Infection Prevention and Control Manager

The Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, coordination, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of infection prevention and control programs across Washington Healthcare PLC.

The position provides strategic and operational leadership to prevent and reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), protect patients, healthcare workers, visitors, and the wider community, and promote a strong culture of infection prevention and patient safety.

The IPC Manager develops, implements, and monitors infection prevention policies, procedures, guidelines, surveillance systems, education and training programs, outbreak preparedness and response, environmental and occupational infection prevention measures, antimicrobial stewardship initiatives, and healthcare worker safety programs.

The position works closely with physicians, nurses, laboratory professionals, pharmacists, environmental health and sanitation teams, facility management, hospital administration, and other healthcare professionals to ensure compliance with organizational policies, national requirements, professional standards, and applicable accreditation standards.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Infection Prevention and Control Program Management

• Plan, organize, coordinate, implement, and oversee the organization's Infection Prevention and Control Program.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive annual IPC plan aligned with organizational priorities, patient safety objectives, regulatory requirements, and applicable national and international standards.
• Develop, review, and implement IPC policies, procedures, guidelines, protocols, and work instructions.
• Ensure consistent implementation of infection prevention practices across clinical and non-clinical departments.
• Establish clear IPC responsibilities and accountability at departmental and individual staff levels.
• Coordinate with clinical departments to integrate infection prevention and control into routine patient care and service delivery.
• Monitor compliance with standard precautions and transmission-based precautions.
• Promote evidence-based infection prevention practices throughout the organization.
• Participate in the development and review of emergency preparedness plans related to infectious diseases, outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics.
• Provide technical advice to hospital leadership and clinical departments on infection prevention and patient safety matters.

2. Healthcare-Associated Infection Surveillance

• Establish and maintain an effective healthcare-associated infection (HAI) surveillance system.
• Develop standardized procedures for the identification, reporting, investigation, analysis, and documentation of healthcare-associated infections.
• Monitor trends in healthcare-associated infections and identify priority areas for intervention.
• Conduct surveillance of relevant infections, including surgical site infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, ventilator-associated infections, and other facility-relevant infections.
• Monitor infection rates and infection prevention indicators across departments and clinical services.
• Analyze surveillance data and prepare regular IPC reports for hospital management and relevant committees.
• Identify unusual increases or clusters of infections and initiate timely investigation and response.
• Collaborate with clinicians, laboratory personnel, and other relevant departments to ensure accurate identification and reporting of infections.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality and security of infection surveillance data.
• Use surveillance findings to develop targeted infection prevention and quality improvement interventions.

3. Outbreak Investigation and Response

• Develop and maintain procedures for early detection, investigation, management, and control of infectious disease outbreaks.
• Coordinate the investigation and response to suspected or confirmed healthcare-associated outbreaks.
• Establish appropriate outbreak investigation and response teams when required.
• Conduct epidemiological assessment and risk evaluation during suspected outbreaks.
• Coordinate specimen collection, laboratory investigation, case identification, contact tracing, and environmental assessment in collaboration with relevant departments.
• Recommend and implement appropriate isolation, cohorting, environmental, and other control measures.
• Communicate outbreak-related information promptly to hospital leadership and relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure appropriate documentation and reporting of outbreak investigations and response activities.
• Conduct post-outbreak reviews and implement corrective and preventive actions to reduce the risk of recurrence.
• Support organizational preparedness for epidemics, pandemics, and emerging infectious diseases.

4. Standard Precautions and Transmission-Based Precautions

• Develop and monitor implementation of standard precautions throughout the healthcare facility.
• Ensure appropriate application of contact, droplet, airborne, and other transmission-based precautions.
• Monitor compliance with appropriate patient isolation and cohorting practices.
• Ensure availability and appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Establish procedures for safe patient placement and movement when infection risks are identified.
• Provide technical guidance on the management of patients with communicable and highly infectious diseases.
• Monitor compliance with respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette.
• Promote appropriate hand hygiene and other measures designed to interrupt transmission of infectious agents.

5. Hand Hygiene and Infection Prevention Practices

• Lead the organization's hand hygiene improvement program.
• Establish and monitor hand hygiene compliance across clinical and support departments.
• Conduct regular hand hygiene audits and provide feedback to departments and staff.
• Ensure appropriate availability and accessibility of hand hygiene facilities and supplies.
• Promote the appropriate use of alcohol-based hand rub and soap-and-water hand hygiene.
• Identify barriers to hand hygiene compliance and develop corrective interventions.
• Develop and implement campaigns and awareness activities to strengthen hand hygiene practices.
• Monitor and report hand hygiene performance indicators to management and relevant committees.

6. Sterilization, Disinfection and Medical Device Reprocessing

• Develop and monitor policies and procedures for cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, and reprocessing of medical equipment and instruments.
• Ensure appropriate segregation, transportation, cleaning, packaging, sterilization, storage, and distribution of reusable medical devices.
• Monitor compliance with sterilization and disinfection standards in relevant departments.
• Coordinate with Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD), operating rooms, dental services, endoscopy, laboratory, and other relevant departments.
• Ensure appropriate monitoring and documentation of sterilization processes.
• Review sterilization records, biological and chemical indicator results, equipment maintenance records, and other relevant quality indicators.
• Investigate sterilization failures and ensure appropriate corrective and preventive actions.
• Provide technical guidance regarding selection and appropriate use of disinfectants and sterilization methods.

7. Environmental Infection Prevention and Healthcare Facility Hygiene

• Develop and monitor environmental infection prevention and hygiene standards throughout the healthcare facility.
• Conduct regular assessments of cleanliness, environmental hygiene, ventilation, water safety, sanitation, and other environmental risk factors.
• Coordinate with housekeeping, laundry, waste management, engineering, and facility management teams on infection prevention requirements.
• Monitor cleaning and disinfection practices in patient care and high-risk areas.
• Ensure appropriate procedures for cleaning and disinfection of patient rooms, treatment areas, operating rooms, laboratories, and other healthcare environments.
• Participate in assessment and management of environmental risks that may contribute to infection transmission.
• Monitor appropriate handling and transportation of contaminated materials and equipment.
• Support implementation of water, sanitation, hygiene, and environmental safety measures.
• Investigate and respond to environmental infection prevention concerns and complaints.

8. Healthcare Waste Management

• Develop and monitor healthcare waste management policies and procedures in collaboration with relevant departments.
• Ensure appropriate segregation of infectious, sharps, pathological, pharmaceutical, chemical, and general waste.
• Monitor safe collection, transportation, storage, treatment, and disposal of healthcare waste.
• Ensure appropriate availability and use of waste containers and sharps disposal systems.
• Conduct regular healthcare waste management inspections and audits.
• Identify and address gaps in healthcare waste segregation and disposal practices.
• Ensure staff are appropriately trained in healthcare waste management and occupational safety.
• Coordinate with relevant facility and environmental health teams to maintain safe waste management practices.

9. Occupational Health and Healthcare Worker Safety

• Develop and implement infection prevention measures to protect healthcare workers from occupational exposure.
• Establish procedures for management of occupational exposure to blood, body fluids, infectious materials, and other biological hazards.
• Coordinate timely assessment, documentation, follow-up, and referral of occupational exposure incidents.
• Promote appropriate vaccination and immunization of healthcare workers in accordance with organizational policies and applicable recommendations.
• Monitor healthcare worker compliance with appropriate PPE and infection prevention practices.
• Participate in occupational health risk assessments and recommend appropriate control measures.
• Maintain appropriate records of occupational exposure incidents and related interventions.
• Provide education and counseling to healthcare workers regarding occupational infection risks.
• Collaborate with Human Resources, Occupational Health, and clinical departments on healthcare worker safety programs.

