STRIDES Laboratory and Diagnostics Advisor, Outbreak Preparedness and Response

Technical Advisor I 

Business Title: Laboratory and Diagnostics Advisor, Outbreak Preparedness and Response  

Job Code: TECH31014 

Job Family: Technical Compensation Band: Band L FLSA: Exempt 

Job Summary: 

The Laboratory and Diagnostics Advisor provides technical guidance and support for United States Government (USG)-funded STRIDES’ outbreak response and preparedness laboratory and diagnostic systems portfolio, leading efforts to expand, validate, and strengthen diagnostic capacity while reinforcing national laboratory systems for long‑term preparedness. As a core member of the STRIDES technical team, the Advisor supports outbreak response countries, including for the current Ebola outbreak, 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 STRIDES outbreak response and preparedness portfolio. Reporting to the STRIDES Senior Laboratory and Diagnostics Advisor, the Advisor ensures that emergency laboratory investments translate into sustainable, government‑owned diagnostic systems capable of supporting routine public health functions and future outbreak response. 

Accountabilities: 

Technical Requirements: 

• Provides technical leadership for STRIDES’ outbreak laboratory 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, platform selection, 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; recommends evidence‑based improvements 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 other duties as assigned to advance STRIDES’ outbreak response and Global Health Security objectives. 

Project Design Implementation: 

• 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 technical portion of project plans, incorporating diagnostic network strengthening, biosafety and biosecurity, quality management systems, workforce development, and reference laboratory capacity building. 

• Oversees day‑to‑day 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 laboratory‑related 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 technical assistance, ensuring coherent and timely support across response and preparedness contexts. 

• Leads the design and implementation of global‑level 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, high‑quality 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, high‑quality 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, including subcontractor implemented work. 

• 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 laboratory‑related project outputs, ensuring timely, high‑quality completion of diagnostic readiness assessments, algorithm optimization, biosafety improvements, and quality system strengthening activities. 

• Partner/Sub-Award Management: 

  May serve as a daily POC (Point of Contact) with clients for some projects on technical matters. 

   

  Capacity Building, Training and Supervision: 

  Develops and implements technical training and capacity building interventions.

  Identifies strategies to address training gaps. 

  May supervise or provide technical guidance to staff members. 

   

  Operations Management (Finance, HR, etc.): 

  Manages the processes, services, planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling of all technical resources for a project. 

   

  Project/Program Reporting: 

  Drafts sponsor financial and technical reports. 

  Collates and uploads output and deliverables data to sponsor data systems. Prepares and delivers presentations to sponsors on progress. 

  Helps in the development and review of work plans. 

  Creates technical content, owning the content, true experts at an advanced level (maybe 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. 

   

  Quality Assurance: 

  Ensures technical deliverables are consistent with best practices in the industry / subject and meet client / funder contractual obligations 

  Identifies areas for improved efficiency or effectiveness within prescribed parameters, and institutes enhancements to procedures. 

   

  Applied Knowledge & Skills: 

  Ensures appropriate and timely technical support for field projects. 

  Ensures the quality of implemented technical activities and systems at all levels. Conducts routine coordination with employees and consultants, on-site and in the field. 

  Strong knowledge and skills in a specific technical area/function and general understanding of concepts and principles of related technical areas/functions. 

  Solid knowledge of standards for the technical area/field, operational processes and procedures, work, and task flow. 

  Has the ability to manage projects, set realistic priorities, and plan for the successful implementation of activities. 

  Proficient writing and verbal communication skills. 

  Relevant computer software skills (including, at a minimum, the standard applications in MS Office). 

  Ability to manage their own work to job and performance standards. 

  Must be able to read, write and speak fluent English fluent in host country language. 

  Problem Solving & Impact: 

  Demonstrates the ability to assess needs within agreed upon duties and considers course of action best to meet those needs. 

  Effectively applies knowledge of technical area to solve a range of problems. Demonstrates the ability to develop solutions to problems that cannot be solved using existing methods or approaches. 

  Faulty decisions/recommendations/failures to complete assignments will normally result in serious delays to assigned projects resulting in considerable expenditure of additional time, resources, and funds. 

  Decisions and actions impact primarily workflow, project processes and timeframes. Problems encountered are varied, requiring review of practices and precedents to resolve. Problem solving involves evaluating and resolving discrepancies with data, analyses, processes, etc. within prescribed guidelines. 

  Policies or guidelines exist for most problems; others must be referred to by a supervisor or more senior professional. 

   

  Supervision Given/Received: 

  May supervise junior staff members. 

  Coordinates own workflow and sets individual priorities. 

  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 or an International Equivalent in Laboratory Science, Microbiology, Clinical Diagnostics, Public Health or a related clinical/medical field. 

  Project Management (PM) Certification preferred. 

   

  Experience:

  Typically requires 8+ years of relevant experience in implementing large-scale laboratory systems, networks, and diagnostics programs. 

  • Emergency outbreak response experience/knowledge preferred.  

  • Mentoring junior laboratory staff and guides technical activities. 

  • Documented success providing systems-level laboratory guidance. 

  • Proven track record training laboratory personnel, validating assays, and establishing quality management systems (QMS). 

  • Experience designing laboratory strengthening portfolios, securing research or development grants, or driving public health program growth. 

  • Prior work experience in a non-governmental organization (NGO), government agency, or private organization. 

  • International or Domestic (US) Program Development or Program management preferred. 

  • Typical Physical Demands: 

    Typical office environment. 

    Ability to spend long hours looking at a computer screen and doing repetitive work on a keyboard. 

    Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time. Ability to lift 5. 

     

    Technology to be Used: 

    Personal Computer, Microsoft Office 365 (i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Skype/TEAMS, e-mail), office telephone, cell phone and printer/copier. 

     

    Travel Requirements: 

    10% - 25% 

    The expected US Based hiring salary range for this role is listed below. Candidates FHI 360 pay ranges represent national averages that vary by geographic location. When determining an offer amount, FHI 360 factors in multiple considerations, including but not limited to: relevant years of experience and education possessed by the applicant, internal equity, business sector, and budget. For internal candidates, salary placement will also follow FHI 360’s current promotional increase guidelines. Final compensation will be determined in accordance with applicable law and FHI 360 policy. 

      

    Base salary is only one component of our offer. FHI 360 contributes 7% of monthly base pay to a money purchase pension plan account. Additionally, all US based staff working full-time, which is calculated at 40 hours/week, receive 18 days of paid vacation per year, 12 sick days per year, and 11 holidays per year. Paid time off is reduced pro rata for employees working less than a full-time schedule. 

     

    US Based Hiring Salary Range: 89,000 - 120,000 USD annually  

    International hiring ranges will differ based on location”