Background:

 Amref Health Africa is the largest international health development organization based in Africa. Working with and through African communities, health systems and governments, Amref Health Africa’s vision is for lasting health change in Africa and is committed to improving the health of people in Africa by partnering with and empowering communities, and strengthening health systems.

AMREF Health Africa is seeking applicants for a USAID-supported 3-5 years program in Ethiopia, TB Local Organization Network (TB-LON), which will support the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) and partners in providing a comprehensive package of TB interventions in Developing Regions. The overarching strategic objectives of this Local Organizations Network activity is to contribute to national and regional efforts to achieve the END TB 90 (90) 90 milestones by 2025 contributing towards the National End TB target of 2035 through narrow TB program performance gap of DRS compared with other regions and national average and enhancing engagement of-local-partners.

Job Purpose:

In close collaboration with the Senior and regional MDR-TB Advisors (TB-LON), the regional Laboratory officer's responsibilities will include coordination and technical support of laboratory activities for the project to ensure quality assured laboratory services to the beneficiaries. As the laboratory is an essential component in the continuum of TB diagnosis, care and treatment, s/he will work closely with the Senior and regional MDR-TB Advisors, as well as with the consortium partners (PBDO and LIA) to ensure progress is being achieved towards ensuring quality laboratory services.

The Regional Laboratory officers will assist the regional reference laboratories (RRL’s) to strengthen the quality of TB laboratory diagnosis through capacity building, quality assurance system, and External Quality Assessment (EQA) in their catchment areas in collaboration with other partners. S/he will contribute to improved lab services at health facilities. S/he establishes, and/or reinforces innovative protocols for transfer of sputum smears from the community to health center labs and receipt of results back in a timely fashion. He /she will contribute to introduction and implementation of new TB diagnostic technologies.

S/he will ensure that effective systems are put in place to support reliable, user-friendly and accessible TB Program (NTP) of the MOH, RHB and EPSS to ensure that strengthen the laboratory supervisory and monitoring systems, training, commodity and equipment management, Standard Operating Procedures are appropriately introduced, strengthened, and sustained. S/he will provide technical support to the laboratories as required. S/he will be expected to maintain AMREF’s professional and procurement integrity standards in all activities.

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop close working relationships with the regional reference laboratories and other stakeholders that have responsibility for strengthening and improving TB laboratory capacity regionally. Adapt existing procedures in place in regional laboratories to meet the needs of health centers. 

• Work with the Regional Laboratories to assist in the training program for TB laboratory Diagnosis. 

• Coordinate with Regional Reference Laboratories and Hospital laboratories in the project regions to ensure that laboratory personnel are trained on the revised TB laboratory standards and support health centers to achieve these standards during supportive supervision visits. 

• Provide support to labs to implement external quality assessment (EQA) and support supervision systems for health center TB laboratories. 

• Develop/strengthen innovative protocols for sputum transportation from the community to health center laboratories in a safe and secure way to ensure viability of samples, timely testing in labs and prompt notification of results. 

• Work with the Regional hubs and RRL in TB lab commodities specifications, procurement and inventory management implementation. 

• Work with RRL to scale up the implementation of Standard Operating Procedures for TB laboratory activities and the Quality Assurance Guidelines for TB lab diagnosis.

• Develops and maintains strong working relationships with the donor, partner organizations, and other relevant parties, and represents the TB-LON project in relevant technical and coordination meetings, when required.

• Provide support to RRLs to implement external quality assessment (EQA) and support supervision systems for health facility TB laboratories

• Together with Regional Laboratory staff, provide support to RRL and participate in supportive supervision and on-site mentorship/coaching of health facility lab staff. 

• Ensure that all supported laboratories implement and follow internationally-recognized TB laboratory biosafety practices to ensure the safety of staff, patients and the public. Ensure appropriate disposal of sputum specimens and other infectious material. 

