Vacancy Announcement

PIH currently has implementation programs in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Sierra Leone and Navajo Nation. Through our partnership with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we support a wide range of programs in dozens of other countries around the world.

Our Work In Sierra Leone:

Partners In Health (PIH) began supporting the government of Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola epidemic in October 2014. Recognizing the large need for continued investments in the health system after Ebola, PIH is committed to long-term health system strengthening in support of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), guided by the same principles as our emergency response and our work around the world: public sector accompaniment, integrated and comprehensive services, social justice, nimbleness and flexibility, partnership, community ownership, and evidence-based interventions. In the aftermath of the epidemic, PIH is committed to supporting the delivery of comprehensive health services in Sierra Leone, from the community level to the health center and to referral hospitals.

• Support the KGH Microbiology Lab team to be operational based on the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) or European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) to process cultures and antibiogram for patients’ samples.
• Support the activities and be the link between PIHSL and KGH Microbiology Laboratory team.
• Ensure competency of all Lab personnel and adherence to PIH/MOHS Quality Management System.

Diagnostics:

• Ensure to provide timely, reliable, and reproducible identification of microorganisms and antimicrobial susceptibility results.

Training and mentorship:

• Train PIH/Ministry of Health (MoH) laboratory technicians on microbiology techniques, SOP and quality assurance protocols (QA) for essential laboratory services in accordance with PIH/MOHS and international standards.
• Ensure good collaboration between PIH and the MoH laboratory team.
• Perform competency testing of laboratory technicians in the performance of key microbiological processes and tests.

Quality control:

• Ensure the implementation of an Internal and external quality control and safety system in the Microbiology Laboratory in collaboration with Lab Manager and the Lab Quality Manager.
• Adapt the existing WHO Standard Operation Procedures for microbiology and other tools in accordance with MoH guidelines.

Reporting:

• Ensuring proper registration and records of all microbiology lab-related activities, including, but not limited to eHealth records, laboratory documentation and reporting of AMS and AMR activities.
• Implementing the correct use of the surveillance program WHONET to have proper records of laboratory results.
• Provide monthly reports based on extracted data from surveillance program WHONET.
• Collaborate with the M&E team in the development of data tools collection, reporting and development of quality projects based on results.

Logistics and supply chain:

• Oversee consumption of supplies and requests.
• Plan and supervise, in close coordination with the Lab Manager and supply chain team the local and international orders for consumables and equipment needed for the microbiology laboratory. Monitor laboratory stock ensuring that stock cards are updated to calculate proper Average Monthly Consumptions of commodities to avoid stock ruptures.
• Responsible for ordering and supply chain management of reagents and materials for micro lab and point of care testing in collaboration with procurement and Pharmacy Manager, in line with the approved laboratory budget.
• Work closely with PIHSL and Lab cross-site team and procurement teams to ensure timely order processing and adherence with the national guidelines.

Maintenance of equipment:

• Oversee maintenance and troubleshooting of lab equipment. Ensure all equipment in the Lab is functional and report faults timely to the PIH Biomed and other reporting lines.

Antimicrobial resistance stewardship:

• Compile, analyze and report microbiology lab activities and results to the medical staff providing relevant information for AMR surveillance.
• Actively participate and help to coordinate with the Clinical leadership the antimicrobial stewardship committee.

• University degree, with advanced training in Clinical Microbiology (Biologist with specialization in clinical microbiology, Clinical microbiologist (MD) or Laboratory scientist with training and experience in clinical microbiology)

Experience:

• Previous working experience with local or international NGOs will be considered as a strong advantage
• 5 years of relevant professional experience in bacteriology or microbiology services preferably in a second or tertiary level hospital
• Strong competencies in performing antibiogram analysis and identification of resistance mechanism (AMR).
• Experience in both manual and automated methods of bacterial identification.

Skills & Qualities

• Strong initiative and self-motivated, with a strong commitment to teamwork and humanitarian principles. High professional ethics
• Flexible, enthusiastic and willing to learn from others
• Ability to multitask and cope with competing demands under tight deadlines
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary environment. Experience in team management, training and mentorship.
• Strong organizational and time management skills and flexibility to learn and take on new tasks
• Strong ability to meet deadlines, maintain composure, prioritize work under pressure, coordinate multiple tasks and maintain attention to detail.
• Ability to collaborate professionally with culturally diverse colleagues and constituencies.
• Strong verbal and written English skills
• Computer literate, including Microsoft Word and Excel.