Senior Laboratory Advisor/Project Lead

Background information 

MSH is recruiting a Senior Laboratory Advisor/Project Lead in Kenya. The objective of the activity is to improve patient outcomes by strengthening integrated point-of-care (POC) diagnostics. MSH will promote more accessible diagnostic networks through improved integration of diagnostic products and strengthened demand for and use of multiplex platforms in Kenya. While focused on Kenya for an initial one-year period, the program may be expanded to include activities in other Eastern and Southern Africa countries. 

Role 

The Senior Laboratory Advisor/Project Lead will be responsible for strategic engagement with key stakeholders in Kenya, such as ministry of health units, national public health institutes, private sector diagnostics manufacturers, national reference laboratories, TB/HIV Technical Working Groups, County Health Management Teams, and National TB and Lung Disease Programs, leveraging MSH and personal networks. They will (1) contribute to updating national POC Testing (POCT) policy framework and guidelines and (2) deliver capacity strengthening activities to directly improve the skills of the laboratory and health facility workforce, national health program staff, as well as sub-national level management teams.  

This role is contingent upon award and funding. This role is estimated to be one-year in duration with potential for longer-term opportunities based on project funding.  ​

Overall Responsibilities 

As the activity lead in Kenya, the Senior Advisor/Project Lead will: 

• Regularly engage with the client to align priorities, report on progress made each month, and correct course or pivot if needed.  

• Be responsible for achievement of the project objectives and deliverables in accordance with the approved workplan and timelines.  

• Lead the implementation of the workplan, including key milestones and metrics to monitor progress made, and generate weekly, monthly, and quarterly updates and/or reports to the client. 

• Be responsible and accountable for mobilizing team members and consultants on a short-term basis, and along with MSH staff, guide, coach, and mentor them and adopt a hands-on approach to jointly implement activities and contribute to the set deliverables.  

• Represent the project and MSH externally to industry, government, and community stakeholders. 

• Safeguard MSH’s reputation by ensuring that financial, contractual, technical, and political integrity is maintained and strengthened.  

• Ensure appropriate and timely documentation and dissemination of key results and deliverables for maximum program impact and business development using a variety of communication strategies and media.  

• Ensure effective contract/agreement implementation in strict compliance with contract/ agreement clauses, MSH and donor policies and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).  

• Liaise with MSH local and global staff to ensure technical and administrative quality and efficiency in the implementation of the project.  

• Travel may be required within the country (25%). 

• Any other tasks assigned. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field. Master’s degree highly preferred. 

• Dynamic and resourceful leader, with minimum 8 years, 10 preferred, of progressively responsible related experience in laboratory system strengthening in Kenya, public health, infectious diseases, and/or health system strengthening. 

• Proven experience in program management and strategic technical oversight of donor-funded health system strengthening activities in Sub-Saharan Africa, including at least 4 years in leadership roles across health sector/pharmaceutical consultancies, health sector nonprofits, and/or product manufacturers companies. 

• Well versed in successfully engaging and managing relationships with and working collaboratively in matrixed organizational structures, with colleagues and counterparts from top government officials and counterparts (especially ministries of health), donors, implementing partners, and private sector (manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies) organizations, and other stakeholders at sub-national, national, regional, and global levels. 

• Proven experience strengthening pharmaceutical and regulatory systems to increase access to and use of medicines and health technologies in Kenya and Africa. 

• Able to effectively solve problems and proactively take decisions to drive continuous improvement of the project and enable capacity and skill development of staff and beneficiaries. 

• Experience in monitoring program results and deliverables, and/or the ability to co-design M&E plans and analyze M&E data.   

• Ability to identify best practices and innovations and build learning events around such results. 

• Fluent in verbal and written English.