Consultant - TB Diagnostics Expert, Infectious Disease – Tuberculosis

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PATH is a global nonprofit dedicated to achieving health equity. With more than 40 years of experience forging multisector partnerships and with expertise in science, economics, technology, advocacy, and dozens of other specialties, PATH develops and scales up innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing health challenges.

About the Project: REACH Bangladesh

REACH Bangladesh - Integrated Molecular Diagnostics, Laboratory Systems Strengthening, Emergency Preparedness, and Integrated Laboratory Response Systems - is funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD), and implemented by PATH. The award is a fixed amount award issued under the America First Global Health Strategy to ensure continuity of lifesaving health assistance and to support integrated, country-led health systems programming, with an anticipated implementation period of approximately 10-12 months.

Bangladesh continues to face a significant burden of tuberculosis and other priority infectious diseases, compounded by fragmented laboratory networks, limited decentralized diagnostic access, and gaps in emergency and outbreak-response readiness at sub-national levels. PATH will implement the Bangladesh component in close collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh - the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP), the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), and divisional and district health authorities - with BRAC and icddr,b as potential implementing and research partners. Coverage spans 30 districts across seven geographic clusters, alongside national and divisional coordination.

The project is organized around three strategic priority areas: (1) integrated molecular diagnostics and laboratory network strengthening; (2) laboratory quality, biosafety and workforce excellence; and (3) emergency preparedness and laboratory resilience - each delivered at national, regional, and district levels and supported by strengthened data systems, MIS, coordination, and learning.

PATH is hiring a Consultant - TB Diagnostics Expert, based in India.

The Consultant - TB Diagnostics Expert, under the overall supervision of the Deputy Director - TB, South Asia, PATH, and in close coordination with the PATH Bangladesh country team and project leadership, will provide technical oversight and undertake preparatory and inception-phase activities for the diagnostics, laboratory systems, and emergency preparedness workstreams of REACH Bangladesh. The consultant will bring regional expertise in molecular diagnostics, laboratory network optimization, quality assurance, and biosafety to support rapid start-up, co-design with government and donor stakeholders, and the development of technical packages, SOPs, and monitoring frameworks required for implementation.

Specific Roles of this Position include-

• Provide technical oversight to the REACH Bangladesh diagnostics and laboratory workstreams, and support PATH teams and potential sub-awardees in translating the co-design workshop outputs into an approved inception workplan, staffing plan, implementation schedule, and coordination plan.

• Support preparatory work for updating the national laboratory network optimization plan for integrated HIV, TB and priority infectious diseases, and for developing an integrated molecular testing strategy leveraging existing GeneXpert, Truenat, and RT-PCR platforms.

• Contribute technical inputs to the national roadmap for novel screening and diagnostic tools for TB - including CAD/AI-assisted handheld X-ray, N-PoC, CRISPR, and repurposing of molecular infrastructure - and to the design of a tiered laboratory network defining testing menus and referral pathways.

• Guide preparatory design of decentralized molecular testing, district specimen collection hubs, specimen referral and transportation networks, QR-code-enabled sample referral tracking, electronic specimen tracking, and turnaround-time monitoring, including outreach testing for hard-to-reach populations.

• Support development of the national laboratory quality improvement roadmap, updated biosafety guidelines, expansion of External Quality Assessment to peripheral facilities, competency frameworks, certification and leadership programmes, laboratory performance scorecards, and QA process indicators.

• Provide technical oversight for preparatory activities under emergency preparedness and laboratory resilience, including the integrated emergency laboratory preparedness plan, One Health laboratory coordination, harmonized SOPs and referral protocols, laboratory surge planning, rapid response laboratory teams, and simulation and tabletop exercise designs.

• Support integration of TB-DM-HIV testing pathways and alignment of diagnostic protocols with national algorithms and NTP/DGHS guidance.

• Provide technical inputs to MIS, dashboards, data quality assurance, and performance monitoring frameworks for diagnostic and laboratory indicators, including turnaround time, referral pathway performance, and quality improvement indicators.

• Support preparation for co-creation and coordination engagements with the U.S. Embassy Dhaka, Government of Bangladesh counterparts, technical working groups, and partners, including preparation of agendas, technical briefs, presentations, and workshop documentation.

• Undertake travel to Bangladesh and within the region (approximately 20-30% of time) for co-design workshops, stakeholder consultations, laboratory assessments, and technical review meetings, as required.

• Prepare periodic progress updates and document technical products, best practices, and lessons learned for internal and external sharing, in line with donor branding, reporting, and milestone verification requirements.

• Perform any other project-related tasks assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications and Competencies Required

• PhD or postgraduate degree in Public Health, Microbiology, Laboratory Sciences, Health Administration, or an equivalent discipline from a recognized university.

• Minimum 10 years of experience in public health programmes, of which at least 5 years should be in TB or infectious disease diagnostics, laboratory systems strengthening, or diagnostic network management at national or state/provincial level; regional or international experience preferred.

• Demonstrated expertise in molecular diagnostics (GeneXpert, Truenat, RT-PCR), laboratory network optimization, specimen referral systems, external quality assessment, biosafety, and laboratory quality management systems.

• Familiarity with national TB diagnostic algorithms, laboratory accreditation and certification frameworks, and emergency preparedness and One Health approaches.

• Experience working with government counterparts, donors, and multi-partner consortia; prior experience with U.S. Government-funded programmes and milestone-based reporting is an added advantage.

• Excellent technical writing skills, with a demonstrated ability to develop strategies, SOPs, guidelines, and donor-ready technical documents.

• Fluency in English is required; working familiarity with Bangla is an advantage.

• Ability to communicate clearly, mentor, and work collaboratively across geographies and time zones under demanding timelines.

The position requires travel to Bangladesh and within the region as per project needs. We are looking for a self-motivated, hard-working, energetic, and creative individual who is a good team player and is comfortable working in a fast-paced and evolving environment.

Location: India (Delhi preferred), with travel to Bangladesh

Duration: From the date of joining to August 2027

Reporting to: Deputy Director - TB, South Asia, PATH

The candidate must have legal authorization to work in India.