10. Infection Prevention Education and Training

• Develop and implement comprehensive IPC training programs for healthcare workers and support staff.
• Conduct induction and orientation training on infection prevention and control for newly employed staff.
• Provide regular refresher training on hand hygiene, PPE, standard precautions, isolation precautions, healthcare waste management, sterilization, and other IPC topics.
• Conduct department-specific training based on identified infection prevention risks and performance gaps.
• Develop appropriate educational materials, guidelines, posters, and awareness campaigns.
• Assess staff knowledge and competency in critical infection prevention practices.
• Maintain appropriate records of IPC training and competency assessments.
• Promote continuous learning and professional development in infection prevention and patient safety.

11. Antimicrobial Stewardship and Microbiology Collaboration

• Collaborate with physicians, pharmacists, microbiologists, laboratory professionals, and other relevant stakeholders to support antimicrobial stewardship activities.
• Participate in the development and implementation of appropriate antimicrobial use policies and guidelines.
• Review infection trends and antimicrobial resistance patterns in collaboration with the laboratory and pharmacy departments.
• Promote appropriate antimicrobial prescribing, use, and monitoring practices.
• Support surveillance of antimicrobial resistance and clinically significant resistant organisms.
• Participate in multidisciplinary reviews of antimicrobial use and infection management where appropriate.
• Promote appropriate specimen collection and microbiological investigation to support evidence-based antimicrobial therapy.
• Support development of interventions to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use and antimicrobial resistance.

12. Quality Management, Audit and Accreditation

• Lead IPC-related quality improvement activities and ensure continuous improvement of infection prevention practices.
• Develop and monitor IPC quality indicators and performance targets.
• Conduct regular IPC audits and inspections across clinical and support departments.
• Monitor compliance with hand hygiene, PPE use, isolation precautions, environmental cleaning, sterilization, healthcare waste management, and other key IPC practices.
• Identify nonconformities, risks, and areas for improvement and ensure appropriate corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Maintain appropriate IPC records, reports, audit findings, and improvement plans.
• Participate in internal and external quality assessments, regulatory inspections, and accreditation processes.
• Ensure IPC policies and practices are aligned with applicable national regulations, professional standards, and relevant accreditation requirements.
• Prepare the organization for IPC-related inspections and accreditation assessments.
• Report significant IPC risks and performance concerns to senior management in a timely manner.

13. Infection Prevention and Control Committee

• Coordinate and provide technical leadership to the Infection Prevention and Control Committee.
• Prepare committee agendas, reports, data, and recommendations.
• Present infection surveillance findings, audit results, outbreaks, incidents, and improvement initiatives to the committee.
• Follow up implementation of committee decisions and recommendations.
• Ensure effective communication between the IPC Committee and clinical and administrative departments.
• Support multidisciplinary decision-making on infection prevention and patient safety matters.

14. Staff Management and Supervision

• Supervise and coordinate IPC personnel and assigned staff.
• Develop work plans, schedules, and priorities for IPC activities.
• Monitor staff performance, attendance, competency, productivity, and professional conduct.
• Conduct or coordinate competency assessments and identify training and development needs.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, coaching, and support to healthcare workers regarding IPC practices.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, professional ethics, and effective communication.
• Address performance gaps and professional concerns in collaboration with Human Resources and senior management.
• Ensure relevant staff maintain required professional competencies and participate in continuing professional development.

15. Risk Management and Patient Safety

• Identify and assess infection prevention risks across clinical and non-clinical services.
• Develop and implement risk reduction strategies for identified IPC hazards.
• Participate in patient safety investigations involving infection prevention incidents.
• Investigate infection-related adverse events, incidents, complaints, and nonconformities.
• Develop and monitor corrective and preventive action plans.
• Promote a culture of patient safety, transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure infection prevention risks are appropriately escalated to hospital leadership.
• Participate in multidisciplinary patient safety and quality improvement initiatives.

16. Data Management, Reporting and Performance Monitoring

• Establish systems for collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting of IPC data.
• Develop regular IPC performance reports for hospital management and relevant committees.
• Monitor key indicators including HAI rates, hand hygiene compliance, PPE compliance, occupational exposures, sterilization indicators, environmental audit results, and other relevant measures.
• Analyze trends and identify areas requiring corrective or preventive action.
• Use data to support evidence-based infection prevention interventions and resource allocation.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting of significant infection prevention events and outbreaks.
• Maintain appropriate IPC documentation, databases, registers, and records.

