Senior Laboratory Technician NEW

ECA’s mission is to deliver ideas and actions for an empowered and transformed Africa; informed by the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063.

The mission is guided by ECA’s five new strategic directions which are: Advancing ECA’s position as a premier knowledge institution that builds on its unique position and privilege to bring global solutions to the continent’s problems and take local solutions to the continent; developing macroeconomic and structural policy options to accelerate economic diversification and job creation; designing and implementing innovative financing models for infrastructure, and for human, physical and social assets for a transforming Africa; contributing solutions to regional and transboundary challenges, with a focus on peace security and social inclusion as an important development nexus; advocating Africa’s position at the global level and developing regional responses as a contribution to global governance issues. The position is located in the UN Health Care Center at the UN Economic Commission for Africa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The incumbent will report to the Medical Officer or designated Official.

Within delegated authority, the Senior Laboratory Technician is responsible for the following duties:

• General Administration Duties and Responsibilities (Laboratory Management):
• Operational Oversight: Oversee daily operations of the clinical laboratory, ensuring efficient workflow and timely delivery of results.
• • Ensure compliance with regulatory standards and laboratory accreditation requirements, including ISO standards.
• • Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS): Oversee the development and implementation of and regularly update SOPs for all laboratory processes to ensure consistency and quality in testing. Human Resource Management:
• • Recruit, train, and supervise laboratory personnel, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
• • Conduct performance evaluations providing constructive feedback and support for professional development.
• • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with medical and nursing staff to ensure effective integration of laboratory services in patient management.
• • Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings to discuss laboratory findings, implications for treatment, and any necessary follow-ups.
• • Stakeholder Engagement- Liaise with external stakeholders, including regulatory bodies and professional organizations, to stay informed on best practices and compliance requirements. Manages Quality Assurance of the Laboratory Unit:
• • Coordinates the establishment of the quality management system based on the latest version of ISO 15189 standard, supports its implementation, and coordinates activities pertaining to quality in the laboratory.
• • Ensure that the laboratory complies with the accreditation requirements and has an excellent understanding of ISO 15189.
• • Conduct regular internal audits and assessments of laboratory practices to ensure adherence to established protocols.
• • Validate test results of all samples before final reporting to clinicians.
• • Implement corrective actions and preventive measures to address any identifies deficiencies.
• • Perform Procurement, Inventory, and Contract Management duties for the Laboratory Unit Needs Assessment:
• • Conducts regular assessments of laboratory needs to determine necessary equipment and supplies.
• • Assesses demands of the Laboratory Unit in consultation with the management/CMO, by identifying areas of improvement in consistency with strategic plans through formal and informal means.
• • Vendor Management- Identifies potential vendors and conducts market research to evaluate options for laboratory machinery and supplies.
• • Vendor Contracts: Takes Umoja-related actions including shopping carts for contracts as well as supplies through procurement units.
• • Procurement Process- Oversee the procurement process, including purchase orders, inventory management, and timely delivery of laboratory materials.
• • Monitor vendor performance and report any issues related to service delivery or product quality.
• • Take other relevant actions on time, including preparing annual procurement plans for consumable items and accessories of the Laboratory Unit for on-time budget allocation and efficient utilization of available resources.
• • Prioritizes, prepares, and submits procurement plan for equipment with enough justification for new demands, replacements, and/or upgrades timely in order to align budget approval with available resources in time.
• • Prepares generic technical specifications or scope of work for goods and services to be procured for the Laboratory Unit in consultation with the experts by consistently following UN principles of procurement for effective procurement.
• • Prepares pre-defined technical evaluation criteria for evaluating bid documents to select the best fit in accordance with the UN Procurement Manual.
• • Prepares and raises shopping carts and purchase orders for the goods and services to be procured for the Laboratory Unit, adhering to the set rules for on-time submission, approval, and procurement within a specified period.
• • Follows up and closely works with the Procurement Unit in the bid process by offering all available information to facilitate the process and efficiently utilize available resources.
• • Performs technical evaluation of bid documents for laboratory items as a primary evaluator against pre-defined criteria in a manner which avoids bias, and adheres to procurement principles transparently for efficient procurement.
• • Performs receipt and inspection of goods procured for the Laboratory Unit to ascertain adherence and execute payment by closely working with other sections.
• • Prepares the service delivery report for satisfied services offered by different companies after evaluating all relevant documents for effective execution of payment for the services offered.
• • Ascertains payment request generation for the goods and /or services procured and offered as a primary recipient, reviewing the documents and evaluating them against the contract for an efficient settlement of bills.
• • Archives and maintains all procurement documents in a confidential manner, as future reference in consistence with established rules with identification.
• • Corresponds with procurement unit, business partners and their agents, shipping unit, inventory unit, finance section for a smooth procurement process and finalization of payment for goods and services received.
• • Executes all Low Value Procurements for the Laboratory Unit following established rules using available platforms for efficient utilization of resources.
• • Keeps custody of all equipment in the Laboratory Unit. • Maintains stock of all consumable items in the Laboratory Unit and replenishes stock within reasonable lead time.
• • Participates in the periodic inventory exercise with inventory unit colleagues and maintains a database of the inventory.
• • Advises on the goods and records for disposal and works with the inventory/disposal units to ensure the exercise is carried out efficiently and in accordance with established rules.
• • Ensure that all procured equipment meets safety and performance standards. Perform budget and finance administration for the Laboratory Unit:
• • Budget Preparation- Prepare and manage the laboratory budget, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and financial sustainability.
• • Expenditure Monitoring – Monitor laboratory expenditures and implement cost-control measures to optimize resource use.
• • Prepares annual budget plan for the Laboratory Unit with tangible justification for on-time approval and execution during a specified performance period.
• • Follows up and executes the approved and allotted budget on a regular basis by closely working with the finance unit for on-time utilization of the budget.
• • Cross-checks the appropriateness of the billing for all the services offered by the unit on a daily basis to help efficient financial operation.
• • Follows up on cash collection for cash-paying clients before and after each laboratory service for an efficient cost recovery for the services offered by reviewing the appropriate document on the available platform.
• • Facilitate payments for vendors after proper receipt of services or goods to the laboratory unit by closely working with Finance Offices.
• • Periodically reviews, revises, and proposes service fees for the laboratory services offered in the unit based on market trends.
• • Assists with the collection and analysis of data as well as preparation of data presentations and reports for information sharing, responding to queries, knowledge management, planning and decision making.
• • Assists with visualizations and updating information material such as web pages or brochures.

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent is required. Training in laboratory quality management is required. A college diploma in Clinical Laboratory technology is desirable. Additional training in Management-related fields is desirable. Possession of a degree in the field is an advantage.

Work Experience

• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressive working experience in a full-service laboratory unit or related area is required. The minimum years of relevant experience is reduced to eight (8) for candidates who possess a first-level university degree or higher. Hands-on experience in laboratory service including procurement process, vendor management, and contract negotiation is required Work experience: 1 year or more of experience in data analytics or related area is desirable.

Language

• English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the post advertised, fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of French is desirable.