Background

The Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) is an indigenous medical organization that was established in 1991 as a limited liability not-for-profit Joint-venture between the Uganda Ministry of Health (MoH), Ministry of Defense and Makerere University Medical School (now Makerere University College of Health Sciences). JCRC is located on plot 101 Lubowa Hill Off Entebbe Road P.O. Box 10005 Kampala. Joint Clinical Research Centre (JCRC) seeks to recruit competent, dynamic, motivated and innovative candidates for the following positions;

Job Purpose

The Healthcare Waste Management and IPC Advisor will provide technical leadership in infection prevention and control and healthcare waste management across supported health facilities. The Advisor will work with project Health Teams. District Health Teams, health facility management and other stakeholders to strengthen IPC systems, healthcare waste management practices, environmental hygiene, occupational safety and infection prevention standards. The position will support health facilities to establish and maintain safe, practical and sustainable systems for healthcare waste segregation, collection, transportation, treatment and disposal, while strengthening IPC practices that reduce healthcare-associated infections and protect patients, healthcare workers, caregivers and communities.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

IPC Technical Leadership

• Provide technical guidance on implementation of national IPC policies, guidelines and standards.
• Support health facilities to establish and maintain effective IPC programmes.
• Conduct IPC assessments and identify gaps in infrastructure, practices, equipment, supplies and staff competencies.
• Develop and support implementation of facility-level IPC improvement plans.
• Strengthen IPC committees and focal-person systems at supported facilities.
• Promote standard precautions and transmission-based precautions as appropriate.
• Support implementation of hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, safe injection practices, PPE use and other IPC measures.
• Support prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections.

Healthcare Waste Management

• Assess healthcare waste management systems at health facilities.
• Support development and implementation of healthcare waste management plans.
• Strengthen waste segregation at the point of generation.
• Support appropriate collection, internal transportation, storage, treatment and final disposal of healthcare waste.
• Provide guidance on management of infectious, sharps, pharmaceutical, chemical and other categories of healthcare waste.
• Promote appropriate use and maintenance of waste treatment and disposal technologies.
• Monitor healthcare waste handling practices and identify risks.
• Support facilities to maintain adequate waste management infrastructure, equipment and supplies.
• Promote environmentally sound and safe healthcare waste management practices.

Health Facility Infrastructure and Environmental Hygiene

• Participate in assessment and planning of IPC-related infrastructure and facility improvements.
• Advise on appropriate placement and design of waste management areas, handwashing facilities, cleaning areas and other IPC infrastructure.
• Review facility designs and renovations from an IPC and healthcare waste management perspective.
• Assess water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and its impact on IPC.
• Support improvements in environmental cleaning and sanitation.
• Provide technical input into procurement of IPC and healthcare waste management equipment and supplies.

Training, Mentorship and Capacity Building

• Conduct training and orientation of healthcare workers on IPC and healthcare waste management.
• Develop or adapt training materials, job aids, checklists and standard operating procedures.
• Provide on-site mentorship and coaching to healthcare workers, cleaners, waste handlers and facility managers.
• Strengthen capacity of IPC focal persons and committees.
• Conduct demonstrations and practical sessions on waste segregation, PPE use, hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection.
• Promote continuous learning and peer-to-peer exchange of good practices.

Monitoring, Assessment and Quality Improvement

• Conduct routine IPC and healthcare waste management assessments.
• Develop and monitor IPC and waste management performance indicators.
• Use assessment findings and routine data to identify priority areas for improvement.
• Support health facilities to implement quality improvement initiatives.
• Monitor compliance with IPC standards and healthcare waste management procedures.
• Conduct follow-up assessments to measure improvement.
• Document best practices, lessons learned and challenges.

Occupational Health and Safety

• Promote occupational safety measures for healthcare workers, cleaners and waste handlers.
• Strengthen systems for appropriate PPE use and availability.
• Support safe handling and disposal of sharps and other hazardous materials.
• Promote appropriate procedures following occupational exposure incidents.
• Support facilities to identify and mitigate IPC and healthcare waste-related occupational hazards.
• Promote safe working environments and appropriate staff vaccination and health protection measures in accordance with national guidance.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Health, Public Health, Nursing, Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Health Sciences or a related field.
• A Master’s Degree in Public Health, Environmental Health, Infection Prevention and Control or a related discipline is an added advantage.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in IPC, healthcare waste management, environmental health, WASH or health systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience supporting health facilities with IPC and healthcare waste management.
• Experience conducting health facility assessments, training, mentorship and supportive supervision.
• Good knowledge of healthcare waste management principles and IPC standards.
• Experience working with the Ugandan health system, including health facilities and District Health Teams.
• Strong report-writing, communication and facilitation skills.

