SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Conduct wet bench laboratory work, including nucleic acid extraction, real-time quantitative PCR, and probe enrichment sequencing for HIV and Mtb, as well as other bacterial and viral pathogens, from wastewater samples.
• Develop and optimize protocols for sample collection, preparation, and analysis to ensure reliable and accurate detection of pathogens. Establish the wastewater sequencing pipeline at the Eswatini Public Health and Surveillance Laboratory
• Coordinate wastewater collection with the department of water affairs.
• Validate new methodologies and evaluate potential confounding factors (e.g., wastewater flow, inhibitors, turbidity, pH) on the detection of Mtb and HIV.
• Collaborate with team members to establish and maintain quality control measures, including processing biologic and technical replicates and using positive and negative controls.
• Work closely with the data science team to integrate sequencing results with public health data and support epidemiologic analyses.
• Engage in lab meetings to report on progress
• Prepare technical reports, manuscripts, and presentations to communicate findings to internal teams, stakeholders, and the scientific community.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Doctoral degree in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, or Virology with focus on pathogen or environmental sequencing or
• Master’s Degree in Biological Sciences with 5 years of demonstrated experience with pathogen or environmental sequencing.

 Skills/Abilities/Aptitudes Requirements:

• Fluency in English
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment.
• Experience in wet bench research, including molecular techniques such as PCR, qPCR, NGS, and nucleic acid extraction.
• Strong understanding of pathogen detection and quantification from environmental samples.
• Proven track record in optimizing laboratory protocols and troubleshooting technical challenges.
• Previous experience with wastewater or environmental microbiology research is a plus.

 Special Requirements

• Ability to pay attention to detail
• Ability to work with minimum supervision
• Willingness to work flexible hours as needed

Applications to be addressed to the Executive Director, Baylor College of Medicine Children’s Foundation- Eswatini, and sent ONLY by email to:  citing the position applied for, your Name and Surname in the email subject.

All applications should be accompanied by a cover letter, curriculum vitae (CV) and certified copies of certificates. Faxed applications, posted or hand delivered applications will NOT be considered. No calls. Only short- listed candidates will be contacted.

Application Deadline: 14^th October 2024.

Baylor Foundation Eswatini is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. Baylor Foundation Eswatini ’s recruitment and selection policies and procedures reflect our commitment to the safety of children.  Any appointment is subject to commitment to our Child Protection Policy, satisfactory references and criminal record disclosure.