure coordinated approach to project implementation.
Coordinate with the project team on disease surveillance system strengthening activities.
Represent PATH and the project on technical working groups and maintain contacts with other organizations engaged in project activities.
Support project team members with monitoring and evaluation activities.
Contribute to preparing reports to CDC and PATH headquarters.

Required Experience

A minimum of a BSc in clinical diagnostics, laboratory science, or an equivalent.
At least five years of experience in infectious disease diagnostic strengthening and capacity building in Vietnam or Greater Mekong Sub-region.
Demonstrated working experience performing and/or supervising laboratory-based testing for the diagnosis and characterization of infectious diseases.
Experience performing genomic sequencing for characterization of pathogens preferred.
Working knowledge of bioinformatics and other analysis tools for genomic sequencing data preferred.
Demonstrated skills in collecting, managing, and analyzing data sets.
Experience with health facility laboratory diagnostic systems preferred.
Proven experience working with the ministries of health, donors, NGOs, and the private sector on infectious disease programming.
Strong interpersonal skills with proven ability to work effectively with diverse project teams and partners at the local, national, and international level.
Strong organizational, prioritization and workload management skills.
Strong experience with Microsoft Office Products (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook).
Fluency in written and spoken English and Vietnamese
Willingness and ability to travel up to 35% within Vietnam and the Greater Mekong Subregion as needed.
Authorization to work in Vietnam.

How to apply

Please submit a cover letter with your resume describing your interest in this position and how you meet the requirements. Application materials must be submitted in English and applicants must have legal authorization to work in Vietnam to be considered and confirm this in their cover letter. PATH offers a highly dynamic work environment and provides competitive compensation and benefits based on experience. Salary and benefit package are paid in VND. https://path.silkroad.com/epostings/index.cfm?fuseaction=app.jobinfo&jobid=304864&company_id=15780&version=1&source=ONLINE&JobOwner=1013201&startflag=1