Senior Technical Advisor – Laboratory Services

About the role

The Senior Technical Advisor – Laboratory Services provides strategic and technical leadership to strengthen the quality, accessibility, efficiency, and sustainability of laboratory services within the HIV/TB program. The role offers technical assistance to regional, council, and facility teams to improve laboratory systems, including viral load, early infant diagnosis, HIV testing, TB diagnostics, HIV drug resistance, HPV DNA, sample referral, quality assurance, and data management.

Key responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and strategic guidance for laboratory services covering HIV, TB, HPV DNA and other priority conditions.
• Support implementation of national laboratory policies, guidelines, standards and SOPs, ensuring alignment with Ministry of Health priorities.
• Strengthen HIV/TB laboratory services such as viral load, early infant diagnosis, HIV testing, TB diagnostics, HPV DNA and HIV‑DR testing.
• Improve sample collection, packaging, transportation, testing, result return and client follow‑up, addressing gaps in coverage and turnaround time.
• Monitor and implement laboratory quality management systems in accordance with ISO 15189:2022, including internal quality control and external proficiency testing.
• Conduct laboratory assessments, mentorship, supportive supervision and quality‑improvement initiatives.
• Scale up point‑of‑care technologies for viral load, EID and other tests as per Ministry rollout plans.
• Analyze laboratory data, monitor indicators, and ensure accurate reporting for clinical decision‑making.

Required profile

• Graduate or postgraduate degree in Medicine, Nursing, Public Health or Project Management.
• Registered and licensed with the appropriate professional regulatory body in Tanzania (Clinical Laboratories Board).
• At least 8 years of progressive experience coordinating and supporting laboratory services and diagnostics.
• Familiarity with validating and managing conventional and point‑of‑care equipment such as GeneXpert, TrueNat, CD4 (PIMA/Visitect) and viral load processing tools.
• Applied understanding of electronic Sample Referral Systems (eSRS), Lab Visual programs and integration of laboratory networks into CTC2 databases.
• Strong communication skills and experience working with multicultural teams.
• Experience in quality‑assurance training, mentorship, indicator development and building QA systems.

Required skills

• GeneXpert and TrueNat platforms.
• CD4 testing devices (PIMA/Visitect).
• Viral load processing tools.
• Electronic Sample Referral Systems (eSRS) and Lab Visual software.
• Implementation of ISO 15189:2022 laboratory quality management systems.
• Point‑of‑care testing technologies.
• Laboratory data management and analysis.