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Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory Specialist (Global Fund funded National HIV/AIDS Program)

Position : Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory Specialist
Location: National Laboratory, Dili, Timor-Leste (with travel to districts and sub-districts)

Reports to: Director of National Laboratory with programmatic coordination with National HIV/AIDS Program Manager

Duration: May to December 2011

Funding: Global Fund Grant Agreement TMP-506-G03-H

Job Summary:

The Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory Specialist is primarily responsible for strengthening the public health laboratory services, in particular, establishing and upgrading the existing services to an efficient, state of the art quality laboratory service for the testing of HIV and other STI's in the National Laboratory, Regional Laboratories and National and Regional Blood Banks.
The Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory Specialist will play a key role across the National HIV/AIDS Program providing technical input for all laboratory issues related to the program. S/he will work in ensuring the quality blood bank services and laboratory serology services and upgrade the laboratory technical skills required for opportunistic infections diagnosis and antiretroviral monitoring at the ART prescription health facilities.
The Pathology and Microbiology Laboratory Specialist will work collaboratively with the National Laboratory, Referral Hospital Laboratories, National HIV/AIDS Unit in the Ministry of Health, as well as with the Blood Bank Services.
The position is responsible for developing further capacity in implementing the operational aspects of testing and introducing quality control and monitoring processes for HIV and STI testing services.

Specific tasks:
• Assist with the review, updating and implementation of Infectious Diseases laboratory plan for the country.
• Review/develop national standards for assuring quality of laboratory results in all the laboratories and train practitioners in efficient implementation of standards.
• Review and update National Guidelines for Safe Blood Transfusion and laboratory quality management and train key staff on their implementation.
• Review/develop protocols and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for voluntary counseling and testing centers (VCT Centers), laboratory and blood bank services and train practitioners on protocols and standard operating procedures.
• Support establishment of testing services and ensure quality of testing and laboratory processes related to VCT and STI issues in the laboratories, ART centers and Community Health Centers (CHCs) where HIV and STI counseling and testing services are offered.
• Review External Quality Assessment Schemes for laboratories and blood banks and establish appropriate subscription and linkages to external quality assessment program for these services.
• Develop and review SOPs for laboratory diagnosis methods for opportunistic infections and provide training to the lab service providers in the 7 ART centers and laboratory diagnosis of opportunistic infections.
• Assist with implementation of an on-site mentoring plan for ART monitoring laboratory needs in the 7 ART centers.
• Review stock management, distribution and supervision systems of the health products, health equipment, reagents and consumables for laboratory and blood bank services and train key staff in stock management, distribution and supervision of use of these items.
• Assist with need identification, product selection, stock and consumption analysis, quantity estimation and costing for finalizing yearly procurement plan for the health products, health equipment, reagents, consumables and other supplies for the laboratory and blood bank services.
• Coordinate and assist with Timor-Leste’s taking part in a regional twinning program with Australian National Reference Laboratory (NRL) for laboratory and blood bank services.
• Undertake any other activities consistent to this position and in agreement with the National HIV/AIDS Program.

Professional Qualification and experience:
• Laboratory scientist / technician with at least graduate level qualification; Specialization in Microbiology is preferred
• International level experience in laboratory systems set up and mentoring
• Sound theoretical knowledge and practical experience in HIV and STI testing and blood screening with rapid diagnostic test kits and automated immunoassay systems
• Sound theoretical knowledge and experience in internal and external quality control and quality assurance (QA) processes for laboratory and blood bank services
• Experience in training, mentoring and capacity building in low resource health setting

Personal Qualification:
• Fluent in English
• Bahasa Indonesia or Tetun would be an asset
• Computer skilled
• Patience and diplomacy


How to apply:

Please send your application with a cover letter and cv to—
hasibul.haque@yahoo.com with CC to hasibul.haque@moh.gov.tl
The last date of application is 31 March 2011. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.