Laboratory Quality Officer

Vacancy: Laboratory Quality Officer

Duty station: Central Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory, Dar es Salaam     

Reference number CTB 52016              

KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation
KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation is an international non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against tuberculosis (TB), still the second most deadly infectious disease in the world.
KNCV is an international center of expertise for TB control that promotes effective, efficient, innovative and sustainable tuberculosis control strategies in a national and international context.  We are an organization of passionate TB professionals, including doctors, researchers, training experts, nurses and epidemiologists. We aim to stop the spread of the worldwide epidemic of TB and to prevent the further spread of drug-resistant TB.
Over the past century we have built up a wealth of knowledge and expertise, initially by successfully controlling TB in the Netherlands. Since the 1970s, we have also shared our knowledge and expertise with the rest of the world. We operate from a central office in The Hague in the Netherlands, a regional office in Central Asia and country offices worldwide. KNCV raises funds from private, institutional, corporate, and government donors.

Challenge TB
KNCV is the lead partner in Challenge TB, the new USAID-funded 5-year global program to decrease TB mortality and morbidity in high burdened countries. We lead an international consortium with eight partner organizations: American Thoracic Society (ATS), Family Health International (FHI 360), Interactive Research & Development (IRD), Japanese Anti Tuberculosis Foundation (JATA), Management Sciences for Health (MSH), Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), and the World Health Organization.

The overarching strategic objectives of Challenge TB are to improve access to quality patient centered care for TB, TB/HIV, and MDR-TB services

Purpose of the job
The Laboratory Quality Officer (LQO) is responsible for designing, implementing and maintaining a comprehensive quality assurance system at the Central TB Reference Laboratory (CTRL) in close collaboration with the laboratory management to ensure clients’ needs are met. This includes support to establishing and maintaining a quality management system, including effective external quality assurance, internal and external quality control processes to meet the national and international standards, document control, process control, routine quality assurance practices, quality data management,  promotes compliance to the system by all stakeholders and responding to customer concerns in liaison with the Head Central TB Reference Laboratory (CTRL).

Position in the organization
S/he reports to the KNCV Lab technical Officer

Principles duties and responsibilities:

Technical Assistance
• The LQO supports the development, review and update of the laboratory quality manual, including operational and technical standard operating procedures (SOP) to comply with the national and international standards;
• In collaboration with the laboratory management and SRL establishes, coordinates and maintains effective external quality assurance program for the CTRL;
• Develops and coordinates internal training  program for the laboratory staff for quality managements systems components and standard operating procedures;
• Supports and coordinates annual competency assessments of staff;
• Reviews, recommends and coordinates participation of the laboratory staff in external  trainings, seminars and conferences;
• Develops and maintains procedures to ensure complete and accurate document control and traceability  of samples from collection through to analysis with reporting and final entry into a  Lab Information Management System (LIMS);
• Establishes and coordinates processes for investigation of nonconformities and quality performance issues with supportive implementation of corrective actions
• Documents all nonconformities and quality issues with links to corrective action documents;
• Develops, directs and coordinates an extensive laboratory Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) program to ensure continued certification/accreditation status. This included performing annual internal audits of all lab activities, protocols, and practices;
• Supports process of continuous improvement through implementation of quality performance indicators and establishing and coordinating regular management review meetings;
• Supports development/improvement of supply and equipment management systems and provides advices on quality specification for equipment, supplies and consumables, including reagents, chemicals and labware
• Serves as the lab representative during all external lab audits, assisting auditors with any inquiries and reporting findings to management.

Project- and Quality Management
• Prepares laboratory operations reports related to laboratory controls and quality performance   performs statistical analysis of data and data validation in preparation for reports; maintains equipment records of maintenance and calibration; assesses inventory control and  data management controls;
• Designs and reports on validation studies and the performance of newly implemented  diagnostics;
• Conducts both scheduled and unannounced audits of all project protocols and procedures and prepares reports of all findings and documents corrective actions; conducts internal audits interpreting policies and procedures and provides detailed reports to management;
• Responsible for conducting lab audits, reviewing data, requesting reworks, resolving data problems and assisting in the selection of contract labs.

Knowledge management
• Keeps up with current trends or regulations in QA by reading current publications;
• Identifies knowledge gaps in the team and initiates or guides further
capacity building;
• Ensures that only up-to-date, authorized versions of documents are in use;
• Implements and monitors all the activities of the Quality Management System;
• Planning, conducting and facilitating quality assurance training workshops and seminars to CTRL staff and the whenever needed in the TB Lab network.

Knowledge and skills
• Understands the basic principles of QMS;
• Understand how to assess lab performance via quality performance indicators;
• A combination of analytical, communication and reasoning skills to accurately and efficiently run a lab is a must;
• Able to read and write policies regarding quality assurance procedures for use in the laboratory;
• Should be able to read and analyze reports from laboratory equipment to ensure everything is operating in an efficient manner;
• Able to read and interpret Laboratory manuals with ease;
• Knowledge of standard computer software including Words, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher and computer based laboratory information systems;
• Skills in developing and presenting training programs and preparing manuals and documentation;
• Ability to plan, schedule, organize, and coordinate quality assurance programs;

Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree, preferably in a laboratory sciences or quality management specialty
• A minimum of two years’ experience in quality management protocols
• A quality management certification is an added advantage
• Certificate in Documenting QMS using ISO 15189 and/or Internal Auditing activities
• Demonstrated managerial skills
• Registration with the Tanzania Medical Health Laboratory Practitioners Council

Country: 

Tanzania

Duty station: 

Dar es Salaam

Organisation: 

KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation

Application
Your application (with curriculum vitae, motivation letter, 3 professional references) should be sent before 4th of May 2015 to:

KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, PO Box 146, 2501 CC The Hague, the Netherlands to the attention of: Mr. Albert Masambaji. E-mail:recruitTanzania@kncvtbc.org under name of reference number and position. For further information on KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation, please see www.kncvtbc.org.

KNCV Tuberculosis Foundation is an equal opportunity employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental handicap, or status as a disabled.

Apply before: 

Monday, May 4, 2015