Provincial Lab Officer (North Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, and East Java)

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) is seeking a Provincial Lab Officer for USAID BEBAS-TB  5-years activity having the aim of reducing TB incidence and mortality by supporting the Indonesian government to address the critical gaps and challenges of the TB program. This Activity will build on the work of previous USAID activities and current projects to achieve its goal. BEBAS-TB’s support will focus on improving access and utilization to quality and patient centered comprehensive TB services.

This position is located in North Sumatra, West Java, Central Java, and East Java. 

MSH saves lives and improves health by helping public and private organizations throughout the world to effectively manage people, medicines, money, and information. Working from more than 40 country offices and our Arlington, Virginia, and Medford, Massachusetts, US headquarters, our staff from more than 70 nations is highly regarded for its technical expertise, integrity, and commitment to making a lasting difference in health. We live our mission to save lives and improve the health of the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people by closing the gap between knowledge and action in public health.

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Provincial TB Laboratory Officer responsibilities will include overall strategic planning, coordination, technical direction of laboratory activities for the Activity to ensure quality assured laboratory services provided to the beneficiaries. S/he will work closely with members of multidisciplinary provincial officers and the Senior TB Laboratory Advisor to ensure progress is being achieved towards ensuring quality laboratory services.

The Provincial TB Laboratory Officer will assist provincial reference laboratories to strengthen the External Quality Assessment (EQA) and Q/A systems for AFB microscopy, and culture/DST labs.  S/he will contribute to improved lab services based on EQA findings. S/he support, and/or reinforces innovative protocols for sample transport od sputum samples to GeneXpert and culture labs.

The Provincial TB Laboratory Officer will ensure that effective lab systems are put in place to support reliable, user-friendly and accessible TB Program of the Provincial Health Office to ensure that laboratory supervisory and monitoring systems, training, commodity and equipment management, standard operating procedures are appropriately introduced, strengthened, and sustained. They will be lab technical lead in provincial level for the BEBAS-TB activity and support capacity building of the provincial lab experts of the BEBAS-TB Activity, public and private health facilities.

The Provincial TB Laboratory Officer will be expected to maintain MSH’s professional and procurement integrity standards in all activities.

Responsibilities and tasks:

• Develop close working relationships with the Provincial Health Office lab departments and other stakeholders that have responsibility for strengthening and improving TB microscopy, mWRDs and culture capacity provincially

• Coordinate with provincial culture/DST and health facility laboratories to ensure that laboratory personnel are trained on the appropriate and updated TB laboratory standards and support health facilities to achieve these standards during supportive supervision visits

• Provide support to labs to implement AFB, mWRDS, and culture external quality assessment (EQA) and support supervision systems for TB laboratories

• Support in the development/strengthening innovative protocols for sputum transportation from the health facilities in a safe and secure way to ensure viability of samples, timely testing in labs and prompt notification of results

• Together with Provincial Health Office and District Health Office, provide supportive supervision and on-site mentorship/coaching of lab staff

• Support the TB program in provincial and district levels in training and technical assistance as well as programmatic implementation of mWRDs, culture/DST, and other molecular techniques

• Ensure that all supported provincial 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 NTP Laboratory Information System (TB lab register) is employed at all microscopies, mWRDs, culture/DST sites

• Communicate with other partners working to strengthen labs and ensure that laboratory activities are coordinated with the provincial and district level

• Actively participate in assessments, mapping activities, and operational research (OR) related to lab diagnostics

• Perform other duties as required

Education:

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science or related field, from an accredited college or university. A master’s degree in medical laboratory is preferred

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience, including prior experience in TB Laboratory

• 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 Indonesian diagnostic laboratory system is essential

Knowledge and skills:

• 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

• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and concisely in written and spoken English

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

• Willingness to travel frequently (up to 50% time) within Province required