Assessment Team Leader

Post Title: Assessment Team Leader

Program: Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments (RISE)

Reporting to: (1^st) RISE In-Country Manager; (2^nd) University partner Lab Manager and Senior Oversight

Strong working relations to:

·         Objective 2,3 and 4 Leaders

·         University Lab manager

·         Programme Manager

Duty Station: Makassar, Indonesia

Duration: 6 months, extendable based on performance

Number of posts: 1 post                     

Background:

The Revitalising Informal Settlements and their Environments (RISE) programme aims to demonstrate a new approach to water and sanitation management in urban informal settlements. RISE is an action-research programme utilizing a randomized control trial (RCT) methodology involving 24 informal settlements (12 in each country). The RISE theory of change is that the water sensitive cities (WSC) approach can interrupt the fecal-oral transmission route, resulting in an improvement in human gastrointestinal health, especially for children under 5 years of age. The overall aim of RISE is ‘to improve the lives of men and women, boys and girls in informal settlements through improvements in human health and the environment by adopting a water sensitive cities (WSC) approach to informal settlement upgrading. The Expected outcome is to provide the evidence that a localised, water-sensitive approach to upgrading informal settlements can deliver sustainable, cost-effective improvements in health and the environment as a complementary to ‘big pipes’ in the Asia-Pacific, paving the way for further deployments in the region and globally.

Key responsibilities:

1) Lead in communication between in-country laboratory and field workers and oversee their activities.

·         Build and sustain effective working relationships and conduct regular meetings with laboratory and field workers to ensure efficient scheduling of laboratory and field operations.

·         Regularly communicate assessment team priorities to laboratory and field teams, as advised by In-Country Manager and RISE Leadership.

·         Collect regular feedback from field teams about issues arising from their interaction with communities and report this, as appropriate, to the In-Country Manager for subsequent action.

·         Regular monitoring and reporting on assessment team workload issues to In-Country manager

2) Lead in laboratory supervision, lab management and data management

·         Ensure laboratory safety standards are maintained including oversight of laboratory OHS related issues.

·         Oversee laboratory quality control/processes and initiate appropriate remedial actions, as required.

·         Supervise laboratory staff and perform / oversee staff induction, training, rostering and evaluation (including maintaining staff training records).

·         Ensure that a system to track laboratory workflow from sample reception and analysis to results reporting is established and used.

·         Follow laboratory workflow, communicate success and, if deficiencies are identified, initiate remedial action.

·         Ensure that stock management, equipment maintenance, and service reconciliations are maintained

·         Support in the analysis and communication of results to central databases and with associated research staff.

·         Oversee preparation and transport of designated specimens including requisite administrative arrangement.

·         Work with and coordinate with Data Officer to ensure timely upload of data

3) Ensure field and laboratory work is implemented consistent with protocols and standard operating procedures developed by the scientific team

·         Develop audit procedures to monitor field and laboratory activities.

·         Oversee regular audits of field and laboratory activities.

·         Follow-up any complaints by communities at surveyor team level and as required, report to In-Country manager and initiate remedial action.

4) Lead in laboratory and field budget control and workload management

·         Develop and oversee a system to track consumables use and ensure that sufficient stock is available to enable work (laboratory and field) to be performed as programmed.

·         Make submissions for extra (casual/part-time) staff as required for specialist activities, including providing budget information

·         Communicate workload issues to In-Country manager, as required, to contribute to quarterly work plans.

·         Provide quarterly forecast of staffing and consumables to In-country Manager based on planned activities

·         Assist in the preparation of reports to government, funding bodies, as required.

Key result areas:

Timely and cost-effective achievement of all activities and outputs relating to Objectives 2,3 and 4.

Required qualifications and experience:

At least a Masters degree preferable in public health, environmental health, environmental science or other relevant field, plus ideally a qualification in project management or related field

At least five years of experience with:

(i)     managing laboratory and/or field teams

(ii)    work scheduling and forecasting, including budgeting and project management experience

(iii)   auditing of OH&S and other quality systems

(iv)  staff management and supervision

Excellent English oral and written language skills essential.

Interested applicants are requested to submit their CV and application to jane.wardani@gmail.com  and  matthew.french@monash.edu by 12 March 2018 at the latest.

Please ensure to put the post you apply for in the subject line of your e-mail..

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.