17. Strategic Development and Continuous Improvement

• Develop and implement strategies to strengthen infection prevention and control across Washington Healthcare PLC.
• Identify opportunities for modernization, innovation, and improvement of IPC systems and practices.
• Participate in strategic planning related to infection prevention, patient safety, facility expansion, and introduction of new clinical services.
• Evaluate emerging infection prevention technologies, practices, and evidence and recommend appropriate adoption.
• Develop and implement IPC quality improvement projects based on surveillance data, audit findings, risk assessments, and identified service gaps.
• Promote cost-effective and sustainable infection prevention practices without compromising patient or staff safety.
• Benchmark IPC performance against appropriate national and international standards where applicable.
• Support the development of a strong organizational culture of infection prevention and patient safety.

18. Communication and Collaboration

• Maintain effective communication with physicians, nurses, laboratory professionals, pharmacists, environmental health personnel, housekeeping, engineering, administration, and other departments.
• Provide timely technical advice on infection prevention and control matters.
• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings and clinical quality forums.
• Communicate infection risks and required control measures clearly to healthcare workers and management.
• Establish effective mechanisms for reporting and escalating IPC concerns.
• Promote collaborative approaches to infection prevention across all levels of the organization.
• Represent the organization in relevant professional, regulatory, training, and infection prevention forums when assigned.

19. Other Duties

• Perform other duties related to infection prevention, patient safety, quality management, and healthcare service improvement as assigned by the Chief Clinical Officer or senior management.
• Support organizational emergency response activities related to infectious diseases and public health threats.
• Maintain confidentiality and professional standards in all IPC activities.
• Ensure all activities are conducted in accordance with Washington Healthcare PLC policies, applicable laws and regulations, professional ethical standards, and recognized infection prevention and control principles.

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Public Health, Medical Laboratory Science, Environmental Health, Medicine, or another relevant healthcare field.
• A postgraduate qualification in Infection Prevention and Control, Public Health, Epidemiology, Healthcare Management, Nursing, or a related field is highly desirable.
• Valid professional license/registration by the appropriate Ethiopian regulatory or professional body, as applicable.
• Minimum of 5 years of demonstrable professional experience in infection prevention and control, clinical healthcare, public health, epidemiology, hospital quality management, or a related healthcare setting.
• Minimum of 2 years of supervisory, managerial, or program leadership experience in infection prevention and control or a related healthcare quality/safety environment.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of infection prevention and control principles, healthcare-associated infections, standard precautions, and transmission-based precautions.
• Strong understanding of hand hygiene, PPE, isolation precautions, environmental hygiene, sterilization, disinfection, medical device reprocessing, and healthcare waste management.
• Strong knowledge of HAI surveillance methodologies, infection prevention indicators, epidemiological investigation, outbreak detection, investigation, and response.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze infection surveillance data, identify trends and risks, and develop appropriate corrective and preventive actions.
• Strong knowledge of occupational health and infection prevention measures for healthcare workers, including management of exposure to blood, body fluids, and infectious materials.
• Knowledge of antimicrobial stewardship principles and antimicrobial resistance surveillance, with the ability to collaborate effectively with clinical, pharmacy, and laboratory teams.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement IPC policies, SOPs, guidelines, protocols, annual plans, training programs, audit tools, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of healthcare environmental hygiene, sanitation, water safety, laundry, waste management, and other environmental infection prevention requirements.
• Ability to lead, supervise, motivate, coach, and develop healthcare personnel and promote a strong culture of infection prevention and patient safety.
• Excellent analytical, epidemiological, problem-solving, decision-making, and critical-thinking skills.
• Ability to conduct IPC risk assessments, audits, inspections, investigations, and compliance monitoring and translate findings into measurable improvement actions.
• Demonstrated professionalism, integrity, accountability, confidentiality, leadership, and commitment to patient safety and healthcare worker safety.