Cape Town HVTN Immunology Laboratory: Laboratory Facilities Officer

Laboratory Facilities Officer To oversee the laboratory’s physical facilities as part of the laboratory operations team, working in an international collaborative environment and ensuring quality standards are met. The Laboratory Facilities Officer oversees the function of the building systems and equipment, manages relevant service providers and relationships, ensuring compliance with Service Level Agreements. A hands-on approach is taken with mechanical, electrical, and other building systems and equipment. Key Responsibilities Facilities Management (40%) Oversee lab facilities systems, including electrical, backup power, HVAC, plumbing, fire and security systems, ensuring compliance to all relevant safety standards. Oversee the lab’s IT and A/V systems. Update and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) for building systems and equipment, including routine tests and emergency planning to maintain consistent building operations. Maintain records of building facilities and space, keeping detailed logs and inventories and updating facilities plans for inventory management and future decision-making. Liaise with building management to ensure all systems affecting the facility are properly maintained by the landlord. Coordinate all types of utility outages with building management, contractors, and/or other personnel by identifying and verifying the potential impacts and coordinating with all affected parties. Work with Fred Hutch Seattle and Uganda-based facilities teams to ensure best practices are aligned, attending regular meetings. Attend trainings as needed. Use process improvement and best business practices to manage and reduce operating costs and improve efficiencies. Management of Building Management Systems (10%) Manage the building and equipment monitoring (BMS) software systems, ensuring they are kept updated and functional 24/7. Develop and maintain SOPs for the building management systems, liaising with the appropriate vendors to ensure optimal functionality. Train lab staff on adherence to SOPs. Perform Service Level Agreement contract administration and management for routine, emergency, and preventative maintenance of lab critical infrastructure, ensuring timely renewals. Establish and maintain good working relationships with building management and key service providers that support the laboratory, representing the laboratory to external stakeholders. Develop annual facilities budgets and procurement plans to ensure facilities are kept up to standard. Emergency On-call (15%) Responsible for facilities components of the emergency on-call system, liaising with vendors who support the facilities systems and ensuring these systems are functional 24/7. Provide on-call support for facilities-related issues during emergencies 24/7, coming into the lab after normal business hours should the need arise. Train on-call staff to respond to facilities emergencies, document any actions taken and communicate across the team with status updates. Monitor adherence to SOPs. Assist with updating on-call facilities-related SOPs to reflect lab needs and in accordance with calculated risks. Equipment Maintenance (15%) Oversee laboratory equipment, coordinating regular service repairs, purchases, usage and troubleshooting and ensuring compliance with GCLP standards. Ensure all operating activities and equipment are safety compliant at all times. Liaise with vendors to ensure necessary supplies/equipment are available to the lab. Maintain and update equipment SOPs and conduct trainings as needed. Review equipment logs and documentation, performing trend analyses as needed. Project Management (10%) Serve as lab liaison to the Fred Hutch/external vendors in matters of facility renovations and new construction projects, including review of building requirements; identify areas where facility upgrades are necessary and coordinate the preparation and completion of facility improvement projects and ensure maintenance of current laboratory facilities. Produce comprehensive facilities management reports as needed. Coordinate renovations, gathering input from stakeholders as needed, working with vendors, and preparing project proposals and budgets. Track and report on the execution of other special projects as needed. Other duties, as required. Education, Certification, Qualifications & Experience Needed Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or electrical engineering, construction management, facility management or related field. Minimum of 5 years related experience in Facilities Management, especially with HVAC systems, generators and battery backup systems. Certificates in: Health and Safety (SAMTRAC or similar), Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment, and/or Project Management advantageous. Experience managing complex and dynamic operations required. Experience in drafting, negotiating and management of SLAs. Knowledge of sustainability best practices advantageous. Proficiency in MS Office programs necessary, with special expertise in MS Excel. Experience working with document organization systems such as MS SharePoint preferred. Experience utilizing CAD software for basic architectural and engineering drawings. Experience working in a laboratory according to Good Clinical Laboratory Practices or within another auditable framework advantageous. Experience working in a project-driven non-profit environment a plus. Experience budgeting and forecasting, using standard financial principles advantageous. Experience implementing safety regulations and compliance standards. Ability to think innovatively, manage multiple tasks, and excel under pressure, collaborating with different stakeholders to identify and resolve challenges. Advanced administrative abilities and high attention to detail. Excellent time management skills and ability to work within set deadlines. Flexibility around working hours to accommodate operational needs. Effective communication and interpersonal skills; works well in a team environment and with international co-workers/collaborators. Physical skills necessary to climb, bend, stoop, lift and perform tasks utilizing ladders and scaffolds, etc. #J-18808-Ljbffr