STRIDES Laboratory and Diagnostics Advisor, Outbreak Preparedness and Response

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. The Advisor 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 outbreak response and preparedness laboratory systems challenges in countries at risk or experiencing an outbreak 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 recommending diagnostic methods, technologies, and evaluation criteria appropriate for the specific country context; 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.
· Guides laboratory readiness as a key component of outbreak response and preparedness; interprets findings, quality system gaps, biosafety risks, and diagnostic performance data; and 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 diagnostic guidelines appropriate for outbreak response and detection in specific country contexts.
· Performs other duties as assigned to advance STRIDES’ outbreak response and Global Health Security objectives.
Project Design and 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 for outbreak response and preparedness, 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 outbreak 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 outbreak response and preparedness project outputs, ensuring activities are implemented on time, within budget, and consistent with STRIDES’ technical approach and donor requirements.
· Coordinates requests from country offices for laboratory technical assistance, ensuring coherent and timely support across outbreak 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 and adapts tools, guidance, and job aids that support the design and implementation of laboratory and diagnostic outbreak activities, 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.
· 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.
Applied Knowledge & Skills
· Comprehensive knowledge of infectious disease diagnostics and applied knowledge of field implementation and project management.
· Demonstrated project and technical leadership; prior experience strengthening laboratory/diagnostic capabilities during an emerging infectious disease outbreak a plus.
· Demonstrated experience strengthening laboratory/diagnostic capabilities in a low- or middle-income country, or other complex context or setting.
· Excellent oral and written communication skills, fluency in a second language (French, Spanish, and/or Russian) desirable.
· Experience implementing USG-funded contracts.
· Ability to work flexibly throughout project implementation in response to shifting country, regional, global, and USG priorities.
· Ability to motivate, influence, and work well with others to achieve STRIDES objectives.
· Ability to build positive working relationships with various stakeholder communities, government officials, and other multilateral bodies and donor representatives.
· Strong organizational skills, high level of attention to detail, and effectiveness under deadlines.
Supervision Given/Received
· May supervise junior staff members.
· Coordinates own workflow and sets individual priorities.
· Reports to the STRIDES Senior Laboratory/Diagnostics Advisor.
Education
· Master’s Degree or an International Equivalent in Biological or Laboratory Sciences, Microbiology, Clinical Diagnostics, Public Health or a related field.
· Project Management (PM) Certification preferred but not required.
Experience
· Typically requires 8+ years of relevant experience in implementing applicable laboratory and diagnostic network strengthening programs and services.
· Infectious disease outbreak response experience and knowledge preferred.
· Experience providing laboratory and diagnostic network support for low- and middle-income countries. Competent in the diagnosis of infectious diseases including near point-of-care and molecular diagnostic testing.
· Knowledge and experience with strengthening laboratories to achieve international quality standards.
· Familiarity with international biosafety regulations.
· Prior work experience in a non-governmental organization (NGO), government agency, or private organization.
Typical Physical Demands