• Ensure that the standard Ethiopian and appropriate TB Laboratory Information System (TB lab register) is employed at all project supported TB-laboratory diagnostic sites. In addition, set up systems to capture both commodities use and specimen workload data.

• Coordinate with Regional Reference Laboratories and Hospital laboratories in the project zones to ensure that laboratory personnel are trained on the revised TB laboratory standards and support health centers to achieve these standards during supportive supervision visits. 

• Develop/implement tools for lab reporting as part of lab network strengthening and build capacity of staff at regional labs and below in data management for decision making

• Develop annual plan and budget for TB laboratory activities in TB-LON project areas 

• Communicate with other partners working to strengthen labs and ensure that TB-LON laboratory activities are coordinated with the regional level. 

• Represent TB-LON on regional TB, TB/HIV and MDR/XRD TB working groups.

• Support the implementation of new TB diagnostic technologies like Gene Xpert, True-Nat and others 

• Work with EPHI/national TB reference laboratory and regional laboratories and implement TB culture EQA

• Analyze the data collected in the TB-LON supported laboratories and work with the Project Coordinator to contribute to the written quarterly and annual progress reports, in line with the agreed indicators that have to be reported to USAID.

• Develop close working relationships with the RRLs, health facility labs and other stakeholders that have responsibility for strengthening and improving TB microscopy capacity nationally. Adapt existing procedures in place in regional laboratories to meet the needs of health facilities.

• Contribute to the quarterly and annual report writing processes.

• Perform other duties as required.

Job Requirements

Required Educational Qualifications:

• Minimum Degree and above in Medical Laboratory Technology, Clinical Laboratory Science/ Microbiology or related discipline with four years with responsibilities in each of the following areas with a minimum 8 total experience for the degree and 6 years’ experience for the master's holders. 

Experience: 

• Experience in implementing laboratory components of international and national public health programs and providing support to regional and peripheral laboratories.

• Knowledge and experience of the managerial, financial, human resource, infrastructural, and systems requirements for ensuring the operation and sustainability of TB laboratory services in developing regional states.

• Understanding and working knowledge of the role of the laboratory in TB prevention, care and treatment, TB/HIV, and Programmatic Management of Drug-resistant TB (PMDT)

• Experience working with the Ethiopian diagnostic laboratory system and networking essential

• Knowledge of and recent experience in laboratory equipment and commodity management, including new TB diagnostic technologies, with particular reference to those required for scale-up of TB diagnosis and PMDT.

• Knowledge on TB microscopy EQA and new TB diagnostic technologies 

• Familiarity with and experience in implementing local and national laboratory quality assessment, quality assurance and accreditation systems, including the ISO accreditation standards and accreditation process.

• Knowledge of and experience in laboratory capacity building, monitoring and supervision.

• Excellent communication, and interpersonal skills, demonstrated leadership, and the ability to work collaboratively with culturally diverse partners.

• Computer literacy; competency with Microsoft Office, internet and email systems.

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Amharic is required.

• Ability to work independently as well as in collaboration with colleagues and partners.

• Willingness to travel frequently (up to 60% time) within the region/Ethiopia required. 

How to Apply

• Interested applicants please visit our website CLIK HERE to submit your application. You will be directed to our online portal where you will need to create an account in order for you to be able to submit your application. Your application should include quoting Regional Project Officer - Laboratory in the subject line of a cover letter, detailing why you are the best fit for this position, your CV with relevant skills and experience, and duty station that you apply for (i.e., Afar, Somali, Gambella, Benishangul Gumuz). Closing date will be December 24, 2023. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

• *On your application, please indicate for which location you are applying. 

• If you face any challenge applying on our website contact us at  ETrecruitment@Amref.org.

• Duly note that Amref Health Africa does not require applicants to pay any money at whatever stage of the recruitment and selection process and has not retained any agent in connection with recruitment. Amref Health Africa is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Amref Health Africa is an equal opportunity employer and has a non-smoking environment policy.