Technical Officer-Laboratory

RE-ADVERTISED VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT NUMBER:  25A-2016

(Applicants who have already applied for Vac. No. 25-2016 must re-apply to be considered for this Position)

NOTE: Applicants must submit the following documents to be considered:  

• Universal Application for Employment (UAE) (Form DS-174), which is available on our website or by contacting Human Resources. (See “For Further Information” below); and
• Any additional documentation that supports or addresses the requirements listed below (e.g. transcripts, degrees, letters of employment etc.)

OPEN TO:                 All Interested Candidates

POSITION:                Technical Officer-Laboratory

OPENING DATE:     June 10, 2016

CLOSING DATE:     Until Filled (HR will review the applications weekly)

WORK HOURS:       Full-time (40 hours/week)

SALARY:                   Ordinarily Resident (OR): Position Grade – FSN-12, Starting Salary – 24,926.00 USD per year.

Not Ordinarily Resident: FP-03*

*Final grade/step for NORs will be determined by Washington.

NOTE:   For ordinarily resident employees, salary will be paid in local currency using the established exchange rate.

ALL ORDINARILY RESIDENT (OR) APPLICANTS (See Appendix A for definition) MUST HAVE THE REQUIRED WORK AND/OR RESIDENCY PERMITS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR CONSIDERATION.

The U.S. Mission in Addis Ababa is seeking eligible and qualified applicants for the position of Technical Officer-Laboratory in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office in Ethiopia.

BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION

Under the direct supervision of Branch Chief –Laboratory, the incumbent serves as primary project medical officer for Laboratory related programs of CDC/E and will lead the laboratory quality and management unit of the branch. Serve as a technical expert on enhancing laboratory systems in Ethiopia. Assists in enhancing the capacity of National and Regional Laboratories- strengthening the infrastructure, personnel, equipment and testing capacity and improving the level of communication and network within and between different levels of laboratories. Assists in enhancing capacity of national referral laboratory and regional laboratories, to support quality improvement including laboratory accreditation, equipment maintenance, and laboratory information system and monitoring and evaluation of laboratory programs. Develop Laboratory standards & guidelines and training materials for laboratory technicians and advise MOH to adopt the guidelines.  Provide technical support for planning and implementation of national and regional quality assurance and training programs. Develop and implement targeted evaluation, to identify barriers and concerns raised in providing and using Laboratory services, and develop strategies to inform the professionals about the benefits of standardized laboratory service.  Support improvements in the integrated service provision of     HIV/STI/TB services, Communicate and disseminate laboratory information regarding HIV/STI and TB.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

NOTE:  All applicants must address each selection criterion detailed below with specific and comprehensive information supporting each item.  Supporting documentations (e.g., letters of employment, certificates, awards, copies of degrees earned) that addresses the qualification requirements of the position as listed above should also be submitted.

1. Required Education: (M.D plus MSc) OR Ph.D. in Biomedical Research, Laboratory Science, and Biology is required.
2. Required Experience: Minimum of six years experience comparable in breadth and intensity to six years of formal residency training and/or six years experience in degree field is required.
3. Language Requirement: Level IV (fluency) in English and Amharic is required.  (English Language proficiency will be tested)
4. Skills and Abilities: Must be able to develop indicators to evaluate existing laboratory capabilities in order to make appropriate recommendations for improvement.  Must possess excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrate cooperative working relationships with MoH, NRL and regional laboratories, health bureaus, NGOs and other partners, colleagues and entire CDC/E staff.
5. Job Knowledge: Must possess thorough knowledge of modern laboratory functions related to HIV/AIDS.  Must be knowledgeable of laboratory methods related to communicable diseases.  Must be familiar with data management and statistical programs, such as Epi Info, SPSS, SAS, etc.  Must understand structure of host country’s health system.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: The complete position description listing all of the duties and responsibilities may be obtained by E-Mail: HROaddisababa@state.gov or by Phone: 251-11-130-60-00 Ext: 6383.

SELECTION PROCESS

When qualified, applicants who are U.S. Citizen Eligible Family Members (USEFMs) and/or preference-eligible U.S. Veterans are given a preference in hiring.  Therefore, it is essential that these applicants make themselves known as having a hiring preference and specifically address the required qualifications above in their application.

HIRING PREFERENCE ORDER:

(1)   USEFM who is ALSO a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran

(2)   USEFM OR a preference-eligible U.S. Veteran

(3)   FS on LWOP

ADDITIONAL SELECTION CRITERIA

1. Management may consider the following when determining successful candidacy: nepotism, conflicts of interest, budget, and residency status.

2. Current OR employees serving a probationary period are not eligible to apply. Current OR employees with an Overall Summary Rating of Needs Improvement or Unsatisfactory on their most recent Employee Performance Report (EPR) are not eligible to apply.

3. Current NOR employees hired on a Family Member Appointment (FMA) or a Personal Service Agreement (PSA) are not eligible to apply within the first 90 calendar days of their employment, unless they have a When Actually Employed (WAE) work schedule.

4. The candidate must be able to obtain and hold a security clearance.