mothers2mothers (m2m) is an Africa-based NGO that unlocks the potential of women to eliminate paediatric AIDS and create healthy families across ten sub-Saharan African countries. m2m trains, employs, and helps empower women living with HIV to work as community healthcare workers in understaffed health centres and underserved communities. Through a peer-to-peer approach, these ‘Mentor Mothers’ deliver a range of health services, advice, and support to women and their families. Started in Cape Town, South Africa in 2001 with an initial focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, m2m has innovated and built on its strengths and now provides family-centred support for a range of related health and social issues spanning pregnancy, birth, childhood, and adolescence. It also partners with governments and other NGOs on the adoption of its programme to spread the Mentor Mother Model and its benefits. m2m has a track record of scaling its services and proven impact. To date, m2m has reached over 11M women and children under two, and created more than 11,000 jobs for African women living with HIV. For more, visit www.m2m.org.
The project Laboratory Lead will be responsible for technical expertise, coordination and supervision of all laboratory activities within Nairobi County and NTRH in compliance with national and donor guidelines and policies, provide technical support and supervision to ensure that the laboratory services meet established safety standards, are well coordinated and efficient and meet established quality standards.
Key Performance Areas:
- Prior experience with capacity building and clinical training of health personnel for improved service delivery in resource-challenged settings.
- Responsible for technical leadership and oversight for the project team on efficient laboratory systems and networks for HIV and TB diagnostics, ensuring coordinated and efficient specimen sample collection and transfers, results transmission and reasonable turnaround times
- Responsible for technical assistance and capacity building support to project program officers and facility laboratory personnel for expansion of quality laboratory services including improved access to laboratory diagnosis and monitoring through HIV testing, virologic monitoring, CD4 testing, early infant diagnosis (EID) and new innovative TB diagnostics to support provision of quality integrated HIV services at health facilities in liaison with County and Sub County Medical Lab Coordinators and NTRH lab department.
- Provide oversight, technical assistance and capacity building to establish, strengthen and expand the laboratory network between project supported care and treatment facilities in Nairobi County.
- Support capacity building and technical assistance to project program officers and facility laboratory personnel on reagent/commodity forecasting, quantification, procurement and consumption reporting in liaison with County and Sub County Medical Lab Coordinators, NTRH lab department and the national supply chain mechanisms.
- Support capacity building and technical assistance to project program officers and facility laboratory personnel on laboratory related QA/QC, lab equipment maintenance and related service contracts in liaison with national laboratory reference labs and equipment vendors.
- Work in close collaboration with the project management team and Nairobi CHMT and NTRH to strengthen laboratory systems and services to offer improved access to laboratory diagnosis and monitoring in support of provision of quality integrated health services.
- Work in close collaboration with the M&E Lead to strengthen Laboratory Health Management Information Systems for commodity reporting at facility, sub-county and county levels and NTRH.
- Represent the project team at technical/stakeholder forums with the county and national government, the donor agencies and other implementing partners on laboratory related matters.
- Advise and ensure compliance with implement infection prevention and control, biosafety and biosecurity across project supported health facilities providing HIV and TB testing services
Qualification and Experience:
- Higher National Diploma (HND) or Degree in medical laboratory sciences or related qualification. Post graduate qualifications in medical laboratory sciences, public health or related disciplines will be an added advantage.
- Minimum five years progressively responsible experience in implementing PEPFAR laboratory strengthening service delivery programs.
- Proven track record of providing mentorship and supervision for strengthening laboratory services and training in quality improvement approaches.
- Good knowledge on lab commodity management, reporting and LMIS, biosafety and biosecurity and quality control protocols
- Experience working with MOH structures and personnel and good knowledge of laboratory related health systems strengthening.
- Strong programming, management, technical and critical thinking skills to facilitate program implementation.
- Excellent analytical, communication, presentation and report writing skills.
- Demonstrated ability to work with efficiency and diplomacy, as part of a team effort
- Computer literacy, particularly in the use of MS office.
- Excellent skills in facilitation, team building and coordination.
- Ability to multitask and meet tight deadlines in a complex implementation environment.
More Information
- Job City Nairobi
