The Senior Diagnostic Specialist will lead the diagnostics systems capacity building work for the USAID Infectious Diseases Detection and Surveillance (IDDS) project in Ethiopia. IDDS serves the Global Health Security Agenda, TB programs and other related initiatives. IDDS supports the Ethiopian government and relevant ministries in the strengthening of the Ethiopian human and animal health diagnostic systems for infectious diseases, TB and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The work will focus primarily on public health systems but may also include private health and other non-governmental diagnostic facilities (laboratories and point-of-care facilities). The position will be seconded to the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia but will include in-country travel to diagnostic facilities and for diagnostic capacity building activities and meetings. Technical responsibilities include working with the IDDS Ethiopia Team Lead, ICF (project prime), USAID and local and regional IDDS Diagnostic Specialists to implement agreed strategies to enhance diagnostic networks (both human and animal health and point-of-care facilities) in Ethiopia as well as broader surveillance activities.
The key role of the Senior Diagnostic Specialist is to provide timely technical assistance to the EPHI to further build their technical capacity to serve as the leader of the diagnostics network in Ethiopia. This will be a full-time secondment to the EPHI in the first year of IDDS and longer as needed.
The Senior Diagnostic Specialist provides technical assistance to the EPHI to enhance or develop comprehensive systems at the national level and later support the EPHI in adapting these to the regional and/or point-of-care level. Technical assistance will be provided in the following areas to:
- Establish or upgrade diagnostic testing systems and SOPs for the detection of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with reference to international expectations and requirements. This will include:
- Specimen acceptance and rejection criteria procedures
- Specimen preparation and transportation procedures
- Analytic procedures
- Quality control and quality assurance systems with feedback mechanisms
- Systems for recording and reporting of results (individually and collectively into national data management center at EPHI)
- Source documentation systems
- Archiving and repository systems for specimens and data
- Mechanisms for management review of diagnostic system performance
- Enhance equipment management systems including; providing technical assistance to finalize equipment related national documents such as the “Medical Device Management Policy” and advocate for the submission and approval; equipment (or diagnostic methods) selection and qualification procedures; equipment’ use procedures; routine preventive maintenance; troubleshooting procedures; servicing and repair systems; and backup systems for equipment failure.
- Enhance diagnostic commodities management systems including selection and quality testing of commodities, inventory management, procurement and forecasting systems.
- Enhance systems for checking the quality of diagnostic testing through use and timely review of internal quality control results, external quality assurance scheme results, proficiency testing program results and other sources of quality indicator data.
- Enhance EPHI quality oversight systems including review of quality indicator data (e.g. test turnaround time, QC/EQA data, testing downtime and cause(s) etc.), management review and internal audits.
- Enhance human resource systems through the development or revision of standardized job descriptions for diagnostic staff and associated orientation programs.
- Establish systems for the training, competency, performance measurement, continuing education and qualification of diagnostic testing staff and management.
- Enhance workforce resourcing and scheduling by monitoring workload of functional areas with reference to testing volumes over peak and slack periods and proposing operational or staffing adjustments.
- Enhances laboratory information systems (LIS) by identifying information needs (user requirements) and problems, recommending improvements and setting activities, responsibilities and timelines and assist with the testing of new or refined systems (operational qualification).
- As part of this support the development of LIS use manuals and training of users.
- Enhances dialogue and the interface with animal health sector for one health.
IDDS will implement a suite of activities to build diagnostic capacity in Ethiopia. In addition to the EPHI, IDDS will hire one full time Diagnostics Specialist (DS) to work at the national, and sub-national levels to support AMR diagnostics enhancements. Regions to be supported in the first year may include Addis Ababa, Amhara, SNNP and Oromia.
The EPHI will supervise the DS and provide technical oversight to ensure that national strategies and systems developed with the EPHI are translated into sub-national-level diagnostic systems and solutions. County-level activities for DS which the EPHI will oversee will include capacity building of diagnostic facilities and the network, quality improvement initiatives, strengthening of systems for supply chain and equipment management and strengthening capacity for detection of pathogens and AMR.
- At least five years of experience in diagnostics implementation (on-the-bench experience) and management in Ethiopia or similar developing country settings.
- Proven knowledge and experience in the diagnosis of infectious diseases (including TB) and anti-microbial resistance including specific hands-on clinical diagnostics experience.
- Competent in current developments in the diagnosis of infectious diseases including point-of-care and molecular methods.
- Experience with implementation of laboratory quality standards including against ISO 15189 and/or SLMTA/SLIPTA or in-country standards.
- A demonstrated ability to work with multiple partners on collaborative projects;
- Experience implementing diagnostic network capacity building.
- Fluency in written and spoken English. Fluency in spoken and written Amharic will be highly desirable.
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