Entomologist

Vacancy No: VA_023_FY24

The Carter Center is a not-for-profit international NGO committed to waging peace, fighting disease and building hope worldwide. The Carter Center - Ethiopia, which assists the Government of Ethiopia in Disease Elimination and Eradication Programs is looking for a qualified professionals to fill the following post for its Oncho/LF Elimination Program.

Main Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership on entomological surveillance for the Onchocerciasis Elimination Program and the LF Elimination Program in his/her assigned area.
• Carries out river prospections in his/her assigned area. Establishes and maintains fly collection sites, as long as necessary.
• Provides technical assistance, and transfers expertise and skills to relevant health department staff at zonal, district, kebele, and community levels, such as identification of blackflies and conducting vector control activities, where feasible and necessary.
• Coordinates with the regional Oncho/LF elimination team and the Entomologist and Senior Parasitologist, at The Carter Center country office, regarding mapping, surveillance, and impact assessments, in order to ensure that all collected samples are well recorded, labelled, and efficiently transported to the laboratory for analysis.
• Works with the Oncho/LF Elimination Program team, at the country office, to plan and design surveillance activities related to Oncho/LF elimination in his/her assigned area.
• Works with the surveillance team to design onchocerciasis surveillance in such a way that data received will help improve the program.
• Facilitates identification and establishment of sentinel communities. Provides ongoing support to the field staff for follow-up assessment in communities, as required.
• Provides training to relevant health bureau staff, at the zonal, district, kebele, and community levels, to manage the logistics related to fly collection, identification, recording, preserving, packing, and transporting to the laboratory at EPHI in Addis Ababa for analysis.
• Compiles monthly activity reports, and monitors performance of projects against project agreements. Updates the RPM and the Oncho/LF elimination team, at the regional and country office, on key findings.
• Keeps track of ongoing onchocerciasis operational research projects, and ensures that they are progressing as planned.
• Compiles reports for the RPM periodically (at least once a month), in liaison with both the Entomologist and Senior Parasitologist, at The Carter Center country office.

Terms of Employment: One year contract with a possibility of extension

Required Number: 1(One)

Qualification and Experience:

• Masters or Bachelor degree in Entomology, molecular biology, biomedical sciences, or infectious diseases from a recognized university
• Minimum of one year practical experience in entomology, particularly related with molecular testing of infectious disease. Or minimum of three years experience in molecular laboratory or biology.
• Entomologist with Masters degree and Zero experience will also be considered.

Additional Requirements:

• Self-motivated and capable of working well with limited supervision
• Able to speak local language of the area
• Good interpersonal and management skill
• Willingness to work for extended hours when needed and travel to field sites frequently
• Good computer skills, especially in data management and processing
• A recommendation letter from the most recent employer