Doctors without Borders (MSF) Southern Africa
Doctors without Borders (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that
delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters, or to people that
are excluded from access to health care. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of
race, religion, gender or political affiliation. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of
neutrality and impartiality.
Job Title
Duration:
Start date:
Location:
Reports to:
Closing date:
Laboratory Advisor
One year renewable (full time)
1 December 2015
Cape Town office
Medical Unit Director and Lab Advisor Focal Point in Brussels
22 September 2015
Southern Africa Medical Unit (SAMU)
SAMU is a decentralized unit of the Medical Department of MSF Operational Centre Brussels (OCB) and is the
medical division of MSF South Africa. It provides technical and implementation support to the various MSF
HIV/TB Integrated missions via training, operational research and epidemiology, and medical technical
support, focusing on innovative ideas and technologies that are feasible to implement in resource-limited
settings.
Place in the organisation
The position of Laboratory Advisor will be based in Cape Town within the SAMU team. The content of the
work (objectives and priorities) will be set and implemented together with the SAMU team with technical
support from the Lab Advisor Focal Point in MSF Headquarters (Brussels). As such, the lab specialist will work
in close collaboration with and functional accountable to the Lab Advisor Focal Point in MSF Headquarters.
There will be close collaboration with the MSF Laboratory Working Group (LWG), the international Access
Campaign and MSF Supply, among others. Overall supervision and hierarchical accountability will be to the
HIV/TB coordinator in SAMU.
Objectives of the position
Under the overall guidance of the Lab Advisor Focal Point in Brussels, the SAMU Lab Advisor is responsible for
oversight of all technical laboratory aspects across MSF projects. Specifically he/she will lead, supervise and
coordinate routine activities, and provide strategic direction and technical support for the development and
provision of laboratory services, with a focus on ensuring high-quality standards.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
The Lab Advisor is responsible to provide technical support and advice to the field projects by:

Undertaking regular programme support visits

Maintaining regular contact with projects and national laboratory supervisors

Follow up on field visit recommendations

Perform assessment of field laboratories on request of missions

Assessing the feasibility of (new) diagnostic tools suitable for field implementation

Providing coaching to expatriate and national laboratory staff

Supervising the laboratory specialist based in SAMU

Supporting MSF training activities in the laboratory field

Facilitate and validate local procurement of laboratory reagents, consumables and equipment
according to specifications defined by MSF Headquarters.

Support requests for ad hoc maintenance and repair of equipment

Participating in recruitment of laboratory staff
1
The Lab Advisor is responsible to provide operational research support by:

Liaising with SAMU Medical Epidemiologist and field epidemiologists

Developing concept notes and protocols

Providing technical input to protocols, SOPs, and databases

Preparing abstracts and posters for conferences and congresses

Monitor progress of field laboratory studies

Preparing manuscripts suitable for publication

Doing oral presentations at conferences and congresses
The Lab Advisor is responsible to coordinate and keep up-to-date the laboratory dossier on “new tests and
diagnostic approaches”, including:

HIV diagnosis: includes oral HIV tests, self-testing & (non-oral) rapid HIV tests (e.g. false-positives), testing
algorithms for low and high prevalence settings, quality control solutions for non-laboratory settings, etc.

CD4 testing: includes POC and laboratory based technologies, validation of new tests, connectivity,
quality control, etc.

Viral load testing: includes POC and laboratory based technologies, dried blood spots, sample pooling,
LIS, mHealth for result delivery, etc.

HIV drug resistance: includes lab-based molecular technologies, DBS, use of external laboratories,
validation of potential new tests, etc.

Early infant diagnosis: includes rapid HIV tests, point-of-care and laboratory based molecular
technologies, validation of new tests, connectivity, testing algorithms, etc.

Diagnosis of opportunistic infections (OIs): includes POC and lab-based tests for CrAg, detection of PCP
in sputum, identification of coccidia in stool, HPV and cervical cancer,

TB diagnostics: includes smear microscopy, CRP, TB-LAM, GenXpert, culture, drug susceptibility testing for
PTB and EPTB diagnosis.

Hepatitis diagnostics: includes serology rapid tests, POC, lab-based molecular technologies for HCV,
HepB, HPV, validation of new tests, etc.
The Lab Advisor is responsible to facilitate and advice on quality assurance activities by:

Facilitate enrolment of MSF-supported laboratories in regional proficiency testing programmes, for
example, via the NICD/NHLS (National Institute of Communicable Disease/National health Institute) in
South Africa and others

Liaise with MSF field projects to establish quality assurance systems

Develop relationships with reference laboratories for External Quality Control

Establishing procedures for achieving and maintaining high standards of quality,

Enforcement of current regulations and policies

Organizes and promotes quality improvement efforts

Develops and implements corrective action plans

Liaise with the lab working groups on the preparation of intersectional guidelines and reports
Required skills and experience
Education


University degree specialising in Medical Laboratory Sciences
Postgradute degree is an asset
Experience



5 years of clinical laboratory experience
2 years of working with analytical laboratory methods inclusive of training and implementation of quality
assurance plans and procedures
2 years MSF field experience in laboratory programmes
Preferred Experience



Supervisory/ lab management experience
Knowledge of HIV and TB diagnosis (including MDR-TB)
Ability to write rapid and succinct reports and laboratory procedures
2

In possession of South African work permit
Knowledge and Skills




Good communication skills
Knowledge of MSF guidelines and policies
Willingness and ability to travel 50% of the time
Demonstrable commitment to humanitarian issues
Languages


Fluent in English
Fluent in French and Portuguese/Spanish an asset
Personal attributes








Self-motivated, uses initiative
Accurate and meticulous
Tolerant and patient
Systematic and organized
Sensitive to diversity and cultural issues
Attention to detail
Ability to work in a team and independently
Willingness to work beyond official working times.
TO APPLY
Please follow this link to submit your application. https://msfsa.bamboohr.co.uk/jobs/view.php?id=5
Deadline: submissions close at 16:00 on 22 September 2015
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
3