RESEARCH OFFICER
Posts: 1Ifakara Health Institute • Healthcare and Pharmaceutical
Job Description
Institute Overview
- Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) is a leading research organization in Africa with a strong track record in developing, testing and validating innovations for health. Driven by a core strategic mandate for research, training and services, the Institute's work now spans a wide spectrum, covering biomedical and ecological sciences, intervention studies, health-systems research, service delivery and policy translation.
Position Summary - Ifakara Health Institute is seeking a qualified Research Officer who will be stationed at Bagamoyo Office, reporting to the Head of Transmission Unit . The Research Officer will require to have an expertise in molecular biology with a specialization in biotechnology and related studies, this role demands a robust understanding of molecular biology techniques. The built capacity and contribution under this role will significantly propel the progress of the malaria culture pipeline and mosquitoinfectiousness at Ifakara Health Institute (IHI).
Requirements
- Knowledge of safety protocols and laboratory practices in molecular biology-related research.
- Ability to work as part of the team and independently.
- Conducting different assays performed in the laboratory for example ELISA, PCR, and insecticide susceptibility.
- Proposal writing and Report writing.
- Study/experiments designing.
- Computer skills (Microsoft office (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint,). Skills on STATA, R Studio etc. will be an added advantage.
- Bachelor's degree in molecular biology, genetics, biotechnology, or a related field
- Hands-on experience and strong background in molecular biology techniques are added advantage.
- Excellent communication skills (Swahili and English), both written and verbal.
Disclaimer!
Ifakara Health Institute does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process. Please disregard written or oral request for a job offer or an interview that you believe is or might be fraudulent or suspicious.
Key Responsibilities
- Ensure mandatory compliance with safety protocols within a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) laboratory facility.
- Assist with comprehensive laboratory experiments analysing DNA, RNA, and protein under supervision.
- Learn to apply molecular biology methods such as PCR, DNA/RNA sequencing, and gel electrophoresis in transgenesis studies.
- Perform routine malaria parasite culture maintenance, including thawing, expansion, passaging, and cryopreservation of malaria parasites. This involves monitoring confluency and contamination, and maintaining accurate records of vial stocks and usage.
- Prepare and manage malaria parasite culture reagents, including media, supplements, and buffers.
- Support researchers in experimental setup, including sample preparation and basic biological assays.
- Carry out routine laboratory tasks such as preparing solutions and reagents, cleaning and maintaining lab equipment, managing waste, and ensuring biosafety compliance.
- Manage laboratory organization and inventory, including stock control, ordering consumables, and
tracking reagents. - Assist in the implementation and maintenance of laboratory standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Maintain clear and accurate documentation of all laboratory activities.
- Assist in performing direct and standard membrane feeding assays and mosquito dissection under supervision.
- Contribute to optimizing experimental protocols and maintaining laboratory equipment.
- Maintain accurate and detailed records of all performed experiments.
- Engage in literature reviews of malaria parasite culture and infectivity studies, and assist with preparing research findings for publication.
- Participate in laboratory meetings and present research findings.
About Ifakara Health Institute
Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) – or simply Ifakara - is a leading health research organization in Africa, with a strong track record of developing, testing and validating innovations for health. We are driven by core strategic mandate for research, training and services. Ifakara encompasses a broad range of scientific disciplines, spanning from basic biomedical and ecological sciences to clinical trials, health systems research, policy translation, and health program implementation.
Ifakara work is organized in three research departments, six research units and seven technical support units. The research departments are: Environmental Health & Ecological Sciences (EHES), Interventions & Clinical Trials (ICT), and Health Systems, Impact Evaluation & Policy (HSIEP).
The research units are: Grants and Contracts, Training & Capacity Building, Laboratories, Data Systems and Platforms, Vector Control Product Testing, and Chronic Diseases Clinics. The technical units, which are supporting research (our primary activity) are: Internal Audit, Knowledge Management and Communications, Finance Management, Human Resources Management, Supply Chain Management, Branch Management and Information & Communication Technology. We have three major offices in Tanzania (Ifakara, Bagamoyo & Dar es Salaam).
Vision
A healthy and empowered population with access to evidence-based health services and solutions
Mission
To be a centre of excellence that informs health policies and delivery of quality services collaboratively through research, innovation, capacity strengthening and program implementation