Project Officer

The Laboratory Officer - AMR will provide technical leadership and implementation support for laboratory and AMR surveillance activities. The role will support sentinel laboratories to strengthen bacteriology and antimicrobial susceptibility testing quality assurance external quality assessment corrective action and GLASS data quality and reporting.

DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Laboratory Readiness and Quality Improvement

• Support rapid laboratory readiness assessments and capacity verification of the nine Fleming Fund-supported Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) sentinel laboratories to ensure preparedness for high-quality AMR surveillance and diagnostic services.
• Provide structured technical mentorship supportive supervision and on-site coaching to laboratory personnel on bacteriology antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) quality management systems internal quality control biosafety and biosecurity specimen collection and management laboratory information management and data quality practices.
• Support laboratories to enroll in maintain and effectively participate in External Quality Assessment (EQA) and proficiency testing programmes ensuring timely implementation and monitoring of corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) arising from supervision visits audits and proficiency testing results.
• Promote compliance with national laboratory policies standard operating procedures and internationally recognized quality standards including ISO 15189 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) guidance as applicable.
• Support implementation of continuous quality improvement initiatives that strengthen laboratory performance diagnostic accuracy and the reliability of AMR surveillance data.

2. AMR Surveillance and Data Use

• Support timely complete accurate and high-quality reporting of AMR surveillance data to national surveillance platforms and the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS) in accordance with national reporting requirements.
• Collaborate with laboratory personnel clinicians pharmacists and surveillance teams to analyse interpret and disseminate AMR surveillance findings antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and facility antibiograms to inform antimicrobial stewardship infection prevention and control and evidence-based clinical decision-making.
• Contribute to the analysis interpretation validation and synthesis of laboratory and surveillance data for national AMR surveillance reports the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) midline review policy briefs scientific publications and other project knowledge products.
• Support data quality assurance activities including routine data verification validation completeness checks and consistency assessments to strengthen the quality and reliability of surveillance information.

3. Monitoring Documentation and Coordination

• Document laboratory capacity gaps mentorship outcomes supervision findings corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) and follow-up recommendations while systematically tracking progress toward their implementation and closure.
• Work closely with the Ministry of Health (MoH) National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) sentinel surveillance sites implementing partners and other key stakeholders to ensure coordinated implementation of laboratory strengthening activities and timely accurate technical reporting.
• Prepare high-quality technical reports presentations assessment tools guidance documents and recommendations that support programme implementation donor reporting and evidence-based decision-making.
• Contribute to sustainability planning institutional capacity strengthening and transition strategies to ensure continued functionality and long-term resilience of laboratory systems and AMR surveillance activities beyond project implementation.

Qualifications :

1. Bachelors degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences Biomedical Laboratory Sciences Medical Microbiology or another closely related laboratory or biomedical science discipline from a recognized institution.
2. A Masters degree in Medical Microbiology Laboratory Management Public Health Epidemiology Laboratory Quality Management or a related field will be an added advantage.

1. Current registration and valid practicing license with the relevant professional regulatory body where applicable.
2. Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in clinical or public health laboratory services including hands-on experience in bacteriology culture and identification of bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST).
3. Demonstrated experience in implementing laboratory quality management systems (QMS) including internal quality control (IQC) external quality assessment (EQA) proficiency testing corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
4. Proven experience providing technical mentorship supportive supervision on-site coaching laboratory assessments and capacity strengthening for laboratory personnel.
5. Practical experience in laboratory biosafety and biosecurity specimen management laboratory information management and quality assurance practices.
6. Sound knowledge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance systems laboratory data management and national and global AMR reporting requirements including the WHO Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS).
7. Strong understanding and practical application of internationally recognized laboratory standards and guidelines including ISO 15189 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) and/or European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) methodologies.
8. Experience working with national laboratory networks public health laboratories health facilities and government institutions in laboratory systems strengthening or AMR surveillance programmes.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

1. Demonstrates the highest standards of integrity professionalism accountability and ethical conduct ensuring transparency and responsible stewardship of resources in all aspects of work.
2. Strong interpersonal collaboration and stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to establish and maintain productive working relationships with government institutions laboratory networks healthcare professionals development partners and other key stakeholders.
3. Highly results-oriented with proven ability to prioritize tasks manage competing demands and consistently deliver high-quality outputs within agreed timelines.
4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to prepare high-quality technical reports presentations briefing materials and communicate complex technical information effectively to diverse audiences.
5. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively within multidisciplinary multicultural and multisectoral teams while fostering teamwork knowledge sharing and continuous learning.
6. Strong analytical critical thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify implementation challenges and develop practical evidence-based solutions.
7. Adaptable proactive and self-motivated with the ability to work independently under minimal supervision in dynamic and fast-paced environments.
8. Demonstrated commitment to safeguarding gender equality diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) confidentiality and adherence to professional organizational and donor ethical standards.
9. Willingness and ability to undertake frequent travel to project implementation regions including remote and underserved areas to provide technical support supervision mentorship and stakeholder engagement.

Additional Information :

If you meet the above qualifications and wish to apply please submit a single document that includes both your application letter and CV. Be sure to state your current position provide a daytime telephone number and include the names and contact details of three referees. The interviews will be conducted at the Amref offices in Dar es Salaam. All applications must be received on July 30 2026

Amref Health Africa does not require applicants to pay any money at whatever stage of the recruitment and selection process and has not retained any agent in connection with recruitment. Although Amref may use different job boards from time to time to further spread its reach for applicants all open vacancies are published on our website under the Vacancies page and on our official social media pages. Kindly also note that official emails from Amref Health Africa will arrive from an @ address.

Amref Health Africa is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Amref Health Africa is is dedicated to diversity and is an equal-opportunity employer with a non-smoking environment policy.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time