STRIDES Laboratory and Diagnostics Advisor, Outbreak Preparedness and Response

FHI 360; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

FHI 360 is seeking a Laboratory and Diagnostics Advisor to provide technical leadership for STRIDES outbreak laboratory and diagnostic systems, guiding network strengthening, biosafety, quality systems, and workforce development. You will work with ministries of health, national institutes, and partners to align diagnostics with policy and international standards.

The role emphasizes project oversight, governance, and capacity building to ensure sustainable, government-owned diagnostic systems

Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant field.
• Experience leading laboratory systems projects and diagnostic networks.
• Strong knowledge of biosafety, quality systems, and workforce development.

Responsibilities

• Provides technical leadership for STRIDES outbreak laboratory and diagnostic systems portfolio.
• Oversees diagnostic networks, quality systems, and workforce development.
• Interprets laboratory readiness findings and recommends improvements across testing workflows and reporting systems.
• Maintains liaison with ministries of health, reference laboratories, and partners to ensure coordinated activities.

Skills

Laboratory systems

Technical leadership

Quality systems

MS Office

English proficiency

Education

Master's Degree or International Equivalent in Laboratory Science, Microbiology, Clinical Diagnostics, Public Health or related field

Tools

Laboratory information systems (LIS)

Job description

JobSummary

The Laboratory and Diagnostics Advisor provides technical guidance and support for United States Government (USG)-funded STRIDES'outbreakresponse and preparedness laboratory and diagnostic systems portfolio, leading efforts to expand,validate,and strengthendiagnostic capacity while reinforcing national laboratory systems for longterm preparedness. As a core member of the STRIDES technical team, the Advisor supportsoutbreakresponse countries, including for the currentEbolaoutbreak,and regional preparedness contexts by guiding diagnostic network strengthening, laboratory readiness, biosafety and biosecurity, quality systems, and workforce development.

The role ensures that diagnostic assays, platforms, algorithms, and procurement align with national policies, outbreak response plans, and international standards; oversees laboratory and diagnostics activities and subcontractor implemented activities; and works closely with ministries of health, national public health institutes, reference laboratories, and other technical team members to ensure a coordinated, technically coherent approach across the STRIDESoutbreakresponse and preparedness portfolio. Reporting to the STRIDES Senior Laboratory and Diagnostics Advisor, the Advisor ensures that emergency laboratory investments translate into sustainable, governmentowned diagnostic systems capable of supporting routine public health functions and future outbreak response.

Accountabilities

TechnicalRequirements:

• Provides technical leadership for STRIDES'outbreaklaboratory and diagnostic systems portfolio, guiding the design and implementation of diagnostic capacity, laboratory network strengthening, biosafety and biosecurity, quality systems, and workforce development.
• Works on moderate to complex laboratory systems challenges requiring evaluation of multiple technical, operational, and contextual factors-including diagnostic algorithm optimization, specimen referral systems, decentralized testing models, and national laboratory governance.
• Demonstrates strong judgment in selecting diagnostic methods, technologies, and evaluation criteria; advises on assay validation, platformselection, and alignment of procurement with nationally approved workflows.
• Networks and collaborates with key internal and external personnel, including ministries of health, national public health institutes, reference laboratories, STRIDES technical team members, implementing partners, and regional preparedness stakeholders.
• Interprets laboratory readiness findings, quality system gaps, biosafety risks, and diagnostic performance data; recommendsevidencebasedimprovements across specimen handling, testing workflows, reporting systems, and laboratory surge operations.
• Provides input to senior technical leadership on national laboratory policies, essential diagnostics lists, specimen referral strategies, laboratory governance mechanisms, and outbreak diagnostic guidelines.
• Performs otherduties asassigned to advance STRIDES'outbreakresponse and Global Health Securityobjectives.

ProjectDesignImplementation:

