KEMRI Jobs Research Officer/Project Coordinator

Research Officer/Project Coordinator Job at KEMRI

The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) is a state Corporation established in Kenya in 1979 through the Science and Technology (Repealed) Act, Cap 250 of the laws of Kenya and as currently established and dully accredited to continue to operate as such, under the Science Technology and Innovation Act, 2013 as the national body responsible for carrying out research in health in Kenya. KEMRI’s vision is “to be a leading center of excellence in research for human health” and its mission is “to improve human health and quality of life through research, capacity building, innovation and service delivery.”

USAMRD-K Department of Infectious Diseases (DEID) is a strategic KEMRI partner affiliated with the US Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch’s Global Emerging Infectious Surveillance and Response System (GEIS). GEIS promotes and facilitates national and international preparedness for emerging infections. DEID conducts surveillance on various infectious diseases within a network of local hospitals across Kenya. Surveillance on antimicrobial resistant bacteria (AMR) was initiated by DEID in 2015.

The AMR project is hospital, field and laboratory based aimed at identifying bacterial pathogens from patients, the environment and in animals and identifying their antimicrobial resistance, virulence and epidemiological characteristics. The project impacts public health by providing epidemiological data on multidrug resistant bacteria to facilitate patient care and control of their spread.

KEMRI seeks to recruit dynamic, innovative and experienced persons to fill the following position in the DEID AMR Project.

This position will be based at Antimicrobial Resistance surveillance project in Nairobi. The position reports to the Principal Research Officer/ Principal Investigator (PI).

Research Officer/Project Coordinator Job Responsibilities

• Oversee the operations of the AMR project, coordinates activities in the laboratory and at the sites
• Train, supervise, mentor, motivate and support staff and students (MSc/PhD), coordinate work assignments, proficiency and competence testing
• Coordinate, and conduct training sessions on all protocol and SOP trainings
• Have baseline knowledge of routine work applications, policies, and procedures necessary to perform assigned managerial/supervisory tasks and ensure compliance with research protocols
• Track progress of research activities and trouble-shoot problems encountered in the experiments
• Day-to-day management of multiple research projects with minimal supervisory input.
• Management of the data collection, entry, analysis, interpretation and reporting processes for the ongoing studies Reviews worksheets, research outputs and databases to verify accuracy
• Plan, develop, and maintain procedures, equipment, space allocation and policies that impact the research
• Interpret, report and communicate essential elements of the program
• Manage and track budgets and resources
• Assist with project reports, scientific publications and submission of proposals and grants
• Oversee regulatory compliance issues such as tracking and recording protocol-specific certifications and procedure certification WRAIR, KEMRI HSPB, HRPO etc.
• Find positive approaches to problem solving for research, management and personnel issues

Requirements for the Research Officer/Project Coordinator Job

• Master’s degree in Microbiology or related field with strong molecular biology and genomic analysis skills.
• Not less than 3 years’ experience in an active research program
• Proficiency in database management and the use of statistical analysis packages such as STATA, SPSS and Access databases
• Strong communication skills both verbal and written with scientific publication record in peer reviewed journals.
• Flexibility to work at different research locations and to work on weekends and long hours if necessary.
• Should have no criminal record

How to Apply
Applications should include a Cover letter, C.V, 3 reference letters and relevant testimonials and day time telephone contacts no later than 28th July 2017. Apply to

The Human Resources Office
The Walter Reed Project
P.O Box 29893-00202 Nairobi.
Or email at Nairobi.HR@usamru-k.org

KEMRI/Walter Reed Project is an equal opportunity employer. Women, the Youth, people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

KEMRI /US Army Medical Research Directorate “The Walter Reed Project” is a research organization that is affiliated to the Kenya Medical Research Institute. Our mission is to develop and test improved means for predicting, detecting, preventing and treating infectious diseases. We seek to fill the following positions: