Multiple Vacancies at Ifakara Health Institute

 

Ifakara Health Institute – Career Opportunities

Job Opening Date: 03-Aug-2026
Job Closing Date: 14-Aug-2026

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.

Available Positions

1. RESEARCH OFFICER (1 Position)

Location: Bagamoyo Office
Reporting to: Head of Transmission Unit

Position Summary:

Ifakara Health Institute is seeking a qualified Research Officer who will require expertise in molecular biology with a specialization in biotechnology and related studies. This role demands a robust understanding of molecular biology techniques and will significantly propel the progress of the malaria culture pipeline and mosquito infectiousness at IHI.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure mandatory compliance with safety protocols within a Biosafety Level 3 (BSL3) laboratory facility
• Assist with comprehensive laboratory experiments analyzing DNA, RNA, and protein under supervision
• 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
• 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
• 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

Required Skills:

• 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

Qualifications Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Biotechnology, or a related field

Experience:

• Hands-on experience and strong background in molecular biology techniques are an added advantage

Preferred Language Skills:

• Excellent communication skills (Swahili and English), both written and verbal

2. BUDGET AND GRANTS OFFICER (1 Position)

Location: Dar es Salaam Office
Reporting to: Senior Budget and Grants Officer

Position Summary:

The ideal candidate will support the preparation of financial proposal budgets and assist in administering donor funded budgets in line with donor requirements and internal procedures. The role also helps to ensure compliance with donor guidelines during budget execution and grants management.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support the development, review, and monitoring of project budgets to ensure accuracy, realism, and alignment with grant proposals, funding conditions and organizational policies
• Ensure that all financial terms are adhered to funding partner requirements, organizational standards, financial procedures, and legal obligations
• Assist with partner contract development covering engagement, negotiation, and close-out procedures in coordination with the legal and grants and contracts officer
• Foster effective working relationships and communication with funding partners and stakeholders to ensure transparency, accountability, and the smooth execution of projects
• Ensure financial tracking, managing adjustments or revisions and maintaining accurate documentation of grants and budgets, for external audits and regulatory reviews
• Support project teams in meeting reporting requirements, including scientific, financial, and funding partner reports
• Collaborate with the finance, procurement, and program departments to facilitate the execution of grant-funded activities
• Optimize workflows related to budgeting, reporting, and compliance using the grants and contracts management system
• Assist in coordinating with external stakeholders, such as auditors and regulatory bodies, by preparing required documentation and responding to inquiries
• Perform any additional duties assigned by the supervisor to support operational efficiency

Required Skills:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint) with advanced skills in Excel, and familiar with ERP or similar accounting software
• Solid knowledge of budget management, grants administration, and financial operations
• In-depth understanding of financial regulations, compliance standards, and reporting requirements for donor-funded projects
• Strong analytical capabilities to interpret financial data, identify trends, and support informed decision-making
• Meticulous in financial record-keeping to ensure accuracy and compliance in reports and documentation related to donor-funded initiatives
• Dedicated to maintaining high ethical standards, transparency, and integrity in managing finances and donor funds
• Committed to embodying IHI core values: Integrity, Initiative, Equity, Excellence, and Accountability

Qualifications Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Accountancy, Finance, Economics, or other related fields
• CPA qualification will be an added advantage

Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years' experience in finance, project budget and grants management, and other related roles

Preferred Language Skills:

• Excellent communication skills to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders, including donors and internal teams

3. CLINICAL OFFICER (1 Position) – INTERNAL ADVERT

Location: Bagamoyo Office
Reporting to: Project Leader

Position Summary:

This position bridges patient care and diagnostic testing by ordering, collecting, interpreting, and managing clinical laboratory investigations to guide accurate diagnoses and treatments. This is an internal advert; internal applicants are encouraged to apply for this role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support clinical trial site preparation and ensure compliance with study protocols, SOPs, GCP, and regulatory requirements
• Screen, recruit, enroll, and conduct follow-up of study participants according to approved protocols
• Obtain informed consent, collect clinical data, maintain accurate study documentation, and respond to study-related queries
• Monitor, document, and report adverse events (AEs) and serious adverse events (SAEs)
• Perform clinical procedures, including blood sample collection, labeling, handling, and processing according to study requirements
• Participate in community engagement activities to support participant recruitment and retention
• Ensure adherence to ethical standards, GCP, and study procedures among study team members
• Contribute to research reports, scientific presentations, publications, and training of junior staff
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Project Leader or Principal Investigator

Required Skills:

• Microsoft Word, Excel, and data entry and records management skills
• Time management for project timelines
• Leadership and management skills to run meetings and conflict resolution
• Interpersonal skills to minimize conflict and performance review/feedback

Qualifications Required:

• Diploma in Clinical Medicine or a related field
• Current GCP training and substantial clinical trials experience

Preferred Language Skills:

• Strong communication writing and speaking (English & Swahili)

4. CLINICAL RESEARCH COORDINATOR (1 Position)

Location: Bagamoyo Office
Reporting to: Head of Facility

Position Summary:

The Clinical Research Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing clinical trials or studies to test the effectiveness of biotechnology. Duties include sorting through applications and choosing qualified candidates, monitoring the health of each participant throughout the trial, and compiling reports to summarize the success or failure of a particular drug, technology, or medical procedure.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operates the BCTF staffing-control, training, competence, controlled procedure, and embedded-QC systems
• Functionally supervises and supports trial-specific Clinical Trial Coordinators in applying BCTF systems, documentation, and process requirements
• Coordinates deviations, root-cause analysis, CAPA, change control, and implementation of approved improvements
• Serves as the primary operational support to the Head of BCTF for facility-wide and trial-specific audits, inspections, and oversight visits
• Coordinates readiness, documentation, responsible personnel, responses, and follow-up actions
• Coordinates BCTF interfaces with RQA and relevant IHI technical and administrative departments
• Tracks agreed actions and escalates unresolved staffing, training, process, documentation, or compliance deficiencies to the Head of BCTF
• Verifies with trial-specific coordinators on each trial's staffing, training, delegation, controlled-document, process-QC, and institutional-support requirements
• Ensures required personnel, procedures, records, and quality controls are ready before activation
• Coordinates trial-specific Clinical Trial Coordinators and relevant BCTF and IHI technical leads during trial set-up, conduct, close-out, and inspection readiness
• Reassesses readiness following material protocol, staffing, process, system, or risk changes

Required Skills:

• Strong knowledge of GCP, quality-management systems, and clinical-trial operations
• Competence in staffing control, training management, and competence assessment
• Proficiency in controlled document and procedure management
• Competence in process QC, deviations, root-cause analysis, CAPA, and change control
• Strong audit, inspection, and oversight-visit readiness skills
• Ability to coordinate trial teams and institutional support departments
• Ability to monitor compliance, track actions, and escalate unresolved risks
• Strong organizational, documentation, and records-management skills
• High attention to detail, independence, accountability, and problem-solving ability

Qualifications Required:

• Relevant degree or professional qualification in Health Sciences, Clinical Research Associate, Clinical Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, preferably with certificate as CRA or a related field
• Current GCP training
• Substantial clinical-trial coordination or clinical-research management experience
• Demonstrated competence in staffing controls, training and competence systems, SOP lifecycle management, document governance, and embedded QC
• Demonstrated competence in deviations, root-cause analysis, CAPA, and change control

Experience:

• Experienced in supervising or supporting Clinical Trial Coordinators
• Experienced in coordinating multidisciplinary institutional departments and technical units supporting clinical research
• Experienced in coordinating readiness for sponsor, regulatory, ethics, and internal audits, inspections, or oversight visits

Preferred Language Skills:

• Strong communication (Swahili and English) and stakeholder-management skills

5. LABORATORY TECHNOLOGIST (1 Position)

Location: Bagamoyo Office (EAVI Project)
Reporting to: Project Leader

Position Summary:

The Laboratory Technologist will perform complex tests on biological samples, analyze data, and maintain equipment to help doctors diagnose and treat diseases.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform malaria parasitology, immunology, and molecular laboratory testing according to approved protocols and standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Receive, process, document, and test clinical specimens while ensuring specimen integrity and traceability
• Conduct immunological assays (including ELISA and intracellular cytokine staining) and molecular assays (PCR, RT-PCR, and qPCR) for malaria parasites and viral pathogens
• Record, verify, and maintain accurate laboratory data and study documentation in compliance with Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP)
• Maintain laboratory equipment, reagents, consumables, and specimen inventories, and support laboratory quality assurance and quality control activities
• Ensure compliance with biosafety, biosecurity, and laboratory safety procedures
• Participate in the development and implementation of study SOPs and support project meetings, monitoring visits, and audits
• Contribute to data analysis, report writing, scientific publications, and dissemination of research findings
• Train and mentor junior laboratory staff on laboratory procedures, GCP/GCLP, and SOPs
• Perform any other duties assigned by the Principal Investigator/Laboratory Manager

Required Skills:

• Immunological and molecular laboratory analysis
• Excellent interpersonal skills to deal effectively with clinical teams
• Interpersonal skills to minimize conflict and performance review/feedback
• Hard working with knowledge of good clinical practice, GCLP
• Writing and speaking communication
• Excellent organization skills for independent management workflow

Qualifications Required:

• Bachelor Degree in Laboratory Science, Molecular Biology, Immunology, or a related field

Preferred Language Skills:

• Excellent communication in both English and Swahili language

6. MEDICAL DOCTOR SPECIALIST (1 Position)

Location: Bagamoyo Office
Reporting to: Head of Biomedical Research and Clinical Trials

Position Summary:

The Medical Doctor Specialist will provide overall operational leadership and accountability for BCTF capability, trial readiness, safe facility operation, and implementation of relevant ICH-GCP and local regulatory and ethical requirements for clinical trials facility. This role integrates the scientific, clinical, participant, quality, and resource functions of BCTF and ensures that significant risks, capability gaps, and institutional-support requirements are addressed through the appropriate governance pathway.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure that each requirement has an accountable unit, competent personnel, approved controls, and sufficient resources
• Operate an approved BCTF governance structure defining unit ownership, reporting lines, delegated authority, and escalation pathways
• Report significant capability, safety, quality, and resource risks through BRCT, or other authorized pathways
• Communicate approved decisions to accountable BCTF units and monitor implementation
• Identify the IHI departments required for routine BCTF operations and each proposed trial
• Review workforce, operating-budget, infrastructure, equipment, and investment requirements
• Approve improvement priorities, responsible owners, and timelines
• Prioritize resource needs according to safety, compliance, trial pipeline, operational demand, and sustainability
• Submit major budget and investment proposals through BRCT
• Review implementation and evidence status across BCTF regulatory and ethical requirements
• Require documented readiness assessments from units under BCTF
• Reassess authorization following significant protocol, safety, staffing, facility, or resource changes
• Submit performance reports, strategic priorities, resource requirements, investment proposals, and unresolved institutional risks through BRCT
• Restrict, postpone, or suspend BCTF activities where participant safety, data integrity, compliance, or capability is compromised
• Ensure the PI receives and reviews the quality, status, and completeness of relevant safety information
• Retain governance decisions, assigned actions, and follow-up evidence
• Ensure a formal sponsor agreement or internal memorandum specifies responsibility for immediate notification of new safety or toxicology information
• Document risks, mitigations, and evidence that mitigations were implemented
• Assess each proposed trial, PI, and research team before facility approval
• Ensure the PI accepts imposed conditions and retain evidence that all conditions and mitigations were met
• Monitor delivery and escalate failures affecting participant safety, data integrity, compliance, or operational continuity

Required Skills:

• Independent trial risk assessment and mitigation skills
• Proactive and confident with strong ethics, ability to multitask and meet deadlines
• Competent in protocol and proposal development
• Experience in resource prioritization, budget and investment review, quality assurance management, and audit
• Competence in trial design, investigator brochure review, clinical risk assessment, starting dose and dose escalation review, stopping criteria, mitigation planning, and PI/team suitability assessment
• Ability to recognize limits of personal expertise and obtain appropriately qualified specialist input
• Experience with computer programs
• Ethics, regulatory, and assurance oversight
• Team worker, able to work in a multi-culture environment, punctual and with high integrity

Qualifications Required:

• Medical degree with Post graduate qualification in Medicine, Health, Clinical Research, Public Health, Health-Service Management, or a related field
• Professional registration
• Current GCP training

Experience:

• More than 3 years clinical research experience, with a strong understanding of clinical trials
• Substantial leadership experience in clinical trials or regulated clinical research
• A medical qualification is preferred where the Head is expected to exercise clinical authority

Preferred Language Skills:

• Strong interpersonal skills and communication (Oral and written)

7. MEDICAL DOCTOR SPECIALIST (PHYSICIAN) (1 Position)

Location: Bagamoyo Office (SINCEP-Africa Project)
Reporting to: Project Leader

Position Summary:

The Medical Doctor Specialist (Physician) is responsible for implementation of ICH-GCP, local regulatory and ethical requirements on the provision of clinical safety and emergency-readiness function. This ensures that appropriate personnel, equipment, medicines, monitoring systems, referral pathways, and transfer arrangements are available for safe trial conduct. The unit translates trial-specific risks into operational requirements, verifies readiness before trial activation and dosing, and oversees emergency assessment, resuscitation, stabilization, referral, and transfer capability across the facility.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensures that approved procedures for emergency assessment, resuscitation, stabilization, and hospital transfer are in place and operational
• Ensures that referral-hospital, ambulance, out-of-hours medical, and escalation arrangements are formally agreed, current, and accessible to relevant personnel
• Verifies that minimum requirements for clinical monitoring, medical cover, and emergency readiness are applied across the facility
• Reviews and approves emergency-trolley configuration, dosing-bed suitability, alarm coverage, and emergency-access arrangements
• Leads the emergency-scenario programme and ensures that attendance, findings, lessons, and corrective actions are documented
• Reviews clinical-readiness deficiencies, assigns corrective actions, and escalates unresolved risks to the Head of Facility
• Reviews each trial risk assessment to determine whether BCTF's standing clinical and emergency capability is sufficient
• Specifies additional monitoring, rescue treatment, specialist support, staffing, medical presence, and trial-specific emergency arrangements required before activation
• Ensures that referral pathways, transfer information, emergency equipment, and clinical cover are appropriate to the protocol and investigational product risks
• Verifies completion of required mitigations before recommending trial activation and dosing
• Reassesses readiness where the protocol, safety information, participant population, or risk profile changes
• Ensures that the following activities are assigned by the PI to appropriately qualified, trained, and competent personnel and documented in the study-specific delegation log: Medical-history and eligibility review; Participant clinical assessment and monitoring; Dosing-day and post-dose medical cover; Participant-specific safety review; Application of protocol stopping or escalation criteria; and Protocol-specific emergency, referral, and transfer duties

Required Skills:

• Strong knowledge of resuscitation, stabilization, referral, and hospital-transfer requirements
• Competence in clinical-trial risk assessment and participant-safety oversight
• Ability to assess protocol, investigational-product, and population-specific risks
• Advanced clinical judgement and emergency-response competence
• Ability to define appropriate monitoring, staffing, medical-cover, and emergency arrangements
• Competence in evaluating emergency equipment, clinical monitoring, and facility readiness
• Ability to lead emergency simulations and corrective-action follow-up
• Strong knowledge of GCP, delegation, and PI oversight requirements
• Ability to assess personnel qualifications, training, and competence
• Strong leadership, decision-making, escalation, and multidisciplinary coordination skills
• Clear written and verbal communication
• High attention to detail, accountability, and commitment to participant safety
• Team worker, able to work in a multi-culture environment, punctual and with high integrity

Qualifications Required:

• Medical Doctor Specialist (Physician) with current professional registration
• Current GCP and recognized advanced life-support certification or approved equivalent

Experience:

• Relevant clinical-trial and recent emergency-management experience
• Competence in resuscitation, stabilization, transfer, clinical risk assessment, emergency-cover planning, and readiness verification procedures

Preferred Language Skills:

• Clear written and verbal communication (English & Swahili)

8. PHARMACIST (1 Position)

Location: Bagamoyo Office (SINCEP-Africa Project)
Reporting to: Project Leader

Position Summary:

