Laboratory Systems Strengthening Team Lead

JOB OPPORTUNITY

Recruitment of Laboratory Systems Strengthening Team Lead to support a potential United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC) funded program titled “Expanding Efforts and Strategies to Protect and Improve Public Health in Vietnam”.

The International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) at the University of Washington seeks an experienced public health laboratory specialist to provide technical leadership and coordinate laboratory strengthening activities under this project. The project’s goal is to increase Vietnam’s ability to prevent, detect, and respond to emergencies of public health importance, as well as emerging infectious disease threats. The position is expected to start on October 1, 2020, pending approval of funding. The position will be based in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Project Overview:

I-TECH is partnering with PATH and the MoH and MARD on a project aimed at improving priority disease surveillance and response. This work will include system capacity mapping including workforce competency and strengthening laboratory diagnostic testing quality and capacity. This project will be focused on improving both site level diagnostic capacity and response capabilities as well as and nation- wide laboratory -based surveillance strengthening with an emphasis on specimen referral systems. The project will also involve training laboratory staff in diagnostic testing, and laboratory quality management practices.

Main activities include: local technical leadership of the project, project management, and technical team coordination and supervision. This full-time position works closely with the I-TECH’s Laboratory Systems Strengthening team based in Seattle and in the global network, as well as the PATH team in both Seattle and Hanoi.

Employer overview:

I-TECH is a center within the University of Washington's Department of Global Health and has offices throughout Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. I-TECH's 1500 worldwide staff work in partnership with local ministries of health, universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), medical facilities, and other organizations to support the development of a skilled health work force and well-organized national health delivery systems. I-TECH's activities occur primarily in the technical areas of health and laboratory system strengthening; health and laboratory workforce development; operations research and evaluation; and prevention, care, and treatment of infectious diseases.

Project locations: The Laboratory Systems Team Lead will be based in Hanoi, Vietnam and the position will require frequent in-country travel to clinical and public health laboratories across the country and National reference laboratories.

Activities and deliverables:

Assist the I-TECH Principle Investigator (PI) (based in Seattle at I-TECH) in planning, coordinating and implementing all project activities and supervise all local project staff.

Specific tasks include:

Project Leadership, Planning and Coordination:

Act as the main relationship manager for the project with the government’s laboratory stakeholders and CDC subject matter experts;
Assist in partner coordination including coordinating meetings and logistics for in- country meetings between project partners;
Participate in weekly meetings via conference calls with project staff;
Develop and submit monthly, quarterly and annual work plans and status reports according to targets of the project proposal in coordination with the Project Director from PATH;
Prepare documents and plans including for activities, estimated budgets and implementation as requested;
Arrange translation services for materials and trainings when needed;

Project Implementation:

Represent the laboratory project for I-TECH and PATH and provide subject matter expertise for all technical areas of the project;
Represent the laboratory project for I-TECH and PATH at meetings with key stakeholders including the MoH, CDC, and other implementing partners.
Coordinate project activities as scheduled and planned as agreed between I-TECH, PATH and local partners;
Coordinate and oversee laboratory project activities at project sites including nation-wide initiatives;
Provide subject matter expertise in diagnostic testing for infectious diseases of international concern, laboratory quality management, operational biosafety, and specimen referral;
Provide documents, templates, guidance, and other technical support to laboratory project staff;
Provide expert technical support as needed to achieve project goals;
Provide recommendations to the Project Director and PI in dealing with challenges as they arise and facilitate interventions to achieve project goals;
Integrate recommendations and guidance from other partners for the project;
Coordinate and collaborate on project activities with other local partners.

Monitoring and evaluation:

Monitor quality management system implementation at target laboratories;
Monitor laboratory utilization project milestones at target laboratories;
Coordinate the collection and analysis of information and data and prepare general plans and periodic reports on project activities;
Prepare program and financial reports at scheduled intervals.

Qualifications:

Minimum of a doctoral degree in a health related field (medicine, microbiology, pathology or public health); MTL degree or clinical laboratory certification is desirable;
Experience working in a clinical and public health laboratory is required and candidate must have at least 5 years work experience;
Must have at least 3 years’ experience in a management role; previous responsibility implementing a project for an international NGO is highly desired;
Demonstrated experience working in Vietnam; previous work with laboratories in Vietnam, the MoH, national and regional institutes, and international organizations, on laboratory strengthening and/or infectious disease programming is highly desired;
Demonstrated experience conducting or coordinating trainings for healthcare workers;
Knowledge of diagnostic tests and laboratory processes for infectious diseases is required;
Knowledge of the Global Health Security Agenda, pandemic preparedness, and emergency response, highly desired;
Demonstrated experience using project management tools and techniques to plan, schedule, implement, and evaluate complex projects and multidisciplinary staff is also desired;
Must have strong skills in coordination, communication, and developing relationships with colleagues;
IT Skills – Skype/Zoom, MS Office and internet skills are required;
Language requirements - Speaking/Reading/Writing of Vietnamese and English is required.

Guidance for Application:

Interested candidates must submit the following, in English or the application will not be considered.

Cover letter describing your interest in this position including past experience and future goals;
3 professional references;
Curriculum vitae;
Any other documentation (e.g., essays, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned, etc.) that addresses the qualification requirements as listed above.

SUBMIT APPLICATIONS TO:

I-TECH Human Resources at itechhr@uw.edu

Please apply by April 26, 2020, for priority consideration.