October 31, 2014
Job Description
Responsibilities:
Job Title: Director, Laboratory Program, Africa
Location: Africa (Nairobi, Kenya or Johannesburg, South Africa)
Reporting Relationships
The position reports directly to Executive Director, Human Immunology Laboratory, Londonand the Regional Director, East Africa. The role will be responsible for developing, supervising and managing IAVI’s laboratory program within East and Southern Africa, including line management of IAVIs regional laboratory team. The position will require close interactions with the regional medical affairs team and participation on IAVI product development and discovery project teams.
The Senior Manager, Clinical Laboratory Program (Africa) will report directly into this role.
Position Summary
Over the past 10+ years, IAVI has developed a network of accredited (GCLP) laboratories in five African countries. These laboratories are a critical component of IAVI’s research & development strategy, to test promising HIV vaccine candidates. IAVI and partners are about to embark on an exciting new venture, to expand capacity of the existing laboratory network to contribute to HIV vaccine design, with a specific focus on T-cell immunogen design and assessment. We are looking for an experienced PhD scientist to maintain the high quality of the clinical laboratory program and help design and lead this bold new initiative. The ideal candidate will provide leadership and management of:
1) IAVI Clinical Laboratories program in Africa supporting vaccine trials and immunogen design.
2) IAVI African AIDS Vaccine Design Partnership (AAVDP) activities and training activities.
You will be responsible for scientific and programmatic management of the Clinical Immunology and Virology Program in Africa to support HIV vaccine trials and observational epidemiology studies. You will be responsible to ensure that key goals of the clinical laboratory program are met; this includes delivering high quality clinical trial data, developing and sustained laboratory capacity regionally. In addition, you will assist in the development and leadership of the newly launched AIDS vaccine design project within Africa. You will be responsible for providing scientific direction and guidance to African scientists to contribute to HIV vaccine design under this new Initiative. Developing training opportunities, fostering collaborations and partnerships to deliver of these goals will be a key component of the position. You will be a technical expert and advisor in human immunology and or virology regionally. There may be opportunity for this position to lead laboratory-based projects at one of our partner labs in Africa, if so desired.
Key Responsibilities: Clinical Laboratory Program
- Serve as chief representative for the clinical laboratory and human immunology program in Africa
- Mentor and support IAVI funded scientists to deliver and publish high-quality science in the areas of immunology, virology or vaccine design and assessment.
- Development and implementation of new assays as required.
- Support the Medical Affairs team in Africa, to facilitate and manage development of new clinical sites, tests, laboratory capabilities, activities or protocols.
- Prepare sites for vaccine trials
- Monitor study progress at site laboratories for the duration of the study/trial
- Assist is developing and managing the laboratory training program in Africa.
- Provide oversight of the GCLP Accreditation program in Africa through supervision of two staff members in the South Africa office.
- Manage in country laboratory teams and program. Including:
- Development of work-plans/SOWs, and ongoing review of progress across program
- Development of associated SOPs, quality program and training materials
- Facilitate the development of African led vaccine research proposals
- Review budgets and timelines to ensure integration with the overall clinical trials program
- Maintain good relations with IAVI collaborators, investigators and trial site staff to facilitate site development and execution of clinical trials and studies
- Work with IAVI-NY to ensure efficient and smooth execution of quality studies and trials
- Serve across-departmental IAVI functions as requested.
Qualifications:
- A Ph.D. in Immunology or Virology from a recognized institution with a minimum of 5 years of relevant independent research experience, either in a university or corporate setting, following postdoctoral training.
- Strong publication record in the field of immunology, virology or vaccines.
- Expert technical experience and knowledge in cellular immunology or virology.
- Management of scientific projects and staff to deliver high quality data to meet project goals and deadlines.
- Clinical trials experience in developing countries would be an advantage.
- Understanding of and experience with implementation of Good Clinical Practices in infectious disease clinical trials conduct is highly desirable.
- Experience working in resource poor setting desirable.
- Strong organizational skills, resourceful, and mature self-starter, with proven experience in building a strong, coherent and efficient teams.
- Solid reasoning and analytical skills in order to design protocols, and ability to analyze & summarize clinical immunology data.
- Experience in managing budgets is highly desirable.
- A team player who leads by example, holds him/herself accountable for performance, understands all aspects of research, while remaining detail oriented.
- Experience in working in a decentralized system, and maintaining close working relationship with various departments, contractors, clinical centers and clinical and basic science laboratories.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Proven ability to present programs to audiences ranging from high level scientists, clinical investigators and physicians, clinical trials execution teams and non-scientists is highly desirable. Proven ability to teach and mentor staff and collaborators in medical research highly desirable.
- Willingness to travel at least 20-25% of the time to IAVI regional and head offices.
- Passion for the IAVI Mission
Submit your CV and Application online : Click Here
No comments:
Post a Comment