The Senior Technical Specialist-Food will be responsible for activities related to strengthening the capacity and systems for AMR Surveillance in the food sector. This position needs to work in close coordination and collaboration with Department of Food Technology and Quality Control (DFTQC), Ministry of  Agriculture and Livestock Development to strengthen the capacity of the DFTQC in AMR surveillance and to further integrate the food sector into the national AMR/AMU surveillance programme. The position is based in Kathmandu with frequent field visits (30 percent or more) to different parts of Nepal.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate and collaborate with stakeholders working AMR/AMU
• Provide technical assistance for assessments and develop improvement plans for DFTQC microbiology laboratories for AMR surveillance
• Support the strengthening of the microbiology laboratory at DFTQC based on needs identified to ensure adherence with standard microbiology practices
• Provide technical assistance for sample collection, transport, laboratory processing and quality management in the food sector
• Build diagnostic capacity, including through mentoring, of DFTQC staff and provide technical assistance to manage, analyse and interpret AMR data from the food sector
• Support DFTQC in the dissemination of surveillance findings from the food sector through established human health, animal health and AMR/AMU technical working groups in line with an OH approach
• Provide technical support to prepare protocols, implementation plans, laboratory standard operating procedures, training modules, and surveillance reports
• Liaise and coordinate activities with FFCGN2 programme staff, especially the Senior Technical Specialists for human health and animal health
• Support relevant stakeholders to design strategies to mitigate AMR in the food sector, such as quality control monitoring, establishment of protocols for routine food testing and data generation, reporting and interpretation to support policy making
• Contribute to FFCGN2 quarterly reports including good practices, lessons learnt and success stories

• Experience in AMR and or OH programmes and conducting microbiological analysis of food samples (e.g., meat, poultry or dairy) 
• Experience conducting microbiology quality assurance 
• Involvement in AMR/AMU, disease surveillance and other relevant health programs (strongly preferred)
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and understanding of and compliance with the ethical issues surrounding research and surveillance
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Nepali 

• Master’s degree in microbiology specialized in food microbiology or related laboratory science with five to six years of experience