• With technical oversight, provides leadership in the design, development, planning, and implementation of laboratory and diagnostic components of STRIDES projects, ensuring alignment with national priorities, outbreak response needs, and international standards.
• Leads the creation of the laboratory and diagnostics technicalportionof project plans, incorporating diagnostic network strengthening, biosafety and biosecurity, quality management systems, workforce development, and reference laboratory capacity building.
• Oversees daytoday laboratory and diagnostic activities in assigned response and preparedness countries, including readiness assessments, deployment of diagnostic platforms, optimization of testing algorithms, and strengthening of specimen referral and transport systems.
• Tracks delivery of laboratoryrelated project outputs, ensuring activities are implemented on time, within budget, and consistent with STRIDES' technical approach and donor requirements.
• Monitors staff members' LOE to ensure adequate technical coverage across laboratory readiness, diagnostic operations, biosafety mentorship, quality systems strengthening, and reference laboratory support.
• Coordinates requests from country offices for laboratory technicalassistance, ensuring coherent andtimelysupport across response and preparedness contexts.
• Leads the design and implementation of globallevel innovative technical strategies for outbreak diagnostics, decentralized testing, laboratory governance, biosafety and biosecurity, and diagnostic network optimization.
• Maintains constructive dialogue and technical exchange with field counterparts, national laboratory authorities, reference laboratories, and implementing partners to ensure coordinated, highquality laboratory system strengthening.
• Develops tools, guidance, and job aids that support the design and implementation of laboratory and diagnostic components, including readiness assessment tools, diagnostic algorithm job aids, and quality systems strengthening instruments.
• Ensures laboratory and diagnostic implementation is consistent with international best practices, national policies, and STRIDES' technical standards; verifies that diagnostic workflows, biosafety measures, and quality systems meet client and funder contractual obligations across one or more major functional areas.
• May supervise junior technical staff, Laboratory/Diagnostics Officers, subcontractors, and consultants implementing laboratory activities; provides oversight to ensure coherent, highquality execution of diagnostic network strengthening, biosafety mentorship, and quality systems support.
• Functions in an advisor capacity with oversight of technical project administration, finance compliance, technical deliverables, and team management across laboratory and diagnostic components, includingsubcontractor implementedwork.
• Leads daily laboratory and diagnostic activities for assigned projects, including diagnostic platform deployment, specimen referral system strengthening, biosafety and biosecurity support, and quality management system improvements.
• Tracks delivery of laboratoryrelated project outputs, ensuringtimely, highquality completion of diagnostic readiness assessments, algorithm optimization, biosafety improvements, and quality system strengthening activities.

Partner/Sub-AwardManagement:

• Mayserve as adailyPOC (Point of Contact) with clients for some projects on technicalmatters.

Capacity Building, Training andSupervision:

• Developsandimplementstechnicaltrainingandcapacitybuildinginterventions.
• Identifiesstrategies to address training gaps.
• May supervise orprovidetechnical guidance to staffmembers.

Operations Management (Finance, HR,etc.):

• Managestheprocesses,services,planning,organizing,coordinating,andcontrollingofall technical resources for a project.

Project/ProgramReporting:

• Drafts sponsor financial and technicalreports.
• Collatesanduploadsoutputanddeliverablesdatatosponsordatasystems. Prepares and delivers presentations to sponsors on progress.
• Helps in the development and review of workplans.
• Creates technical content, owning the content, true experts at an advanced level (may be the most senior technical person).
• Serves as the primary author for technical deliverables (e.g., reports, presentations, manuscripts).
• Gathers and aggregates data to provide a summary / high level overview.

QualityAssurance:

• Ensurestechnicaldeliverablesareconsistentwithbestpracticesintheindustry / subject and meet client/funder contractual obligations.
• Identifiesareasforimprovedefficiencyoreffectivenesswithinprescribedparameters, and institutesenhancements to procedures.

Applied Knowledge &Skills

• Ensuresappropriateandtimelytechnical support for fieldprojects.
• Ensures the quality of implemented technical activities and systems at all levels. Conductsroutinecoordinationwithemployeesandconsultants,on-siteandinthefield.
• Strongknowledgeandskillsinaspecifictechnicalarea/functionandgeneralunderstanding of concepts and principles of related technical areas/functions.
• Solidknowledgeofstandardsforthetechnicalarea/field,operationalprocessesand procedures, work, and task flow.
• Hastheabilitytomanageprojects,setrealisticpriorities,andplanforthesuccessfulimplementation of activities.
• Proficient writing and verbal communicationskills.
• Relevantcomputersoftwareskills(including,ataminimum,thestandard applicationsinMSOffice).
• Ability to manage their own work to job and performancestandards.
• Must be able to read,writeand speak fluent English fluent in host countrylanguage.

Problem Solving &Impact

• Demonstratestheabilitytoassessneedswithinagreedupondutiesandconsiders course of action best to meet those needs.
• Effectively applies knowledge of technicalareato solve a range of problems. Demonstratestheabilitytodevelopsolutionstoproblemsthatcannotbesolvedusing existing methods or approaches.
• Faultydecisions/recommendations/failurestocompleteassignmentswillnormallyresultiseriousdelaystoassignedprojectsresultinginconsiderableexpenditureofadditionaltime, resources, and funds.
• Decisions and actions impact primarily workflow, project processes and timeframes. Problems encountered are valid, requiring review of practices and precedents to resolve. Problem solving involves evaluating and resolving discrepancies with data, analyses, processes within prescribed guidelines.
• Policiesorguidelinesexistformostproblems;othersmustbereferredtobyasupervisor ormore senior professional.

SupervisionGiven/Received

• May supervise junior staffmembers.
• Coordinates own workflow and sets individualpriorities.
• Works under general guidelines for completion and accuracy as determined by the supervisor.
• May manage a centralized functional area of activity. Serves as mentor to technical staff.

Education

• Master's Degree oranInternationalEquivalent inLaboratory Science, Microbiology, Clinical Diagnostics, PublicHealthor a related clinical/medical field.
• Project Management (PM) Certificationpreferred.