Overview

Tanzania Health Promotion Support (THPS) is an indigenous NGO established under nongovernmental organization act No 24 of 2002 in 2011. THPS works in partnership with the Ministries of Health Community Development Gender Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) Regional Administration and Local Governments (PORALG), Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and Ministry of Health in Zanzibar. THPS’ goal is to ensure accessible high-quality health care services to Tanzanians; through strengthening of health systems.

THPS, has been awarded by CDC/PEPFAR to implement the five (5) years project AFYA HATUA (Sustain Treatment, Enrolment and HIV Prevention- STEP). Through AFYA HATUA, THPS will deliver client centered, comprehensive facility and community-based HIV prevention, care, and treatment services for general, key and vulnerable populations in Pwani, Kigoma and Shinyanga regions, and contribute to the country’s epidemic control. Based on the Government of Tanzania’s (GoT) National Multisectoral Strategic Framework (NMSF) IV, Health Sector HIV Strategic Plan (HSHSP) IV, and PEPFAR COP21 priorities, AFYA HATUA will extend best practices and lessons learned from THPS’s 10+ years of implementing HIV programs in Tanzania. THPS will partner with all LGAs in the 3 regions, faith-based health facilities, and community-based, key population (KP)-led organizations to achieve the project goals.

Position Title: Regional Laboratory Mentor (2 Positions)

Reports to: Laboratory Services Technical Advisor and Regional Manager

Location: Pwani and Shinyanga with 75% field travel

Job Summary:

To provide technical leadership in supported health laboratories in the region for smooth implementation of HIV services as per MoHCDGEC standards, guidelines, and protocols. S/He will work with R/CHMTs to maintain continuous functionality of health laboratories to support clinical services for HIV care, treatment, and other health problems. Specifically, S/He will focus on laboratory quality improvement using national and international standards and support all laboratory and non-laboratory testing to the highest quality possible. Work with THPS regional team to ensure quality HIV testing services, and viral load monitoring are achieved. The incumbent shall be responsible for ensuring that all supported laboratories in the region establish and adhere to good laboratory practices and systems; and provide oversight on proficiency testing performance for rapid HIV testing and other testing carried out in the laboratories and field-testing centers supported by the program. This position requires a person, who fully understands, and is committed to implementing quality standards required of an ISO15189 accredited Laboratory 

Roles and Responsibilities:

• To provide technical assistance to facility-level laboratory personnel, including regular and systematic observation of testing procedures and ongoing site-level supportive supervision and mentorship.
• To provide technical support to Regional and District laboratory technologists (RTL and DTL) through ongoing mentorship and supportive supervision to laboratory and non-laboratory health providers in supported health facilities.
• Build capacity of laboratory health providers on appropriate lab logistics management to ensure uninterrupted lab services across all THPS supported health facilities.
• Support laboratory staff to adhere to written SOPs for every aspect of pre-analytic, analytic, and post-analytic phases of the testing process in a
• Support MOHCDGEC laboratories accreditation programs through Stepwise Laboratory Improvement toward Accreditation (SLIPTA) in the region
• Facilitate those laboratories selected for accreditation program to achieve the National and THPS Targets.
• Support laboratory staff in the region to implement the laboratory quality management system (QMS) as per national laboratory
• Provide ongoing mentorship to laboratory staff and health care providers on performing quality laboratory services and interpretation of laboratory
• Ensure compliance to quality assurance standards based on national and international standard requirements to all laboratories in the
• Assist in the preparation and delivery of applicable proficiency testing for EQA to the laboratory and non-laboratory testing
• Conduct mentorship and supportive supervision to those laboratories under accreditation
• Work with clinical teams to improve HIV viral load testing coverage (viral suppression) documentation and early infant diagnosis through DBS samples.
• Support HCPs to increase TB Diagnosis through GeneXpert and develop efficient TB and HVL sample transportation networks.
• Provide leadership to foster implementation of laboratory services quality improvement through SPI RT-CQI, LIS, SCM, PT/CQI, Site audit, and non-laboratory testers certification, Accreditation, Biosafety and Waste
• Conduct training programs/continue medical education as appropriate to address gaps identified during laboratory supportive supervision and site support visits
• Provide technical assistance to facility-level laboratory managers, Quality Officers, and other laboratory staff including establishing routine workflows; developing/refining SOPs, job aids, logbooks, and referral forms as needed; planning of lab activities to improve tests performance and decrease turnaround time, and developing and implementing an equipment maintenance
• To help implement and monitor efficient documentation of laboratory results of PLHIV at the sites, as well as the effective linkage between laboratories and clinical

Qualifications, Experience & Skills required:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Laboratory Science, or Molecular Biology and Biotechnology or its equivalent.
• Experience, knowledge and skills in immunological and virological HIV treatment monitoring, drug resistance testing, serological and PCR HIV diagnostic techniques, general clinical chemistry, haematology, and flow cytometry as per the national HIV and TB treatment
• Experience in implementing the National hub and spoke specimen referral system for HEID, MTB/RIF, CD4, and viral load.
• Knowledge and practical experience of use of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Laboratory Quality Standards (ISO15189) implementation.
• At least three years’ experience in HIV and TB laboratory-related tests and techniques
• Ability to work under minimum
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Kiswahili
• Basic computer skills in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and

How to apply:

Interested applicants should send an email recruitment@thps.or.tz attaching their application cover letter one page maximum and CV four pages maximum by September 23rd 2021 with a position title as a subject line, for example: “Community Service Technical Advisor’’.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Please do not attach any certificates when submitting online.

THPS is an equal opportunity employer; women, people living with HIV/AIDS and people living with disability are encouraged to apply.