Manager Calibration, Laboratories at Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS)

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the selected candidate will entail:

1. Advising management on policies, regulations, guidelines, procedures and strategies for accreditation;
2. Managing assessment teams and the overall assessment activities including scheduling assessments;
3. Ensuring provision of quality control for assessments to ensure that the service provided follows KENAS policies;
4. Ensuring establishment and maintaining a database of Assessors and technical expert;
5. Ensuring competency gaps identified in the fields are addressed;
6. Advising on the recruitment and appointing of Assessors and technical experts;
7. Coordinating the monitoring and evaluation of the performance of Assessors and technical experts and recommend for appropriate actions;
8. Ensuring assessment reports are developed, reviewed and submitted for accreditation decision making;
9. Ensuring that the technical committees are in place work plans are developed monitored and performance evaluated;
10. Ensuring that the criteria requirements for accreditation are developed and reviewed;
11. Advising Management on technical aspects of conformity assessment activities impacting the economy;
12. Ensuring proposals aimed at promoting accreditation of conformity assessment activities are developed;
13. Ensuring KENAS representation at relevant fora at National, Regional and International forums, working groups and technical committees as appropriate;
14. Initiating of accreditation related contracts;
15. Identifying and advising on development partners, governments and other stakeholders for developing partnerships and collaborations;
16. Liaising with the Scheme Development and Advocacy department to create awareness of the importance of accreditation within the country and region;
17. Ensuring implementation of the management system based on ISO/IEC 17011;
18. Acting as a focal point and manage client relationships throughout the accreditation cycle;
19. Ensuring that schedules and accreditation certificates are developed and transmitted promptly;
20. Analysing assessment information used for influencing decision making and policy development;
21. Contributing to the formulation of national, regional and international guidelines and standards that facilitate accreditation;
22. Managing activities of the Service under the Mutual recognition arrangement;
23. Ensuring that procedures for accreditation for conformity assessment bodies are prepared;
24. Monitoring the use of regional and international accreditation marks;
25. Ensuring the Establishment and maintenance of a register of the accreditation status of accredited conformity assessment bodies;
26. Consolidating comments from the divisions, and advise ballots on national, regional and international documents, standards and regulations;
27. Advising Management on technical aspects of accreditation activities impacting the economy;
28. Ensuring the operational development budgets for the department;
29. Ensuring that performance targets are achieved and appraised accordingly; and
30. Mentoring and coaching staff in the department.

Academic and Professional Qualifications

1. At least ten (10) years’ working experience in Conformity Assessment, five (5) of which must have been at a management position;
2. Bachelor’s degree in Science related fields;
3. Masters’ degree in Science, Management or other related fields;
4. Professional Qualification and membership in good standing where applicable;
5. Management Course lasting not less than four (4) weeks from a recognized institution;
6. Demonstrated results in work performance;
7. Trained in conformity assessment standards;
8. Proficiency in Computer application; and
9. Fulfil the requirement of Chapter Six (6) of the constitution.

Skills and Competencies

1. Communicating with impact;
2. Managing people;
3. Applying technical expertise;
4. Planning and organizing;
5. Managing performance, coaching and mentoring;
6. Budgeting and resource management;
7. Customer and stakeholder orientation;
8. Implementing policy and strategies;
9. Leading and managing projects;
10. Initiating and negotiating actions;
11. Strategic and innovative thinking;
12. Relating and networking; and
13. Technological savviness.