Vacancy title:
Senior Research Scientist

[Type: FULL_TIME, Industry: Healthcare, Category: Healthcare]

Jobs at:
Kenya Medical Research Institute ( KEMRI )

Deadline of this Job:
Friday, October 10 2025

Duty Station:
Kenya | Kisumu | Kenya

Summary
Date Posted: Wednesday, September 24 2025, Base Salary: Not Disclosed

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JOB DETAILS:

Job Summary

The incumbent will be based at the Malaria Division of KEMRI’s Malaria Laboratories at CGHR in Kisumu, western Kenya. The project is interested in recruiting an exceptional laboratory technologist with Masters level training in a relevant subject. He/She will work closely with other laboratory staff in the adaptation of laboratory technologies from the CDC’s Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, and NOMADs Nanopore Technology group to expand and improve these assays at KEMRI/CGHR, and will work in collaboration with and be supported by CDC laboratory scientists in Atlanta and Nairobi, as well as other external collaborators. The role involves supporting adaptation of new technologies, analyzing data, writing manuscripts, training staff, and contributing to project progress reports and research dissemination.

Job Descriptions

The duties and responsibilities of the officer will entail:

• Conduct laboratory experiments by as per study protocol following SOPs in the wet lab including single and multiplex PCRs, gel electrophoresis, capillary electrophoresis and amplicon NGS using the ONT Nanopore platform
• Perform HRP2/3 gene deletions in P. falciparum using a novel multiplex bead-based assay (MBA) on MAGPIX® System
• Development of laboratory SOPs
• Maintenance of good laboratory and clinical practice and quality laboratory standards
• Preparation of project progress reports and submission of the same to the Head of KEMRI Malaria Division at CGHR and CDC project PI and other CDC collaborators in a timely fashion

Person Specifications

For appointment to this grade, a candidate must have:

• At least three (3) years of relevant work experience in wet laboratory procedures including sample processing, DNA extraction and PCR
• Master’s degree in any of the following fields; Biomedical Technology, Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory Sciences, Microbiology, parasitology, immunology, molecular biology or equivalent qualifications from a recognized Institution
• At least 2 years of laboratory research experience in malaria or other childhood diseases in Kenya or sub-Saharan Africa
• Strong hands-on experience with current laboratory methods (wet lab including using multichannel pipettes, single and multiplex PCRs, gel electrophoresis, capillary electrophoresis and ideally some NGS experience or parasite culture experience)
• Analytical skills and use of at least one statistical software package, e.g. SPSS, STATA, SAS, R, Python
• Experience working in collaboration with multiple agencies/partners

Key Skills and Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Analytical skills
• Lab technique troubleshooting skills
• Creativity and Innovativeness
• Critical thinking skills
• Communication and reporting skills
• Interpersonal and negotiation skills
• Team player

Terms of Employment

This is a one (1) year contract, renewable subject to availability of funds, with a probation period for the first 3 months. Salary is negotiable within the KEMRI scheme of service depending on education, experience and demonstrated competency.

Work Hours: 8

Experience in Months: 36

Level of Education: postgraduate degree

Job application procedure

• All applicants must meet each selection criteria detailed in the minimum requirements
• Must include current Curriculum Vitae with Telephone number and e-mail address
• Three letters of reference with contact telephone numbers
• Must include copies of academic and professional certificates

Interested and Qualified candidates can Click to apply on or before 10th October, 2025 latest 5.00 p.m.

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