MCAT-Technical Officer, Diagnostics Laboratory Services (DLS) at World Health Organization

Description Of Duties

In collaboration with other WHO technical clusters and partners, in an integrated manner within the context of Universal Health Coverage, primary health care, ensuring people-centered approaches across the life course, the incumbent will be expected for each of the MCAT countries under its jurisdiction to perform the following duties in a collaborative way with the ministries of health and their institutions, partners, including WHO Collaborating Centers; academic, teaching and research institutions; regional and sub regional economic entities; global health, multilateral and bilateral partners, and NGOs to ensure that appropriate and efficient support is provided to national systems:

• Facilitate and manage the WHO Country offices work in the development, implementation and oversight of relevant strategies, programmes of work, and annual workplans for diagnostic and laboratory services.
• Conduct the design, drive, and oversee the integration of diagnostics and laboratory services in health systems and across disease programmes and interventions.
• Provide strategic leadership in developing and implementing national policy, strategic plan, and guidelines for diagnostics and laboratory services.
• Provide guidance for resource mobilization and conduct advocacy and policy dialogue and establish/strengthen partnerships, for the harmonization and alignment of actors and resources in the formulation and implementation of national action plans for improving diagnostics and laboratory, as an integral part of strengthened and resilient national health systems.
• Support the strengthening and implementation of regulations, norms, and standards in diagnostics and laboratories, particularly for package of tests and services; human resources qualifications, registration; infrastructures; equipment; and diagnostics lists.
• Support the implementation of quality management systems, biosafety and biosecurity, radiation protection, and health technology management including maintenance.
• Support the building of diagnostics and laboratory services national networks for patients and samples referral, national quality assessment programmes, training of staff and research.
• Facilitate the sourcing and provision of expert technical assistance to country diagnostics and laboratory programmes, including promoting the use of technical resource networks and leveraging in-country institutional capacities to enhance sustainability.
• Facilitate and disseminate best practices and lessons learned on all aspects of diagnostics and laboratory.
• Identify research needs and priorities aimed at improving universal access to diagnostics and laboratory services at country level, including promotion and strengthening of research capabilities, and support the addition of new knowledge and technologies into country health systems.
• Provide technical inputs into regional planning; monitoring and evaluation; assessments, surveys and reports; in collaboration with ARD/DLS and concerned units.
• Contribute to resource mobilization, including but not limited to drafting proposals and proactively participating in resource mobilization campaigns, in collaboration with other technical units and programmes, partnerships team and country offices.
• Provide expertise and technical advice to the WRs in the areas of diagnostics and laboratory services.
• Perform other related responsibilities as assigned, including replacing and backstopping for others as required.

Required Qualifications

Education

Essential

• Degree in medicine or equivalent medical / health degree
• Specialization or post-graduate qualification in a Laboratory Sciences or Radiological and Imaging diagnostic sciences.

Desirable: Training in Management of health programmes.

Essential

Experience

• A minimum of seven (7) years’ experience in the field of managing laboratories or radiological services; managerial and leadership skills and demonstrable ability to coordinate cross cutting activities and provide advice and leadership; demonstrated experience in working and collaborating at national and international level; communication and technical writing skills.
• Experience in policy, strategy and planning formulation, guidelines development and facilitating consultations, and technical support to countries.

Desirable

• Experience in capacity building, developing, and promoting collaborative partnerships.
• Relevant work experience in International Organizations, UN agencies, non-governmental or humanitarian organizations.
• Field experience in developing countries.

Functional Skills And Knowledge

• Demonstrated ability to develop, innovate, coordinate and monitor the adoption and implementation of norms, standards and plans related to diagnostics and laboratory services.
• Proven track record in the development and implementation of effective reporting mechanisms and systems for monitoring, evaluation and assessment of progress at the regional and country levels.