The John Ogonowski and Doug Bereuter Farmer-to-Farmer Program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to promote sustainable improvements in food security and agricultural processing, production, and marketing by leveraging the expertise of U.S. volunteers.

ACDI/VOCA seeks a specialist in Optimization of Laboratory Operations for a Volunteer Assignment in Georgia. 

***As part of the Farmer-to-Farmer Consortium, this assignment is made possible through USAID funding. In accordance to USAID guidelines, any candidates submitted for consideration under this project must have a valid US passport or Green Card.***

This is a 2-week assignment, scheduled for June 2024. 

Provisions for the Volunteer:

• All international and local travel
• All lodging
• A per diem to cover meals and incidentals
• Travel Visa (if applicable)
• Emergency Medical Evacuation Insurance
• In-country support from field office staff
• Local cell phone to use during assignment (if needed)

The Volunteer will assist the host with preparations necessary to become an accredited food laboratory with international certification; including but not limited to making chemical testing, chemical analyses, and the operation of a UV 1900 Shimadzu / color spectrometer and ICPE 9820 Shimadzu / atomic absorption spectrometer.

While in-country, the Volunteer will:

• Evaluate current laboratory practices and procedures
• Train technicians on operation of the UV 1900 Shimadzu / color spectrometer and ICPE 9820 Shimadzu / atomic absorption spectrometer
• Suggest options for maintaining and improving laboratory analysis quality and efficiency
• Train technicians on proper preparation and analysis of samples from a variety of substrates 

• University degree in Food Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, or a related field
• At least 5 years relevant work experience
• Excellent cross-cultural communication and interpersonal skills
• Previous international experience a plus
• Proficient computer skills including Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel and apps like Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook Etc.