Biosafety Officers at National Biosafety Authority

JOB GRADE – C2

No of Positions: 2

Job Specification

This is the entry position for a Biosafety officer. A candidate in this level will work under guidance and supervision of a senior officer. The officer may be deployed to the departments of Biosafety Risk Assessment, Biosafety Education and Awareness, Compliance and Enforcement or Certification division.

The duties and responsibilities at this level entail assisting in:

• Receiving GMO applications;
• Screening applications for administrative and technical completeness;
• Carrying out risk assessment of GMO applications in a scientific, transparent and predictable manner;
• Coordinating training of Institutional Biosafety Committees and other stakeholders;
• Developing materials for Biosafety awareness creation and education;
• Developing tools for reviewing the impacts of awareness creation and education;
• Preparing technical papers, policy briefs, reports and publicity materials;
• Organizing forums for public participation and awareness creation
• Monitoring of approved GMO research projects;
• Post release monitoring of GMOs approved for release to the environment;
• Conducting GMO market surveillance activities;
• Inspection of GMO containment facilities prior to project commencement;
• Preparing technical papers and reports
• Facilitating trade through integration into the single window system
• Vetting of documents, physical inspection and sampling of consignments at the point of entry;
• Preparing of GMO-Free certificates for non-GMO export commodities.

Person Specification

• Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology/Biochemistry/Molecular Biology/ Environmental Science/Agricultural Sciences/Microbiology or related fields from a recognized Institution.
• Proficiency in Computer applications.
• Meets the provisions of Chapter Six of the Constitution of Kenya

Key competencies skills

• Good communication skills
• Analytical skills
• Report Writing Skills