Microbiologist

Introduction

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) translates to Doctors without Borders. We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff - bound together by our charter.  Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organization.

MSF was founded in 1971 in Paris by a group of journalists and doctors. Today, we are a worldwide movement of nearly 63,000 people.

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Rationale/Objective for position

Ensuring that all staff using medical devices are qualified and trained. Ensuring cleaning and minor maintenance tasks are performed according to the protocols. Reporting any malfunction to the project biomedical service.

Tasks & Responsibilities

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major public health threats worldwide.  To ensure the best treatment for infected patients that MSF receives in our facility but also in order to rationalize the use of antibiotics to decrease the selection pressure, MSF tries to implement a microbiology laboratory for the vulnerable population mostly affected by bacterial infections: war wounded patients, malnourished children, HIV patients…

The access to a microbiology laboratory is a part of the multidisciplinary approach that is currently implemented including the implementation of antibiotic stewardship program but also the reinforcement of infection prevention control (IPC).

In order to access to microbiology diagnostic tests, different strategies are possible:

• Implementation from scratch of 100% MSF microbiology laboratory.
• Identification in countries' local laboratories that need support in term of supply or training or quality insurance and provides support.

Implementation of a Microbiology laboratory

• Collaborate with the logistics to adapt the premises to the needs of the laboratory
• Collaborate with the pharmacy to set up a supply system
• Installation of all equipment with Biomed
• Recruitment of laboratory technicians
• Training of laboratory technicians
• Set up all the tests and a fluid organization in the laboratory
• Put in place all the quality controls
• Set up communication circuits for test requests and results
• Participate in training nurses for sample collection
• Set up a documentation system
• Participate in data collection

Support for Strengthening quality in a local laboratory

• Collaborate with local laboratory staff
• Identify the training needs of non-MSF staff
• Identify the need for additional staff
• Implementation of targeted training
• Support the implementation of valid quality controls and standard procedures by MSF and the local structure

Qualifications

• Education
• • ​Essential, Master or PhD in Clinical microbiology
  • Essential, Certified as laboratory technician (equivalent of French's BTS) in clinical microbiology.
  • Essential, Clinical pharmacist with Microbiology specialization
  • Essential, Clinical microbiologist (MD)
• Experience
• • Essential, 2 years of relevant professional experience in bacteriology services preferably in a hospital (including hospital experience before diploma).
  • Essential, Strong competencies in antibiogram analysis and identification of resistance mechanisms.
  • Essential, Experience in laboratory activity organization.
  • Desirable, Experience in team management.
  • Desirable, Experience in training.
    
• Competencies 
• • Essential, mission language/Bilingual (English & French). 
  • Essential, computer literacy (word, excel, internet).
  • People Management.
  • Ready to work within a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary team.
  • Commitment to MSF Principles.
  • Flexibility.
  • Results-oriented.
  • Teamwork.