National Laboratory Specialist
South Sudan
- Organization: FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- Location: South Sudan
- Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
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Occupational Groups:
- Biology and Chemistry
- Closing Date: 2024-10-30
IMPORTANT NOTICE\: Please note that Closure Date and Time displayed above are based on date and time settings of your personal device
- FAO is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality, background and culture
- Qualified female applicants, qualified nationals of non-and under-represented Members and person with disabilities are encouraged to apply
- Everyone who works for FAO is required to adhere to the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct, and to uphold FAO's values
- FAO, as a Specialized Agency of the United Nations, has a zero-tolerance policy for conduct that is incompatible with its status, objectives and mandate, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination
- All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks
- All applications will be treated with the strictest confidentiality
Organizational Setting
The main aim of the FAO country offices, which are headed by an FAO Representative, is to assist governments to develop policies, programmes and projects to achieve food security and to reduce hunger and malnutrition, to help develop the agricultural, fisheries and forestry sectors, and to use their environmental and natural resources in a sustainable manner.
The FAO Representation in South Sudan is organized around three main units\: Programme, Operations and Administration. The current portfolio of projects in South Sudan includes activities related to Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Natural Resource Management, and is implemented with humanitarian, transitional and development funding. The incumbent will contribute to the country's programme and portfolio as foreseen in the projects.
Reporting Lines
The National Laboratory Specialist works within the framework of the FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases (ECTAD), under the overall guidance of the FAO Representative in South Sudan and Head of Programmes, and the direct supervision of the Livestock Development Officer, with technical backstopping of the ECTAD Regional Laboratory Specialist for Eastern and Southern Africa.
Technical Focus
The National Laboratory Specialist provides required technical support to National Laboratory Systems development under the Global Health Security Programme, working closely with the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries and One Health partners.
Tasks and responsibilities
• Support the implementation of activities relevant to laboratory aspects of the ECTAD Country approved work plan
• Supervise the assessment of national laboratory veterinary capacity for pathogen testing of samples
• Prepare lists of appropriate laboratory items for procurement along with draft technical specifications, taking into account laboratory requests when needed and monitor their good delivery to beneficiary laboratories
• Develop a laboratory inventory sheet to enable real-time monitoring of expendable supplies used in diagnostic testing
• Plan, organize, conduct and/or support/supervise in-country expert missions for trainings, troubleshooting or installation of equipment
• Lead the preparation of a proposal for laboratory renovation to comply with the WOAH recommended laboratory standards on quality assurance, biosecurity, and biosafety
• Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for AMR (surveillance and diagnosis)
• Supervise and facilitate hands-on trainings for key laboratory staff on core tests for Priority Zoonotic Diseases (PZDs) and AMR
• Lead development of a harmonized data base management system in the laboratories to facilitate information sharing and storage using the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)
• Support development of a Laboratory Quality Management system (QMS) for the CVL in compliance with ISO/IEC 17025\:2017 requirements
• Support country participation to Proficiency Tests
• Support the establishment and strengthening of a functional laboratory network in South Sudan
• Participate in weekly epi-lab weekly coordination call, provide regular updates of TADs epidemiology situation with immediate notification of any significant diagnostic test results
• Support networking/linkages with regional and international laboratories for international sample shipment, confirmatory diagnosis
• Participate in country expert missions on field outbreak investigations
• Contribute to enhanced collaboration with Public Health laboratories under the One Health approach
• Support the animal health sector in advocating for and supporting initiatives to streamline the existing laboratory network and improve laboratory workflow as well as stronger collaboration with the public health laboratories
• Assist the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) FAO GHSP team in collecting laboratory data
• Contribute to the preparation of project reports as required by the Government, FAO and donors
• Submit a final technical report upon completion of the assignment
• Perform other related duties as required
CANDIDATES WILL BE ASSESSED AGAINST THE FOLLOWING
Minimum Requirements
• University degree in laboratory sciences, biotechnology, biochemistry, microbiology, parasitology, or related laboratory science degree program
• 3 years of relevant experience in laboratory analysis, quality control, biosafety and biosecurity management in a laboratory setting
• Working knowledge of English (level C). Working knowledge (level C) of Arabic is an advantage
• National of South Sudan
FAO Core Competencies
• Results Focus
• Teamwork
• Communication
• Building Effective Relationships
• Knowledge Sharing and Continuous Improvement
Technical/Functional Skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical, written and verbal skills
• Ability to work independently under minimal supervision and under high pressure and tight deadlines
• Flexibility and teamwork spirit
• Ability to interact and engage with different stakeholders of multiple socio-economic backgrounds
• Ability to work independently
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- FAO does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing)
- Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted
- Please note that FAO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http\://www.whed.net/
- For additional employment opportunities visit the FAO employment website\: http\://www.fao.org/employment/home/en/
- Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, and security clearances.
FAO seeks gender, geographical and linguistic diversity in its staff and international consultants in order to best serve FAO Members in all regions.
HOW TO APPLY
• To apply, visit the recruitment website at Jobs at FAO and complete your online profile. We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, and language skills
• Candidates are requested to attach a letter of motivation to the online profile
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application
• Candidates may be requested to provide performance assessments and authorization to conduct verification checks of past and present work, character, education, military and police records to ascertain any and all information which may be pertinent to the employment qualifications
• Incomplete applications will not be considered
• Personal information provided on your application may be shared within FAO and with other companies acting on FAO’s behalf to provide employment support services such as pre-screening of applications, assessment tests, background checks and other related services. You will be asked to provide your consent before submitting your application. You may withdraw consent at any time, by withdrawing your application, in such case FAO will no longer be able to consider your application
• Only applications received through the FAO recruitment portal will be considered
• Your application will be screened based on the information provided in your online profile
• We encourage applicants to submit the application well before the deadline date.
If you need help or have queries, please create a one-time registration with FAO’s client support team for further assistance\: https\://fao.service-now.com/csp
FAO IS A NON-SMOKING ENVIRONMENT
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.