Senior Lab Advisor

Credence Management Solutions employs hard-working, passionate individuals who bring innovation, accountability, and a growth mindset to the many missions we support across the US Federal Government. Employee empowerment is part of the fabric of our corporate culture through which we emphasize opportunity, recognition, reward, and retention. At Credence, we follow the principles of servant leadership and believe that serving and supporting others is critical to both our individual and collective achievements. We have only one measure of success. Yours.

We are hiring for positions under the Global Health Training, Advisory, Support Contract (GHTASC) in support of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Global Health (GH). These roles deliver institutional support services in a wide range of technical areas at the junior, mid-, senior, and expert levels.

We are a diverse, enthusiastic family of subject matter experts, business professionals, and practitioners who all share a common goal of providing excellent services to our government customers. If you want to work in a dynamic and fast-growing environment with highly motivated colleagues, then Credence is the right place for you!

Position Summary

The Senior Lab Advisor will primarily support the ID/ETD USAID office as a Credence Institutional Support Contractor (ISC). In this role, the selected candidate will work with the team coordinating infectious disease outbreak response. S/he is responsible for providing technical and operational leadership related to sample collection and tracking, diagnostic testing, genomic sequencing and data tracking and interpretation for infectious disease outbreak response and other GHS activities; serving as an Advisor for one or more of the Division’s awards; providing assistance to field missions in the area of infectious diseases and laboratory strengthening; representing the Bureau in interagency working groups; serving as a liaison with other USAID Bureaus; and providing technical leadership for GH projects and emerging threats activities to strengthen laboratory capacity to support detection and surveillance efforts.

This position is located within USAID’s Bureau for Global Health, Office of Infectious Disease, Emerging Threats Division (ETD). The RETD supports the Agency’s Global Health Security (GHS) Program. GHS programming supports the USG Global Health Security Strategy by addressing the health security capacity gaps in targeted countries at high risk of infectious disease threats and outbreaks; targeted, applied GHS research; and critical policy and advocacy support for GHS. The GHS program aims to prevent avoidable outbreaks, detect new infectious disease threats early, and respond rapidly and effectively to outbreaks when they occur. Strengthening global health security and pandemic preparedness is a priority for USAID and the U.S. Government.

Responsibilities

Outbreak Response Management

• Support management of responses to infectious disease outbreaks.
• Provide technical leadership in laboratory capacity including sample collection and handling, and transport; diagnostic testing (molecular, serologic); genomic sequencing; and data tracking and interpretation.
• Support USAID missions in identifying and fulfilling response gaps including through surge personnel and appropriate implementing partners.
• Coordinate across GH and other bureaus to ensure appropriate resources are identified for outbreak response.
• Support USAID in meetings with USG interagency, global partners and other donors on response activities.
• Facilitate technical discussion on laboratory functions and capacity required for sample collection and testing during outbreak response with technical agencies/partners.
• Contribute technical content to briefers and other documents for timely communication for GH, Agency and interagency leadership.
• Contribute technical content to outbreak response laboratory capacity building efforts.
• Establish and manage an outbreak response subject matter expert (SME) network across USAID.
• Facilitate or lead after action reviews and simulation exercises.
• Serve as an activity manager on ETD activities as required.

Technical Resource

• Function as a senior advisor to ETD, USAID Mission health staff, including Global Health Security Advisors, and the Bureau for Global Health on infectious disease programming, with a focus on laboratory capacity building and optimization.
• Engage regularly with Mission staff on in-country project activities, coordinate with AORs and Advisors within the Division, and liaise within Global Health and other Bureaus to garner best practices and leverage investments towards the Agency’s development mandate.
• Working with ETD leadership and technical advisors, support Missions in designing, programming, and monitoring laboratory capacity building investments.
• Support USAID Mission health staff and Global Health Security Advisors on all matters related to the GHS portfolio and reporting requirements, as needed.
• Support the Global Health Security program on laboratory strengthening issues in US interagency and global platforms.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree and a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, or bachelor’s degree with 12 years, associate degree and 14 years relevant experience OR high school graduate and 16 years in laboratory strengthening and capacity development.
• US Citizen and must be able to maintain a Secret security clearance.
• Experience engaging with USG and external partners to advance GHS strategic goals and programs preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal and diplomacy skills, required to establish and maintain a wide range of senior level and working level contacts in government, non-government, and private-sector circles.
• High level of judgment, ingenuity, and originality to develop strategies and to analyze, develop, monitor, and evaluate program implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to work in complex environments with multiple organizations.
• Excellent analytical, oral, and written communication skills.

Competencies/Performance Criterion

• Innovation: Employee takes initiative to propose new ideas/approaches, and demonstrates ability to find new and better ways to accomplish work.
• Customer Service: Handles customer questions and complaints, communicates with customers, handles service problems politely and efficiently, always available for customers, follows procedure to solve customer problems, understands company products and services, maintains pleasant and professional image.
• Accountability: Takes ownership of work responsibilities and holds high standards. Keeps commitments and takes appropriate actions to ensure obligations are met. Pursues efficiency and effectiveness and adheres to Organization policies and procedures.
• Interpersonal Skills: Employee demonstrates ability to work in cooperation with others and communicate effectively with co-workers, supervisors, subordinates, clients and other outside contacts.
• Continual Learning: Assesses and recognizes own strengths and weaknesses; pursues professional development that is aligned with organizational role, contribution, and goals. Proactively shares knowledge with others to foster learning across the Organization.