Project Concern International Job Opportunity in Zambia: Laboratory Strengthening Advisor
- Company: Project Concern International
- Location: Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia
- State: Lusaka
- Job type: Full-Time
- Job category: Healthcare/Medical Jobs in Zambia
Project Concern International (PCI) is a non-profit, international development organization with the mission of empowering people to enhance health, end hunger and overcome hardship. Founded in 1961 and headquartered in the United States, PCI has worked in Zambia since 1996.
PCI is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Laboratory Strengthening Advisor for an anticipated, Clinical Laboratory and Health System Strengthening Project funded by PEPFAR through the US Department of Defense HIV/AIDS Prevention Program. Working in partnership with the Zambia Defense Force (ZDF), the project will strengthen ZDF laboratories to support diagnosis and patient monitoring in health centers that provide Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), as well as strengthen health commodity supply chain system and processes in ZDF health facilities. The Laboratory Strengthening Advisor will assist the Program Manager / Chief of Party in providing overall direction and support to Laboratory Strengthening aspects of the project, including the development of technical strategies and monitoring of work plans. The expected duration of the project is four years.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Lead the implementation of a baseline assessment in ZDF laboratories to determine gaps that affect the provision of quality HIV testing and viral load testing and referral and determine health personnel competency in providing HIV testing in line with national guidelines and assays
- Lead a team of senior ZDF health personnel, project technical officers and Ministry of Health (MOH) Laboratory Services Unit to use findings from the baseline assessment to develop a ZDF Laboratory comprehensive training system focusing on internal and external quality assurance processes
- Serve as technical lead for all laboratory strengthening trainings
- Lead the process to review and strengthen the ZDF External Quality Assurance (EQA) program for HIV rapid diagnostic testing and strengthen linkage of 20 ZDF laboratories to the National External Quality Assurance System
- Work in collaboration with the ZDF Monitoring and Evaluation Department, the PCI Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, and the Information Technology (IT) Officer to develop a data management and analysis system for EQA to enable data use for decision making
- Develop and lead the implementation of an Internal Quality Assurance (IQA) system through ongoing supervision and mentorship of HIV testing health care providers and community lay counselors
- Facilitate the formal linkage of ZDF ART clinics to MOH provincial viral load testing laboratories to enable treatment and viral load monitoring for ART clients
- Work in collaboration with the Defense Force Medical Services (DFMS) and the project procurement unit to develop and strengthen a transportation system for proficiency testing (PT) specimen panels and viral load specimen from ZDF outlying health facilities to the National Reference Laboratory and provincial viral load laboratories
- Work in collaboration with the MOH Strengthening Laboratory Management Towards Accreditation (SLMTA) program to develop and implement a strategy to bring 6 ZDF health centers to the level of accreditation using the Stepwise Laboratory Improvement Process Towards Accreditation in the Africa Region (SLIPTA) program
- Supervise regional laboratory strengthening and quality assurance officers to ensure quality implementation of laboratory strengthening activities in line with the project strategy
- Lead a team process to refine HIV RDT and viral load monitoring standard operating procedures (SOPs) and quality assurance protocols and train laboratory strengthening and quality assurance officers and site-based ZDF laboratory manager on the usage of SOPs to monitor and support quality delivery of laboratory services
- Ensure all laboratory strengthening contract deliverables are met within the allocated timeline
- Develop and execute team annual work plans and budgets based on project resources
- Support the Program Manager to prepare relevant donor reports and country operational plans
- Carry out additional responsibilities as may be assigned from time to time in consultation with management
Required Qualifications & Experience:
- Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences required; Master’s or other advanced degree a plus
- Minimum four years of experience working in laboratory strengthening, project management, or capacity building required; experience in implementing SLMTA/SLIPTA programs a plus
- Knowledge of PEPFAR funding and its contractual and reporting requirements a plus; experience working on PEPFAR-funded health programs preferred
- Strong leadership and motivational ability
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Excellent problem solving and decision-making skills
- Written and spoken English proficiency