Desirable

• Experience supporting regional or national referral hospitals.
• Experience working on donor-funded health programmes.
• Experience in health facility construction, renovation or infrastructure projects.
• Experience with WASH in healthcare facilities.
• Knowledge of Uganda Ministry of Health IPC and healthcare waste management guidelines.
• Experience supporting outbreak preparedness and response.
• Training or certification in IPC, environmental health, WASH or healthcare waste management.

Working Conditions

The position will involve office-based work as well as frequent travel to health facilities and project sites. The Advisor should be prepared to work in rural, remote and hard-to-reach areas of Uganda. The role may require work outside normal working hours during outbreaks, emergency response activities, training events, facility assessments and other critical project activities.

• Provide technical guidance on implementation of national IPC policies, guidelines and standards.
• Support health facilities to establish and maintain effective IPC programmes.
• Conduct IPC assessments and identify gaps in infrastructure, practices, equipment, supplies and staff competencies.
• Develop and support implementation of facility-level IPC improvement plans.
• Strengthen IPC committees and focal-person systems at supported facilities.
• Promote standard precautions and transmission-based precautions as appropriate.
• Support implementation of hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, safe injection practices, PPE use and other IPC measures.
• Support prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections.
• Assess healthcare waste management systems at health facilities.
• Support development and implementation of healthcare waste management plans.
• Strengthen waste segregation at the point of generation.
• Support appropriate collection, internal transportation, storage, treatment and final disposal of healthcare waste.
• Provide guidance on management of infectious, sharps, pharmaceutical, chemical and other categories of healthcare waste.
• Promote appropriate use and maintenance of waste treatment and disposal technologies.
• Monitor healthcare waste handling practices and identify risks.
• Support facilities to maintain adequate waste management infrastructure, equipment and supplies.
• Promote environmentally sound and safe healthcare waste management practices.
• Participate in assessment and planning of IPC-related infrastructure and facility improvements.
• Advise on appropriate placement and design of waste management areas, handwashing facilities, cleaning areas and other IPC infrastructure.
• Review facility designs and renovations from an IPC and healthcare waste management perspective.
• Assess water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure and its impact on IPC.
• Support improvements in environmental cleaning and sanitation.
• Provide technical input into procurement of IPC and healthcare waste management equipment and supplies.
• Conduct training and orientation of healthcare workers on IPC and healthcare waste management.
• Develop or adapt training materials, job aids, checklists and standard operating procedures.
• Provide on-site mentorship and coaching to healthcare workers, cleaners, waste handlers and facility managers.
• Strengthen capacity of IPC focal persons and committees.
• Conduct demonstrations and practical sessions on waste segregation, PPE use, hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection.
• Promote continuous learning and peer-to-peer exchange of good practices.
• Conduct routine IPC and healthcare waste management assessments.
• Develop and monitor IPC and waste management performance indicators.
• Use assessment findings and routine data to identify priority areas for improvement.
• Support health facilities to implement quality improvement initiatives.
• Monitor compliance with IPC standards and healthcare waste management procedures.
• Conduct follow-up assessments to measure improvement.
• Document best practices, lessons learned and challenges.
• Promote occupational safety measures for healthcare workers, cleaners and waste handlers.
• Strengthen systems for appropriate PPE use and availability.
• Support safe handling and disposal of sharps and other hazardous materials.
• Promote appropriate procedures following occupational exposure incidents.
• Support facilities to identify and mitigate IPC and healthcare waste-related occupational hazards.
• Promote safe working environments and appropriate staff vaccination and health protection measures in accordance with national guidance.

• Strong report-writing skills
• Communication skills
• Facilitation skills
• Good knowledge of healthcare waste management principles
• Good knowledge of IPC standards

• Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Health, Public Health, Nursing, Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Health Sciences or a related field.
• A Master’s Degree in Public Health, Environmental Health, Infection Prevention and Control or a related discipline is an added advantage.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in IPC, healthcare waste management, environmental health, WASH or health systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience supporting health facilities with IPC and healthcare waste management.
• Experience conducting health facility assessments, training, mentorship and supportive supervision.
• Experience working with the Ugandan health system, including health facilities and District Health Teams.
• Experience supporting regional or national referral hospitals (Desirable).
• Experience working on donor-funded health programmes (Desirable).
• Experience in health facility construction, renovation or infrastructure projects (Desirable).
• Experience with WASH in healthcare facilities (Desirable).
• Knowledge of Uganda Ministry of Health IPC and healthcare waste management guidelines (Desirable).
• Experience supporting outbreak preparedness and response (Desirable).
• Training or certification in IPC, environmental health, WASH or healthcare waste management (Desirable).