The Pharmacist will lead regulatory and ethics stakeholder engagement, advise investigators on approval pathways, facilitate pre-submission engagement, support interaction with submission systems and oversight bodies, follow up outstanding reviews and decisions, troubleshoot approval delays, and advise on approval conditions and post-approval obligations through study completion. The Pharmacist will support investigators and coordinators on regulatory and ethics pathways and engage relevant bodies, including the IHI Research Ethics Committee, NIMR/NatHREC, TMDA, COSTECH, AVAREF, foreign regulators and ethics committees, sponsors, CROs, funders, and partner institutions, as applicable.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operates BCTF's regulatory and ethics stakeholder-engagement, pathway-advisory, approval-follow-up, and regulatory-intelligence functions
• Establishes and maintains effective engagement with institutional, national, regional, and international regulatory and ethics stakeholders
• Provides investigators with specialist regulatory and ethics advice from concept development through study completion
• Develops and maintains Regulatory and Ethics Pathway Advisories
• Facilitates pre-submission engagement with authorities, committees, permit bodies, and regional review mechanisms
• Supports navigation of submission portals and resolution of significant procedural, access, and validation barriers
• Actively follows up outstanding acknowledgements, reviews, queries, decisions, approvals, permits, and closure outcomes
• Proactively identifies and troubleshoots internal and external barriers that may delay approval or continued authorization
• Coordinates access to appropriate scientific, clinical, ethical, legal, financial, and technical expertise
• Interprets substantive review questions, decisions, conditions, restrictions, permits, waivers, and post-approval obligations
• Maintains portfolio-level visibility of significant approval barriers, recurring deficiencies, and unresolved conditions
• Provides early warning and direct advice to the Head of BCTF on regulatory and ethics risks and their operational implications
• Collaborates laterally with the QSPC Coordinator where regulatory requirements must be translated into procedures, training, records, QC, or inspection readiness
• Maintains records of advice, stakeholder engagement, pathway decisions, follow-up, and escalation
• Reviews each proposed study's regulatory and ethics pathway, review sequence, indicative timelines, and approval dependencies
• Identifies expected approvals, clearances, permits, insurance arrangements, and product, specimen, data, and biosafety permissions
• Advises whether pre-submission engagement is required or advantageous
• Reviews submission packages strategically for major gaps, inconsistencies, and pathway risks
• Confirms that substantive issues have been referred to appropriate accountable experts
• Advises on institutional endorsements, authorized signatures, and supporting documentation
• Supports interpretation and resolution of significant validation issues and review questions
• Follows up significant submission and approval delays and facilitates corrective action
• Advises the Head of BCTF on approval conditions that must be completed before activation
• Reassesses the pathway following material protocol, product, population, site, country, sponsor, or regulatory changes
• Advises on significant post-approval, renewal, and study-closure requirements
• Ensures that applicable trial-specific pharmaceutical activities are assigned to appropriately qualified personnel and documented in the study-specific delegation log, including:
  • Investigation-product or medicine preparation
  • Dispensing and accountability
  • Rescue-medicine or antidote management
  • Pharmaceutical support during emergency treatment

Required Skills:

• Investigational-product or medicine preparation skills

Qualifications Required:

• Postgraduate degree or Bachelor degree in Pharmacy, Public Health, Clinical Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Clinical Research, Clinical Trials, Clinical Pharmacology, or a demonstrably related field

Experience:

• More than 3 years clinical research experience, with a strong understanding of drugs/vaccine clinical trials in humans
• Current GCP training and substantial clinical trials experience
• Experience with clinical-research regulatory and ethics approval pathways
• Demonstrated experience with Tanzanian regulatory, ethics, and research-permit requirements
• Experience using and troubleshooting electronic regulatory, ethics, and permit submission portals
• Experience engaging investigators, sponsors, CROs, regulators, ethics committees, permit bodies, and multidisciplinary institutional stakeholders

Preferred Language Skills:

• Clear written and verbal communication (English & Swahili)

Important Disclaimer

Ifakara Health Institute does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process. Please disregard written or oral requests for a job offer or an interview that you believe is or might be fraudulent or suspicious.

How to Apply

To apply for any of the positions listed above, please visit the IHI Careers Portal:

https://recruitment.ihi.or.tz/ihicareers/Career.aspx?ext=7&cc=jDjnpaqYiKk%3d

Application Deadline: 14-Aug-2026