Laboratory & Diagnostics Officer

About the role

The Laboratory & Diagnostics Officer will provide technical leadership for the STRIDES project in Malawi, overseeing the design, implementation and monitoring of laboratory and diagnostic components. This role ensures high‑quality, reliable testing services and supports capacity‑building across national and regional health systems.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the strategic direction and technical guidance for laboratory and diagnostic activities within the project.
• Maintain and update project protocols, instruments, data sets, manuals and training materials.
• Collaborate with national, regional and local partners to deliver technical assistance and achieve project targets.
• Develop technical briefs, reports and policy guidelines for laboratory network strengthening.
• Guide implementation of specimen referral, quality assurance, LIMS, training and other diagnostic network activities.
• Support scale‑up and optimisation of new diagnostic tools.
• Mentor project staff and subcontractors to build sustainable capacity.
• Conduct laboratory capacity assessments and provide actionable recommendations.
• Contribute to research initiatives aimed at improving laboratory practices.

Required profile

• Advanced degree in laboratory science, public health, microbiology or a related field.
• Proven experience in strengthening laboratory systems and diagnostic services, preferably in low‑resource settings.
• Demonstrated ability to work with multi‑disciplinary teams and international partners.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills.

Required skills

• Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) implementation and management.
• Quality assurance and quality control for diagnostic testing.
• Specimen referral logistics and coordination.
• Design and optimisation of diagnostic networks.
• Biosafety and biosecurity protocols.
• Antimicrobial resistance testing methods.
• Zoonotic disease diagnostic techniques.
• Integration of surveillance data with laboratory results.