Community ART Laboratory Scientist at Heartland Alliance

Project Background

Heartland Alliance Ltd-Gte is currently implementing a USAID funded Accelerating Control for HIV Epidemic (ACE) Project in Lagos, Edo, and Bayelsa States. Implementation is targeted at promoting new and underutilized partnerships to accelerate the achievement of the HIV epidemic control in Nigeria through the delivery of high impact HIV prevention, care, and support services to general populations who are living with HIV and those at risk of contracting HIV.

The program is intended to provide evidence-based services that will deliver measurable results by addressing programmatic and systems barriers to epidemic control, including but not limited to, the following areas: HIV Case Finding and Linkage (HTS), Adult Care and Treatment, Paediatric/Adolescent Care and Treatment, Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT), Cervical cancer screening, TB/HIV Care, Laboratory, Health Systems Strengthening to Support Clinical Services, Expertise with the Private Sector and Operations and Implementation Research.

We seek applications from qualified persons for the position below:

Job Title: Community ART Laboratory Scientist

Reports to:  State Program Manager

Location(s): Bayelsa, Edo and Lagos

Slots: Bayelsa (2), Edo (3), Lagos (3)

Employment Type: Part Time

Job Summary

The Community ART Laboratory Scientist will provide programmatic support to implement high quality care and support activities with primary focus on community-based HIV/TB Laboratory activities through improving activities across the continuum of care in 1st and 3rd 95 – case finding for adults and paediatrics, genealogy testing scaling of Lab components of AHD, Recency testing, viral load sample collection and suppression. Support safe and ethical models of care both at the facility and community that would efficiently achieve results thereby maintaining program fidelity.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Support planning, coordination of activities for the community ART team.
• Develop strategies aim at effective and strategic for community case findings among the general population.
• Ensure all newly clients identified are screened for AHD care at the community.
• Ensure recency testing is conducted for all newly identified clients at the community.
• Ensure adequate samples are collected from every recent positive client for viral load.
• Ensure availability of all commodities-test kits, consumables etc at the community.
• Ensure distribution of HIVST with proper client’s literacy education.
• Support training facilitation of health care providers at unsupported structures in the community.
• Support client’s literacy education including care givers orientation at the community.
• Conduct capacity building sessions for unsupported sites using the hub and spoke mechanisms.
• Organize and support monthly referral coordination meetings.
• Support differentiated service delivery models in the community are activated strengthened for existing ones and scaled up across all supported LGAs.
• Ensure tracking of all IIT clients immediately.
• Ensure daily review of all clients in care at the community.
• Ensure community upward viral load sample collection at the community.
• Touch base with supported facilities frequently to ensure all community identified clients are linked to facility electronic medical capturing.
• Support the teamwork through devolved clients from the facility to community and ensure high quality services are offered to them.
• Support organized weekends, moonlight ART services are offered to clients across the continuum of care.
• Support oversight of documentations on all source documentations on daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
• Support the SI team during data validation of community services.
• Perform other assigned responsibilities as occasion demands by Supervisor.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or competency required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

Education and/or Experience:

• B.MLS with at least 2 years of working experience in a PCR laboratory.
• Experience and knowledge of molecular diagnostics.
• Good knowledge and experience with data use for decision making.
• Familiarity with the Government of Nigeria policies and regulations and demonstrated ability to collaborate with government officials (at all levels) to strengthen program implementation.
• Demonstrated ability in working and collaborating with local and international partner organizations.

Other Competencies:

• Time Management – Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time and complete projects in a fast-paced, changing environment with minimal supervision.
• Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness.
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; edits work for spelling and grammar; varies writing style to meet needs; presents numerical data effectively.
• Adaptability - adapts to changes in the work environment; manages competing demands; changes approach or method to best fit the situation; able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events.
• Cultural Sensitivity – Respects cultural environment in which person is working and does not act in a manner that is outwardly offensive to the local community.
• Non-discriminatory- Does not discriminate persons based on sexual orientation or gender identity, age, preferred jobs, or behavioural habits.

Language Skills:

• Excellent oral and written English communication skills.
• Knowledge of Local Language preferred.
• Demonstrated competency in public speaking.

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, Windows operating systems, Power Point.
• Other software routinely used by Heartland Alliance.