Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

The Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpIC) project is a FHI 360 funded global project that supports countries in Tanzania to achieve and maintain HIV epidemic control through strategic technical assistance and direct service delivery. In Tanzania, EpIC works closely with the Ministry of Health (MoH), regional and local government authorities, and implementing partners to strengthen HIV service delivery systems, including laboratory services, in line with national guidelines and global best practices.

Overview of the consultancy

FHI 360/EpIC Tanzania Project seeks to engage a Laboratory Services Technical Officer Consultant to provide technical assistance and oversight to strengthen health HIV-related laboratory services across EpIC-supported regions in Tanzania. The consultant will support regional quality, coverage management, coordination teams, health facilities, and community-based organization (CBO) partners to improve the quality, coordination, and use of laboratory services for HIV prevention, care, and treatment, in alignment with national laboratory guidelines and EpIC program priorities.

Responsibilities or duties

1. Laboratory services for HIV programs

• Coordinate and oversee the implementation of HIV-related laboratory services across supported regions, ensuring alignment with national laboratory standards, HIV guidelines, CBO partners, and EpIC targets.
• Provide technical assistance to health facilities and CBO partners to strengthen HIV testing algorithms, including rapid testing, confirmatory testing, and quality assurance procedures.
• Provide technical assistance to R/CHMTs and health facilities in viral load (VL) and early infant diagnosis (EID) sample services, including sample collection, packaging, transportation, result turnaround time, and result utilization for clinical decision-making.
• Support integration of TB diagnostic services (e.g., GeneXpert) within HIV programs, including referral systems, result feedback, and linkage to care.
• Support the implementation of laboratory services for Advanced HIV Disease (AHD), including CD4 testing, cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) testing, TB-LAM, and other recommended diagnostics.
• Monitor laboratory commodity management for HIV-related tests, including forecasting, quantification, stock monitoring, redistribution, and reporting of stock-outs and expiries.
• Support implementation and monitoring of laboratory information systems (e.g., DHIS2, LIS, CTC2 interfaces), including data quality, completeness, and use for program improvement.

2. Capacity strengthening and partner engagement

• Provide supportive supervision and mentorship to laboratory personnel in supported health facilities.
• Conduct (virtual/physical) monthly technical review meetings with regions and CBOs partners to review laboratory performance and address gaps.
• Strengthen capacity of regional and facility laboratory focal persons on HIV diagnostics, quality management systems, and data use.

3. Monitoring, evaluation, and reporting

• Track laboratory service implementation progress against weekly, monthly, and quarterly targets.
• Review laboratory reports, provide timely feedback, and support preparation of regional quarterly laboratory reports.
• Submit supervision reports detailing laboratory technical support provided and progress achieved.

4. Reporting

• Monthly Implementation Report aligned with the approved work plan
• Technical Support Summary detailing laboratory support provided
• Performance/Data Report on key laboratory indicators
• Laboratory Commodity Monitoring Report

Tasks, deliverables, and level of effort

• Coordinate and oversee implementation of laboratory services → Monthly supervision plans and visits reports, monthly summary of laboratory activities, documentation of challenges and mitigation actions → 10 days
• Provide technical assistance for HIV testing, VL, and EID services → HTS, VL, and EID performance reports disaggregated by age/sex, quality assurance and proficiency testing summary → 8 days
• Support TB and AHD diagnostic services → Diagnostic performance report (TB, CD4, CrAg, TB-LAM); summary of AHD testing uptake; gaps and improvement action plan → 10 days
• Oversee laboratory commodity management → Stock status, expiry reports, forecasts and quantification summary, site-level commodity checklists → 10 days
• Final consultancy report → Final report detailing implementation status, target achievement, lessons learned, and follow-up actions → 2 days
• TOTAL → 40 days

Qualifications or requirements

Preferred qualifications/requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical Laboratory Technology, Molecular Biology, or a related biomedical field from a recognized institution.
• Valid professional registration and licence with the relevant national regulatory body (e.g., Medical Laboratory Council).
• Demonstrated knowledge of molecular laboratory operations, testing workflows, and priority PEPFAR laboratory tests (HIV, TB, VL, EID).

Experience needed

• Minimum of five (5) years of hands-on experience in a clinical, public health, or molecular laboratory, preferably supporting HIV, TB, VL, or EID services under PEPFAR programs.

• Coordinate and oversee the implementation of HIV-related laboratory services across supported regions, ensuring alignment with national laboratory standards, HIV guidelines, CBO partners, and EpIC targets.
• Provide technical assistance to health facilities and CBO partners to strengthen HIV testing algorithms, including rapid testing, confirmatory testing, and quality assurance procedures.
• Provide technical assistance to R/CHMTs and health facilities in viral load (VL) and early infant diagnosis (EID) sample services, including sample collection, packaging, transportation, result turnaround time, and result utilization for clinical decision-making.
• Support integration of TB diagnostic services (e.g., GeneXpert) within HIV programs, including referral systems, result feedback, and linkage to care.
• Support the implementation of laboratory services for Advanced HIV Disease (AHD), including CD4 testing, cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) testing, TB-LAM, and other recommended diagnostics.
• Monitor laboratory commodity management for HIV-related tests, including forecasting, quantification, stock monitoring, redistribution, and reporting of stock-outs and expiries.
• Support implementation and monitoring of laboratory information systems (e.g., DHIS2, LIS, CTC2 interfaces), including data quality, completeness, and use for program improvement.
• Provide supportive supervision and mentorship to laboratory personnel in supported health facilities.
• Conduct (virtual/physical) monthly technical review meetings with regions and CBOs partners to review laboratory performance and address gaps.
• Strengthen capacity of regional and facility laboratory focal persons on HIV diagnostics, quality management systems, and data use.
• Track laboratory service implementation progress against weekly, monthly, and quarterly targets.
• Review laboratory reports, provide timely feedback, and support preparation of regional quarterly laboratory reports.
• Submit supervision reports detailing laboratory technical support provided and progress achieved.

• Demonstrated knowledge of molecular laboratory operations, testing workflows, and priority PEPFAR laboratory tests (HIV, TB, VL, EID).
• Technical assistance in HIV testing, viral load, and early infant diagnosis services.
• Support for TB and Advanced HIV Disease diagnostic services.
• Laboratory commodity management.
• Laboratory information systems (e.g., DHIS2, LIS, CTC2 interfaces).
• Data quality, completeness, and use for program improvement.
• Supportive supervision and mentorship.
• Capacity strengthening on HIV diagnostics, quality management systems, and data use.
• Monitoring and evaluation.
• Report writing.

• Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences, Medical Laboratory Technology, Molecular Biology, or a related biomedical field from a recognized institution.
• Valid professional registration and licence with the relevant national regulatory body (e.g., Medical Laboratory Council).