ILRI Vacancy: General Laboratory Assistant

Vacancy Number: GA/BecA/02/14
Department: Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA)
Duration: 2 years

ILRI seeks to recruit a dynamic and competent General Laboratory Assistant to provide quality and efficient services to all the BecA-ILRI hub laboratory users.

ILRI works to enhance the roles livestock play in pathways out of poverty in developing countries.

ILRI is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Consortium, a global research partnership of 15 centres working with many partners for a food-secure future. ILRI has two main campuses in East Africa and other hubs in West and southern Africa and South and Southeast Asia.

The Centre’s headquarters are located in Nairobi, Kenya, and research is conducted in 31 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We are supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and receive funding from over 50 different donors.

CGIAR is a global agricultural research partnership for a food-secure future. Its science is carried out by 15 research centres that are members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. 

 ILRI also manages the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub at ILRI, the centre for excellence in modern plant and animal biology in Africa. BecA is an initiative developed within the framework of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)/ African Union African Biosciences initiative. It consists of a Hub based on the ILRI campus in Nairobi, Kenya and a network of regional nodes and other affiliated laboratories and organizations throughout the region. The BecA Hub facilities are world class, including a range of molecular, plant transformation, and genomics laboratories and equipment (e.g. 454 and Illumina next generation sequencing, Biosafety level 3 laboratory, plant growth facilities). The Hub hosts and conducts research in crop, microbe and livestock areas where new developments in science offer promise to address previously intractable problems constraining Africa’s development.  Capacity building is a major goal of all activities. The scope covers agriculture and food security and their intersections with human health and nutrition, and the sustainable use of Africa’s natural resources.  Further information is available at http://hub.africabiosciences.org

Responsibilities

• Laboratory waste management: – Routine collection and disposal of laboratory generated waste. Maintaining  accurate daily data of all waste collected, Collection of waste from the transgenic laboratory in the plant facilities; Transfer of Collected waste to the laboratory services unit for disposal;
• Management of Laboratory Glassware: Collecting dirty glassware from the laboratories to the laboratory services unit for cleaning, sterilizing, drying and wrapping all the glassware for re-distribution to the laboratories; Monitoring and replenishing glassware cabinets in the laboratories
• Laboratory supplies: Coordination with the procurement officer to assist in sorting of laboratory supplies and delivering to users within the labs;
• Routine cleaning of laboratory floors, corridors, wash rooms and freezer rooms;
• Scheduled cleaning of internal and external laboratory windows and other surfaces;
• Cleaning  of sensitive laboratory areas, such as tissue culture and radio-active laboratories;
• Laundry- garments.: Collection and transfer of all dirty laboratory coats and other protective clothing to the laundry unit; Washing, ironing of the garments; re-distribution of the clean garments to respective laboratory units;
• Office assistant duties: occasional assistance with messegerial duties as allocated within the BecA hub offices.
• General duties within the plant growth facility.

 Requirements

• ‘O’ Level Certificate with relevant experience;
• Proven Skills and experience in laboratory techniques;
• General knowledge of laboratory safety;
• Ability to operate basic laboratory equipment;
• Ability to co-ordinate, prioritize and organize work;
• Effective planning and multi-tasking skills with positive attitude;
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment;
• Self-driven and ability to work with minimal supervision;
• Team player;

Terms of appointment:

This is a Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) positions based at ILRI’s Nairobi campus and is a 2 years contract period.

Job level and salary:

This position is job Grade 1A with a start salary of  KES32,340 per month. This is exclusive of other benefits provided by ILRI.

How to Apply

Applicants should send a cover letter and CV explaining their interest in the position, what they can bring to the job and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience to the Human Resources Director through: http://ilri.simplicant.com/ before 28 February 2014.  The position title and reference number GA/BECA/02/14 which should be clearly marked on the cover letter.

To find out more about ILRI and the BecA-ILRI Hub, visit our websites at http://www.ilri.org and http://hub.africabiosciences.org