Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Job Title: POC EID Project Officer-Laboratory

Job openings: 01         

Locations: Yaoundé           

Reports to: Country Implementation Manager

Contract Duration: One year with possibility of extension

Terms of Offer: This position is remunerated on local terms. (for local candidates only)

"Sometimes in life there is that moment when it's possible to make a change for the better. This is one of those moments."

-Elizabeth Glaser

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a global leader in the fight against pediatric HIV and AIDS, working in 15 countries and at over 5,500 sites around the world to prevent the transmission of HIV to children, and to help those already infected. Today, because of the highly successful work of the Foundation and its partners, pediatric AIDS has been virtually eliminated in the United States. With a growing global staff of over 1,000—nine of 10 who work in the field—the Foundation’s global mission is to implement HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs; further advance innovative research; and to execute strategic and targeted global advocacy activities to bring dramatic change to the lives of millions of women, children, and families worldwide. 

Job Purpose

Through a grant from UNITAID, EGPAF will introduce and scale-up innovative point-of-care (POC) early infant diagnosis (EID) in nine African countries. This four-year project will procure and distribute more than 279 POC EID platforms and 300,000 POC EID tests worth an estimated total cost of US$ 24 million. The Project will enable the testing of up to 300,000 HIV-exposed infants, resulting in increased pediatric HIV diagnosis, earlier initiation of infants on ART, increased pediatric ARV coverage, and improved survival of HIV-positive infants.

The Project Officer – Laboratory will support the implementation of the UNITAID/EGPAF POC EID project in Cameroon, with the long term aim of providing quality integrated HIV prevention, counselling, testing, care and treatment services within the Ministry of Health, Private, and Faith Based Sector health facilities

Job Summary

Under the guidance of the Country Implementation Manager, the Project Officer – Laboratory will work to ensure success of the Project’s agenda of strategically incorporating POC testing into national EID networks through continuous quality improvement, data quality assessments, technical assistance and capacity building to EGPAF Project’s technical staff and health care workers at the national, district and facility level in support of implementation activities.

S/he will provide support to training, supervision, mentoring, coordination, supply chain management, laboratory, quality assurance, M&E and data management components within the Project and at the district and facility level.

Essential duties:

• Assist the Country Implementation Manager to ensure ongoing programmatic excellence by providing, facilitating or coordinating high level quality technical, programmatic, and management support to the sites and the district delegation;
• Assist in monitoring program implementation at district level and provide regular updates to the Country Implementation Manager;
• Support elaboration of annual work plans, and budget planning and monitoring;
• Support development of appropriate district specific systems to ensure consistent high-quality program management;
• Assist the Country Implementation Manager in the management of relationships with the Ministry of Health and other partners organizations at district level;
• Support the MOH and the EGPAF Strategic Information and Evaluation team to collect data as needed;
• Conduct assessment of the POC site during each visit to determine capacity, quality control, quality assurance
• Facilitate training in POC EID sample collection and transport to laboratories performing the test, track results and ensure that results get back to the patients in a timely manner
• Conduct on the job training to healthcare workers on documentation, collection and sample management techniques, how to package, quality assurance, waste management and biosafety, dispatch of results.
• Any other duties assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in laboratory training with at least 5 years of laboratory work experience in Cameroon
• Experience in Early Infant Diagnostic will be an asset
• Bilingualism is mandatory: being able to fluently speak and write in English and French is an elimination criterion.
• Proficiency in computer packages for generating and analyzing reports
• Documented evidence of HIV/AIDS laboratory training as part on continuing professional development
• Dedicated team player with excellent interpersonal, communication, report writing and analytical skills
• Ability to takes initiative and work without supervision in a dynamic multi-cultural environment
• Ability to exhibit professionalism and high ethical standards
• High level of integrity

How to apply 

Qualified candidates should submit a CV and cover letter through the following link POC EID Project Officer-Laboratory.

Applications will be considered until December 31, 2017.

Please note that only short-listed applicants meeting the above requirements will be contacted.