Job Description
Duty Station: Addis Ababa
Reports To: Executive Director, Health Security Lead
Reporting to this position: Lab Services Advisor, IPC Advisor, Lab Services Coordinator
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Code of Conduct
It is our shared responsibility and obligation to treat each other with respect, take affirmative steps to prevent matters involving Sexual Exploitation & Abuse and Trafficking in Persons, and to disclose all potential and actual violations of our Code of Conduct, which may include Conflicts of Interest, Fraud, Corruption, Discrimination or Harassment. Together, we can reinforce a culture of respect, integrity, accountability, and transparency.
Background
Project HOPE is an international NGO of more than 500 engaged employees and hundreds of volunteers who work in more than 25 countries, responding to the world’s most pressing global health challenges.
Activity Overview
Sustaining Lifesaving HIV/AIDS and Health Security Activities Through Integrated Country-Led Intervention: Ethiopia Transition Award is U.S. Department of State (DoS)-funded Transition Activity in Ethiopia that focuses on triple elimination of HIV/Syphilis/Hepatitis B and integration with health security activities. This project focuses on driving local ownership to sustain HIV epidemic control, accelerating the Federal Ministry of Health's (MOH) Triple Elimination framework (preventing vertical transmission of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B), and integrating these services into Ethiopia's overarching health security and pandemic preparedness infrastructure.
Position Summary
The Director of Laboratory Services will provide strategic, technical, and operational leadership for Project HOPE Ethiopia’s laboratory portfolio across the Triple Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (EMTCT) of HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B virus, Global Health Security (GHS), AMR, and public health laboratory programs.
This role is responsible for scaling up diagnostic networks, implementing quality assurance systems, and ensuring the timely delivery of high-quality screening, confirmatory, and monitoring tests (such as viral load and early infant diagnosis) across all supported health facilities.
The Director will ensure a coherent, integrated approach to laboratory system strengthening aligned with national priorities, Project HOPE strategy, and international standards. Key areas include laboratory quality management, diagnostic capacity, laboratory-based surveillance, AMR, outbreak preparedness and response, specimen referral, biosafety and biosecurity, and continuous quality improvement.
The position will serve as Project HOPE Ethiopia’s senior laboratory technical leader and work closely with the Ministry of Health, EPHI, RPHIs, RHBs, reference laboratories, Africa CDC, WHO, partners, and other stakeholders to promote sustainable, government-led laboratory systems.
Preferred Candidate Profile
A senior laboratory professional with demonstrated leadership of complex, multi-program public health laboratory portfolios. The candidate should be able to connect HIV, GHS, AMR, and broader laboratory priorities; provide credible technical leadership to Project HOPE teams and government counterparts; and translate laboratory system performance into strategic program decisions.
Job Requirements
Education
Master’s degree or higher in Medical Laboratory Science, Laboratory Medicine, Microbiology, Biomedical Sciences, Public Health, Epidemiology, or a related field.
Doctoral degree, or relevant advanced professional qualification is an advantage.
Experience
Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible professional experience in a field relevant to the position.
At least 7 years of experience in a managerial or senior leadership role, including program management and staff supervision.
Demonstrated expertise in laboratory services, public health laboratory systems, laboratory quality management, or a related field.
Experience across multiple laboratory portfolios, preferably including HIV and GHS/public health.
Strong experience in LQMS, quality improvement, accreditation, and laboratory standards.
Demonstrated experience in laboratory-based surveillance and outbreak/emergency response.
Experience in AMR and/or One Health laboratory systems is highly desirable.
Experience working with national and subnational government laboratory institutions in Ethiopia or similar settings.
Experience managing multidisciplinary technical teams and working with donors and development partners.
Duration: One year, with the potential for continuation subject to project requirements, availability of funding, performance, and applicable organizational policies.
Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic and Technical Leadership
Provide overall technical leadership for laboratory services across HIV, GHS, AMR, and public health programs.
Develop and maintain an integrated country-level laboratory strategy and technical approach.
Ensure alignment with national laboratory policies, strategies, standards, and priorities.
Provide technical input to program design, workplans, budgets, reporting, and new business development.
Identify emerging laboratory priorities, innovations, partnerships, and resource mobilization opportunities.
Public Health Laboratory Systems
Lead technical support for strengthening national and subnational laboratory systems.
Support laboratory networks, referral systems, workforce capacity, infrastructure, equipment, commodities, and service delivery.
