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Home / Microbiologist

Microbiologist

Vivian Lee/MSF

At the moment, MSF is not accepting applications for microbiologists. Please keep checking back on our website to see when we are recruiting for this position again.

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.

MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such MSF is by choice an association.
Each individual working with MSF does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.

The MSF movement is built around five operational directorates supported by MSF’s 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices together worldwide. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by field teams and the mission coordination teams; together with the organizational units based in Barcelona, Athens and decentralised in Nairobi, Dakar and Amman. The field operations are guided and supported by 5 Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations.

OCBA is leading one TIC (Transformational Investment Capacity) project entitled “Mobile Laboratory for Outbreaks Control” looking towards to create Laboratory Capacity (equipment and team) rapidly deployable to the field when an alert appears, to investigate and confirm epidemic outbreaks to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the MSF operational response.

Requirements

General explanation of the main responsibilities:

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major public health threats worldwide.  In order to ensure the best treatment for infected patients that MSF receives in  our facility but also in order to rationalize the use of antibiotics to decrease the selection pressure, MSF tries to implement microbiology laboratory for vulnerable population most affected by  bacterial infections: war wounded patients, malnourished children, HIV patients…

The access to a microbiology laboratory is a part of the multidisciplinary approach that is currently implemented including the implementation of antibiotic stewardship program but also the reinforcement of infection prevention control (IPC).

In order to access to microbiology diagnostic tests, different strategies are possible:

  • Implementation from scratch of 100% MSF microbiology laboratory
  • Identification in countries local laboratories that needs support in term of supply or training or quality insurance and provides the support

Activities:

Implementation of a Microbiology laboratory

Collaborate with the logistics to adapt the premises to the needs of the laboratory

  • Collaborate with the pharmacy to set up a supply system
  • Installation of all equipment with Biomed
  • Recruitment of laboratory technicians
  • Training of laboratory technicians
  • Set up all the tests and a fluid organization in the laboratory
  • Put in place all the quality controls
  • Set up communication circuits for test requests and results
  • Participate in training nurses for sample collection
  • Set up a documentation system
  • Participate in data collection

Support for Strengthening quality in a local laboratory

  • Collaborate with local laboratory staff
  • Identify the training needs of non-MSF staff
  • Identify the need for additional staff
  • Implementation of targeted training
  • Support the implementation of valid quality controls and standard procedures by MSF and the local structure
Qualifications

Education:

  • Certified as laboratory technician (equivalent of French's BTS) in clinical microbiology
  • Master or PhD in Clinical microbiology
  • Clinical pharmacist with Microbiology specialization
  • Clinical microbiologist (MD)

Experience:

  • 2 years of relevant professional experience in bacteriology services preferably in a hospital (including hospital experience before diploma)
  • Strong competencies in antibiograms analysis and identification of resistance mechanisms
  • Experience in laboratory activity organization
  • Experience in team management
  • Experience in training

Languages:

  • English proficiency (B1 level)

Availability:

  • 3 months to 12 months

Skills:

  • Ready to work within a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary team

MSF is an equal opportunity employer and does not charge any application, recruitment, medical examination or training fees. 

MSF is committed to giving staff working in their home countries opportunities to take their valuable experience to work in our projects overseas.

If you are an MSF member of staff working in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia or Sudan who is interested in working outside of your home country, please approach your HR coordinator for details. They will be able to advise on the process, the criteria and where to apply – via our website or directly with the headquarter office you are currently working for.