Director, Molecular Core & Genomics Laboratory Pathology, Medical College

Established in 2004, the Aga Khan University Medical College in East Africa seeks to provide high quality education for health professional leaders who will then go on to become reputable specialists generating a positive and lasting impact in the lives of their patients and in the communities they serve. Our goal is to produce health professional leaders through our unique training programmes, building strong research programmes, supporting the best practice in the delivery of health services, and contributing to the broader community through strategic partnerships regionally and globally. We aspire to build for the youth of East Africa, a medical college of international quality, providing them with the opportunity to get the best health professional education that is relevant and has impact across East Africa, and indeed, in the world.

Responsibilities

• Establish and grow the NGS Molecular Genomics Laboratory as a leading academic research facility.
• Develop and implement the lab’s scientific and operational roadmap.
• Foster interdisciplinary collaborations across AKU and with external partners.
• Build a business model to achieve financial sustainability within three years of operations.
• Lead efforts toward achieving Certified Analytics Professional (CAP) certification within three years.
• In collaboration with Lab Manager, Department of Pathology oversee the day-to-day operations, including inventory management, staffing, equipment management, budgets sequencing workflows, quality assurance, and data analysis.
• Lead NGS development and validation to support diverse research needs.
• Design and lead independent and collaborative molecular genomics research projects.
• Develop and secure competitive grant funding from national and international agencies.
• Contribute to graduate-level teaching in genomics, bioinformatics, and molecular biology.
• Oversee development of bioinformatics pipelines for data analysis and interpretation.
• Develop and execute a marketing strategy to increase awareness and utilization of the lab’s services among hospitals, oncology networks, academic institutions, and private partners.
• Cultivate relationships with clinicians, researchers, donors, and biotech companies to expand the client and collaborator base.
• Engage with ministries of health, NGOs, and funders to position the lab as a regional referral and training hub.

Requirements

• PhD in Genomics, Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Genetics or a related discipline.
• At least five (5) years’ postdoctoral experience with demonstrated leadership in NGS-based research.
• Minimum 5 years managing a molecular or genomics laboratory.
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Successful track record in securing external research funding (e.g., NIH, Wellcome Trust, ERC).
• Experience teaching and mentoring at graduate and postgraduate levels.
• Proven ability to manage laboratory operations in an academic or research setting.
• Experience supervising multidisciplinary teams and collaborative research projects.
• Expertise in NGS technologies, including library preparation protocols.
• Proficiency with Illumina, Thermo Fisher, Oxford Nanopore and other NGS platforms.
• Strong bioinformatics expertise in workflow management and data interpretation.

To Apply

Send an application letter together with detailed Curriculum Vitae, copies of academic certificates, license and registration and names of three referees, to the Manager, Human Resources, Aga Khan University, via the email: hr.universityke@aku.edu. Please quote the position title on the email subject. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Applications should be submitted latest by October 31, 2025.