Laboratory Officer at icipe - African Insect Science for Food and Health

Overall Purpose of the Job

The job holder will ensure ongoing compliance and appropriate use and maintenance of the Martin Lüscher Emerging Infectious Diseases (ML-EID) laboratory, ensuring that Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) are maintained. He/she will also maintain and update ML-EID lab records, including Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and equipment maintenance and sample storage records.

Specific Duties
Establish, implement, maintain, and lead a robust Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC)), Good Laboratory Practices / (GLPs), and safety programme for all laboratory work.

•  Ensure that available laboratory space is utilized appropriately with full adherence to Biosafety
• level 2 (BSL2) safety standards and regulations.
•  Ensure that all laboratory personnel and students admitted to the laboratory are trained and qualified for the work at hand.
•  Implement, maintain, and lead a robust QA / QC, GLP, and safety program for all laboratory work in the EID laboratory.
•  Monitor the conduct of all laboratory staff and students (adherence to set lab safety, security, QA / QC, and GLP procedures) and report to the Unit head and project PIs.
•  Ensure that all laboratory personnel and students (anyone performing any work in the labs) receive documented annual training on lab safety, biosecurity, and all lab SOPs.
•  Ensure that proper biosafety and biosecurity measures are adhered to by all research programmes without fail.
•  Periodically cross-train with established regional and international laboratories.
•  Delegate specific duties to laboratory personnel and students to ensure accomplishment of all lab duties/responsibilities with respect to QA / QC, GLP, and safety (e.g., equipment routine maintenance and cleaning, SOP writing and revision, etc.)

In consultation with PIs of ongoing projects, ensure proper storage and management of laboratory equipment, consumables, supplies and records.

•  Ensure that SOPs are developed for all research activities in all projects in the lab and adhered to, and that they are filed in appropriate labs, maintained/updated as necessary.
•  Ensure proper storage and management of laboratory consumables.
•  In consultation with the Data Management and Modelling Geo-information (DMMG)unit, put in place and manage a Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMs) for microbial agent and specimen biobank/storage for ongoing and concluded projects, ensuring full adherence to biosafety and biosecurity requirements.
•  Ensure that facilities and all pieces of laboratory equipment are in good working order and are closely and continuously monitored and serviced according to set equipment SOPs.
•  Update SOPs and QA / QC programs where necessary.
•  Facilitate the timely procurement of necessary laboratory supplies.
•  Appropriately prioritize the activities listed above.

Manage the laboratory in the event of a disease epidemic or other public health emergency in consultation with relevant national programmes, Regulatory agencies and ministries.

Comply with other necessary duties and responsibilities as instructed by the MBBU Unit Head and the Director General.

Requirements/Qualifications

•  BSc in Applied Biology/Medical Laboratory Technology.
•  At least 5 years of experience in laboratory research, management, and compliance.
•  Knowledge and experience with virological/microbiological procedures including serological, molecular, and cell culture techniques, with flexibility to adopt both standard and emerging technologies.
•  Knowledge and experience with laboratory quality standards, biosafety and biosecurity.
•  Good interpersonal and management skills.
•  Good attitude and communication skills.
•  Computer database skills.

Other Desirable Attributes

•  Responsible for the proper use of facilities and equipment, with strict adherence to BSL2 standards.
•  Train/Supervise laboratory use and compliance of staff and students. Must ensure adherence to all lab SOPs. according to laboratory rules and guidelines.
•  Expected to handle minimal resources such as imprest.
•  Represent icipe with outside visitors and support communications on institutional biosafety and biosecurity deliberations.

Reporting

• This position reports to the Head of Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics Unit (MBBU).