Junior Medical Laboratory Technician

Job Description

Child Health and Mortality Surveillance (CHAMPS) Ethiopia

The Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance network (CHAMPS, http://champshealth.org/)is a new global health surveillance network funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed at understanding the causes of child death in developing countries, particularly sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. The Emory Global Health Institute, which houses the U.S. office of the International Association of National Public Health Institutes (IANPHI), is the lead partner in the network and has worked with the London School of Hygiene to develop the collaboration with Haramaya University.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

The post-holder will work full-time at the CHAMPS site in Harar, Eastern Ethiopia. They will be responsible for sample reception, processing, storage and shipping of both microbiology and pathology samples, and for entering results into the database, and will follow set SOPs for quality management, sample processing and reporting. They will be expected to assist with collection of MITS and be willing to work out of hours, including overnight and at weekends.

Key Responsibilities

• Reception of samples in the laboratory, ensuring proper labelling and logging
• Tracking of samples in the laboratory
• Perform the required laboratory tests according to SOPs
• Ensure that equipment is functioning, performing the appropriate checks and logs and reporting of problems to the line manager
• Following the correct protocols / SOPs for handling, processing and storing of samples
• Checking supplies of reagents and disposables and ordering stocks in a timely fashion
• Accurate entering of results in a timely manner
• Participating in QMS processes as required by the line manager
• Ensuring personal safety within the laboratory
• Liaising with other laboratory staff / clinical staff as required
• Participation in audit / laboratory improvement processes
• Supporting clinical sample taking (Minimally Invasive Tissue Sampling)
• Other duties as required by the line manager / site supervisor or PI 
• To work flexibly, including evenings / weekends as required by the study

This job description reflects the present requirements of the post but may be altered at any time in the future as duties and responsibilities change and/or develop providing there is full consultation with the post-holder.The post-holder will carry out any other duties, tasks or responsibilities as reasonably requested by the line manager.

Responsible to:                    

• CHAMPS Microbiology and Pathology leads

Duration of contract           

• 1 year with possible extension

Job Requirement

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential requirements

• Bachelors of science in Medical Laboratory Sciences
• Experience of working in a hospital or research laboratory
• Experience in microbiology media preparation and quality management
• Experience of working in pathology laboratory and in performing histology staining
• Experience and knowledge of working in molecular laboratory
• Knowledge of laboratory data management system
• Good communication skills in English and Amharic
• Flexibility and willingness to work during out of hours and during some weekends
• Ability to use computer and standard Ms Office packages

Desirable requirements

• Experience in a research laboratory
• Experience in an accredited microbiology laboratory
• Excellent oral and written communications in English
• Experience of working with automated molecular microbiology equipment