JOB VACANCY – LABORATORY SUPERVISOR

Title: Laboratory Supervisor

Duration: 12 months (Fixed Term Contract) – Full time position (100%)

Direct Reports: Project Medical Referent.

Location: Nduta Camp and Kibondo (Kigoma Region)

FOR NATIONAL STAFF ONLY
INTRODUCTION:
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. MSF is therefore guided by the principles of neutrality and impartiality. These principles must apply to all MSF staff.

Required Criteria:

Minimum Educational Qualification:

· Essential Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences.

· Must be registered and allowed to practise under Health Laboratory Practitioners Council of Tanzania.

Experience:

· Essential 2 years experience in a laboratory, preferably as a Lab Technician.

· Desirable in MSF or another NGO, desirable in a clinical laboratory

Languages:

· Essential mission language: English and Swahili (Kirundi and/or French will be a plus.)

Objectives of the position:

Planning, organizing and carrying out laboratory activities and supervising the laboratory staff according to MSF protocols, security measures and hygiene standards, in order to support the MSF medical team in the diagnosis of patients’ diseases.

Main Responsibilities:

• Participating in the project planning and follow-up and reviewing the laboratory budget when necessary in order to support MSF’s medical activities.

• Ensuring the compliance of MSF hygiene and safety protocols, both individually and collectively as well as informing staff of existing biological risks.

• Performing laboratory tests and carrying out sample collection (serology, hematology, biochemistry, bacteriology, parasitology …) in accordance with prescriptions as well as ensuring that quality control tests are carried out regularly. Informing the doctor of the results of the tests and keeping a record of the analysis with data from patients.

• Ensuring proper management (cleaning, maintenance, arranging) of all laboratory equipment and the adequate supply of needed equipment and material in order to prevent stock-outs. This includes being responsible for all required automatic instrument calibration, ensuring that no material is taken out of laboratories without prior authorization and carrying out a proper storage system and conditions, inventory, etc. In cooperation with logistics department, ensuring that cold chain is properly maintained in Laboratory areas for both, samples and reagents.

• In the absence of a Laboratory Manager, ensuring proper registration and needs of all lab related activities and implementing a correct use of the associated management tool (EpyTryp. Etc.) in order to have a proper recording of laboratory activities. Preparing and sending slides/samples for external quality control .

• Supervising, in close coordination with the HR department, the associated processes (recruitment, training/induction, coaching, evaluation, potential detection, development and communication) of the staff under his/her responsibility in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required

• Ensuring that all staff using medical devices are qualified and trained. Ensuring cleaning and minor maintenance tasks are performed according to the protocols. Reporting any malfunction to the project biomedical service.

• Producing regular reports on the testing and on any issues / problems related to laboratory personnel and / or the material used.

MSF Section/Context Specific Accountabilities

• Participating in the project planning and follow-up and reviewing the laboratory budget, when necessary, in order to support MSF’s medical activities.

• Ensuring the compliance of MSF hygiene and safety protocols, both individually and collectively as well as informing staff of existing biological risks.

• Performing laboratory tests and carrying out sample collection (serology, haematology, biochemistry, bacteriology, parasitology …) in accordance with prescriptions as well as ensuring that quality control tests are carried out regularly. Informing the doctor of the results of the tests and keeping a record of the analysis with data from patients.

• Ensuring proper management (cleaning, maintenance, arranging) of all laboratory equipment and the adequate supply of needed equipment and material in order to prevent stock-outs. This includes being responsible for all required automatic instrument calibration, ensuring that no material is taken out of laboratories without prior authorization and carrying out a proper storage system and conditions, inventory, etc. In cooperation with logistics department, ensuring that cold chain is properly maintained in Laboratory areas for both, samples and reagents.

• Ensuring proper registration and needs of all lab related activities and implementing a correct use of the associated management tool (EpyTryp. Etc.) in order to have a proper recording of laboratory activities. Preparing and sending slides/samples for external quality control.

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)

• Uniforms are worn by all laboratory staffs during working hours.

• All staffs use clogs in the laboratory and not home shoes.

• No staff is having AEB (accident exposure to blood)

• Lab equipment is decontaminated and cleaned according to guidelines and kept in good conditions.

Team management /Reporting :

• Contribute to evaluation of the lab team (with the Deputy PMR / PMR).

• Contribute to the development plan for the lab technician team.

• Ensure the laboratory is staffed 24hours according to the workload.

• Training: Contribute to the needs assessment, design, and implementation of training for the lab technician, in collaboration with the Deputy PMR / PMR.

• Organize regular and systematic supervision of the laboratory activities and provide on the job-coaching.

• Half of the annual leave to be earned the whole year is taken by mid of the year 2024 by all staffs.

• Ensure the planning and practical organisation of the activities for the lab technicians.

• Ensure all laboratory team have objectives, appraisals done regularly (at least once a year) and shared with MTL.

• Weekly task distribution is done in the laboratory and shared with MTL

• Ensure the organisation of regular lab team meetings.

• Supervising, in close coordination with the HR department, the associated processes (recruitment, training/induction, coaching, evaluation, potential detection, development and communication) of the staff under his/her responsibility in order to ensure both the sizing and the amount of knowledge required.

• Ensuring that all staff using medical devices are qualified and trained. Ensuring cleaning and minor maintenance tasks are performed according to the protocols. Reporting any malfunction to the project biomedical service.

• Producing regular reports on the testing and on any issues / problems related to laboratory personnel and / or the material used.

• Improve communication and reporting (MTL is informed on the laboratory challenges immediately (within 12 working hours of occurrence).

• Medical team is informed on availability or rapture of lab reagents for specific tests.

• Laboratory team have a system of handover (handover book) between one shift and another; with clear reports on what has happened during the shift and things to be followed by the new staff in a shift.

• Communicate to MTL is done in advance before involving to non-laboratory activities (e.g., staff representative/association activities)

• Lab supervisor always attends the hospital medical meeting; morning and Thursday meeting, biweekly meeting with MTL.

• Reports on clear communication done to staff in case they commit mistake is done to the MTL

• Blood drive collection is planned weeks before and logistic, MTL office, HP team and MAM/NAM is informed 2 weeks before.

• Challenges for barcodes are reported to the MTL office 2 weeks before the blood collection.

• Cold chain is monitored according to protocols.

• All sample send for examination outside should have the validation of the MTL office, exempt: CBC, Tb test.

• All challenges link to lab test are reported to the MTL office.

• Patient results are transmitted appropriately and confidentially.

• All lab reagents are available or immediate reported to MTL in case of pre-rapture.

Main Competencies& Knowledge:

• Essential computer literacy (word, excel and internet

• Basic computer skills

• Results and Quality Orientation

• Teamwork and Cooperation

• Behavioural Flexibility

• Commitment to MSF Principles

• Stress Management

Women, people living with disability or any persons feeling like being part of a minority is encouraged to apply.