EpiC Project Description:

The Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project (2019–2027), a global project funded by the U.S. Government, provides strategic technical assistance and direct service delivery to achieve HIV epidemic control among at-risk and vulnerable populations and strengthen global health security (GHS), including COVID-19 response. Led by FHI 360 with core partners Population Services International (PSI), Palladium, and Right to Care, EpiC delivers excellence in both HIV and GHS by bolstering health systems — especially at the primary health care level — that serve as the frontline of routine health care service delivery, and as the first point of contact for prevention, detection, and response activities.

EpiC Kazakhstan is expanding its technical scope to include GHS, recognizing its critical role in strengthening capacities to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases threats. In line with this, we are seeking qualified candidates for the position of the Consultant for Strengthening of Diagnostic and Laboratory System.

Scope of work

The Consultant will provide targeted technical assistance support to EpiC Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Health (MoH) and its structural divisions on laboratory diagnostic network strengthening. The Consultant will provide technical support on conducting lab capacity, including antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and specimen transportation and referral system assessments, developing or revising laboratory strategies and provide technical inputs to planning and the design of activities aimed at improving the quality and performance of laboratory services. The Consultant will provide technical support to the development and revision of guidelines, policies, SOPs, training material for laboratory network and biosafety and biosecurity strengthening and participate in technical discussion as needed. The Consultant will work closely with MoH, national partners, and the EpiC project team to ensure feasibility and relevance of the proposed activities and lead training and workshops.

Key responsibilities

• Review national policies, guidelines, reports, data, training materials, and curricula implemented in Kazakhstan and other relevant documents to identify existing gaps and priorities related to national public health laboratory services, including AMR, and biosafety and biosecurity capacities within the context of GHS
• Build local capacity on biosafety and biosecurity with a focus on diagnostics and specimen transport systems
• Strengthen testing capacity, quality, and validity, including for AMR in target laboratories
• Lead targeted capacity and quality assessments, training and workshops for laboratory staff within the context of GHS
• Provide technical support in laboratory quality management, biosafety and biosecurity, laboratory waste management, ensuring alignment with national requirements and relevant international standards in target laboratories
• Provide technical support to public health network laboratories on developing and implementing continuous improvement initiatives to enhance laboratory capacity and quality in line with ISO 15189 or other applicable standards
• Facilitate cross-sectoral coordination meetings with stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and joint efforts in agreed priority areas and activities.

Required Qualifications, skills and attributes:

• Master’s degree in microbiology or laboratory sciences, or its international equivalent, in biological sciences within a clinical or diagnostic discipline or specialty
• At least 8 years’ experience working with infectious disease diagnostics and/or in laboratory systems strengthening
• Proven experience in laboratory quality assurance, quality control and audits, capacity assessments or at least seven years in a senior laboratory management position required
• Demonstrated ability and aptitude to perform quality assurance of laboratory audits and assessments against accepted national and international standards and regulations
• Demonstrated creative problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated experience in training and mentoring staff and developing training materials, SOPs, guidelines, strategies, and delivery training
• Proven experience working with government officials, particularly the MoH, is highly desirable, to support strategy development, implementation plans and decision making
• Kazakh and Russian language fluency are required; Proficiency in English is preferred
• Willing to travel within Kazakhstan (mostly 30% of time).

Candidate Residency:

The position is open to local candidates only.

Contract mechanism:

A fixed‑price Consultant Agreement, structured with milestone‑based payments, will be awarded to the candidate whose proposal most closely aligns with the requirements specified in this request. The consultancy will be conducted over a period of three months, with the possibility of an extension up to six to 12 months and will be delivered on an as‑needed basis rather than daily engagement.

Reports to:
Associate Director, EpiC Kazakhstan.

Location of Work:

This work will take place in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Online communication with the EpiC HQ-based staff is required.

Travel
Traveling within Kazakhstanis required

Target Start Date:

• February 15, 2026.

Terms of payment:

Payments shall be made based on performance, according to the working schedule. FHI 360 reserves the right to withhold all or a portion of payment if performance is unsatisfactory, if work/output is incomplete, not delivered, or for failure to meet deadlines.

Required Documentation: Applications must include the following components:

CV/Resume.

Cover Letter outlines GROSS Daily Rate in KZT or USD.

Evaluation Criteria: The proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

Education (10%).

Relevant experience in public health and GHS in Kazakhstan (50%).

Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing donor funded projects (30%).

Proposed rate (10%).

Response deadline & format:

Responses to this RFP should be submitted by email to procurement_EpiC.KZсобакаfhi360.org with the Subject line: Consultant for Strengthening of Diagnostic and Laboratory System.

Responses must be received no later than February 10, 2026, at 23:59 Almaty time. Proposals received after this date and time may not be accepted and shall be considered non-responsive.

FHI 360 Disclaimers:

• FHI 360 may perform a background check on any selected Consultant candidates.
• FHI 360 may cancel the solicitation and not award.
• FHI 360 may reject any or all responses received.
• Issuance of the solicitation does not constitute an award commitment by FHI 360.
• FHI 360 reserves the right to disqualify any offer based on failure of the offeror to follow solicitation instructions.
• FHI 360 will not compensate any offeror for responding to solicitation.
• FHI 360 reserves the right to issue an award based on an initial evaluation of offers without further discussion.
• FHI 360 may choose to award only part of the activities in the solicitation, or issue multiple awards based on the solicitation activities.
• FHI 360 reserves the right to waive minor proposal deficiencies that can be corrected prior to award determination to promote competition.