Technical Officer, Laboratory Quality Management and Logistics at FHI 360

Basic Function:

• The Technical Officer - Laboratory services will liaise with the STA-Lab and the laboratory team at clusters and Country Office to provide technical support and implement high-quality laboratory services within the state for FHI Nigeria programs including adherence to relevant professional standards and guidelines, and involvement with laboratory clinical governance issues and audits

Duties and responsibilities:

• Coordinate and maintain oversight of the day-to-day operations of all laboratory services at the state level.
• Provide technical support, supervision, monitoring and quality assurance of laboratory service operations in the state.
• Contribute to the development of lessons learned from programs and projects related to laboratory management of HIV/AIDS and apply these lessons to modify existing program and improve the design of new programs.
• Represent FHI Nigeria on issues of laboratory management of HIV/AIDS at the states.
• Work with facility QA officers/ESM leads to monitor the quality of laboratory operations and testing in supported facilities.
• Track the implementation of a Laboratory Quality Management System (LQMS)
• Assist facility staff in overseeing day-to-day quality assurance and quality control of laboratory operations to ensure compliance with regulatory bodies and ISO 15189 standards.
• Support the QA officers to design and implement oversight practices, such as testing, inspections, working with the state teams to prepare the facilities for accreditation.
• Collate, review and report facility reports (site visits, monthly/quarterly narrative, data, mentoring and supervision, etc.)
• Provide assistance in analysis of monitoring/audit results in order to identify service gaps, develop quality management plan and initiate, prioritize and deploy operational improvement measure with the laboratory team.
• Work closely with M&E and other lab staff to ensure that laboratory quality-related data e.g. proficiency testing and retesting are adequately captured in the DHIS, LMIS and LAMIS on time.
• Ensure that the test, controls and inspections are carried out and that personnel have access to all required quality-related documents.
• Participate in EQA, proficiency testing activities. Prepare detailed competency and SPI-RT audit reports for the unit and tracking return of EQA reports from facilities.
• Facilitate and ensure routine PPM and routine service/equipment maintenance.
• Remain informed on current programs in the field of laboratory management of HIV/AIDS and related development field by reviewing current literature and staying alert to any implication of such experience and research for department activities as outlined by the technical supervisor.
• Systematically ensure that records of nonconformity of events reports at the states are kept and resolve non-conformities arising within the laboratory unit to completion.
• Work closely with the lab facility staff to ensure that universal safety precautions are properly followed and biological waste from the labs and blood banks is properly disposed of.
• Provide technical assistance in capacity building for laboratory services to FHI and facility staff.
• Provide technical support on blood safety and laboratory quality assurance issues within FHI at state and local agencies in Nigeria.
• Perform other duties as assigned.        

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes:

• Comprehensive knowledge of concepts, practices, and procedures with clinical laboratory functions and quality management systems for labs.
• Knowledge of health and development programs in developing countries in general and Nigeria specifically
• Experience in the management of laboratory services, particularly health facility-based services, including quality assurance systems, laboratory analysis, and interpretation and reporting techniques based on best practices, quality management practices and safe work practices.
• Excellent working knowledge of laboratory equipment and techniques for the following categories of assays: HIV rapid and confirmatory testing, CD4/CD8, HIV viral load, HIV DNA qualitative test, HIV viral resistance (genotype and phenotype)
• Good working knowledge of laboratory equipment and techniques for the microscopic identification and culturing of different TB species, and drug resistance tuberculosis (MDR-TB)
• Knowledge of District Health Information System (DHIS) and Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) is required.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including presentation and training skills.
• Ability to work well with others and develop and maintain compatibility among project staff, project collaborators, subcontractors and consultants.
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills. And the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines.
• Strong knowledge of national and international regulations with quality assurance, laboratory standards and guidelines.
• Knowledge of USAID and PEPFAR funded programs.
• Supervisory or management experience required. 
• Must be able to work independently, and as part of a management team.
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and understanding of the social, political and ethical issues surrounding HIV infections.
• Ability to represent FHI360 to donors, government officials and the NGO community.
• Ability to manage and complete numerous tasks with a high degree of organization and meet deadlines with strong attention to consistency, detail, and quality.
• Prior work experience in a non- governmental organization (NGO). 
• Familiarity with the Nigerian public sector health system and NGOs and CBOs is highly desirable.
• Well-developed computer skills
• Ability to travel within Nigeria 25% time.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• BSc in Laboratory sciences or related field with 5-7 years post national youth service experience and a minimum of 3 years’ experience in the provision of laboratory support for HIV/AIDS.
• Or Master’s degree in Laboratory sciences or related field with 3-5 years post national youth service experience and a minimum of 3 years’ experience in the provision of laboratory support for HIV/AIDS.
• Certification/license to practice as a medical laboratory scientist is required.