Strengthen linkages among clinical, public health, veterinary, reference laboratory, surveillance, and emergency response systems.
Promote government ownership, institutional capacity, and sustainability.
Laboratory Quality and Accreditation
Provide leadership for Laboratory Quality Management Systems (LQMS) and quality improvement.
Support SLIPTA/SLMTA, accreditation readiness, quality control, external quality assessment, proficiency testing, equipment management, calibration, and documentation.
Promote continuous quality improvement and use of laboratory performance data.
HIV Laboratory Services
Technically support the MoH in the designing and execution of a comprehensive national/regional laboratory strategy tailored to the triple elimination testing frameworks.
Provide strategic oversight of laboratory components of HIV programs.
Support HIV testing, viral load, early infant diagnosis, specimen management, quality assurance, and related laboratory systems.
Promote integration of HIV laboratory services with broader public health laboratory systems.
GHS, AMR, and Outbreak Response
Provide senior laboratory leadership for GHS preparedness and response.
Strengthen laboratory capacity for detection, confirmation, characterization, and reporting of priority diseases and threats.
Lead technical support for AMR laboratory surveillance and sentinel laboratory networks.
Strengthen laboratory linkages with PHEM, surveillance, epidemiology, One Health, and emergency response.
Guide specimen collection, referral, transportation, testing, and reporting systems.
Provide laboratory technical support during outbreaks and public health emergencies.
Biosafety and Biosecurity
Provide strategic oversight of laboratory biosafety and biosecurity.
Promote risk assessment, safe laboratory practices, waste management, occupational safety, and preparedness for high-consequence pathogens.
Team and Regional Leadership
Lead, supervise, mentor, and manage the performance of the central laboratory team.
Establish clear priorities, deliverables, and performance expectations.
Provide strategic direction to Regional Laboratory Services Advisors.
Ensure consistent technical approaches across central and regional teams.
Review regional laboratory performance and provide corrective and strategic guidance.
Partnerships and Coordination
Represent Project HOPE in national and international laboratory technical forums.
Maintain strong relationships with MoH, EPHI, RPHIs, RHBs, reference laboratories, Africa CDC, WHO, professional bodies, academic institutions, donors, and partners.
Promote coordination and complementarity among laboratory system-strengthening initiatives.
Monitoring, Learning, and Reporting
Establish and monitor key laboratory performance indicators.
Ensure laboratory data are analyzed and used for program improvement.
Provide technical input to reports, learning products, success stories, and evidence generation.
Document lessons learned, innovations, and best practices.
Business Development
Provide technical leadership for laboratory-related proposals and concept notes.
Develop technical narratives, scopes of work, budgets, and implementation approaches.
Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships, resource mobilization, and expansion of Project HOPE’s laboratory portfolio.
Key Deliverables
Integrated Project HOPE Ethiopia laboratory strategy and technical approach covering HIV, GHS, AMR, and public health laboratory services.
Strong coordination and technical oversight of central and regional laboratory teams.
Improved alignment with national laboratory and health security priorities.
Strengthened LQMS, diagnostic capacity, laboratory-based surveillance, and AMR systems.
Improved outbreak and emergency laboratory preparedness and response.
Strengthened specimen referral, transportation, testing, reporting, and laboratory information linkages.
Strengthened biosafety and biosecurity.
High-quality technical inputs to program implementation, reporting, learning, and business development.
Sustainable, government-led laboratory system-strengthening approaches.
Perform all other duties assigned by immediate supervisor or the Senior Management team member
Working Relationships
The Director will work closely with:
Project HOPE Ethiopia senior and program leadership
HIV and GHS/PHEM technical teams
Central and Regional Laboratory Services teams
MEL, Finance, Grants, Procurement, and Operations teams
Ministry of Health, EPHI, RPHIs, and RHBs
National and regional reference laboratories
Africa CDC, WHO, donors, and development partners
Skills & Competencies
Strategic laboratory leadership
Public health laboratory systems expertise
Laboratory quality management and accreditation
HIV laboratory services
Laboratory preparedness and outbreak response
AMR and laboratory-based surveillance
Biosafety and biosecurity
Stakeholder engagement and coordination
Team leadership and mentorship
Strong analytical, communication, writing, and presentation skills
Ability to translate technical evidence into strategic program decisions
Commitment to government ownership, sustainability, and health-system strengthening
How To Apply
Apply through the following link: https://ethiojobs.net/job/uVvTEhCaf5-director-laboratory-services
