The laboratory officer is responsible for providing support for capacity building, supervision, and monitoring and for providing technical assistance (TA) to the U.S President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Response (PEPFAR) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-supported Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) Nepal’s implementing partners as well as TA to the national and sun-national public health laboratories, HIV and viral testing sites.

Key Responsibilities

• Support for external quality assessment, training, standardized laboratory procedures, and optimizing viral load (VL) testing coverage.
• Support other VL testing laboratories for viral load testing of the clients from EpiC-supported service delivery sites and monthly VL testing report.
• Conduct supportive supervision and monitoring and onsite-coaching of laboratory-related services in EpiC Nepal supported sites and antiretroviral therapy (ART) centers. 
• Assist in implementing laboratory strengthening activities, infection prevention and control, capacity building, and quality assurance and improvement.
• Support to upgrade and strengthen laboratory information system of VL testing in Nepal.
• Coordinate and support ART centers for proper VL sample collection with regular orientations.
• Support to monitor infection prevention and control (IPC), proper health care waste management practices, and compliance with an environmental mitigation and monitoring plan for EpiC Nepal supported sites.
• Support to build the technical capacity of the implementing partners (IPs) for laboratory-related services.
• Support in conduction events (workshops, training, orientations, knowledge sharing, etc.) for project supported districts.
• Provide direct support to laboratory staff of EpiC supported service delivery sites to implement community led-testing, HIV self-testing, recency testing and confirmatory HIV testing, STIs diagnostic tests and other innovative approaches including index testing, referral, and enhanced peer outreach approach (EPOA). 
• Provide TA to HIV and COVID-19 testing service sites as directed by Senior Laboratory Specialist. 
• Support in calibration/validation of PCR machines and biosafety cabinets used for COVID-19 testing including other lab instruments under EpiC project. 
• Support for implementation of early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV in Nepal.
• Support in preparation of technical reports drafts on laboratory-related activities.
• Assist Senior Laboratory Specialist in activities related to procurement and supply chain management for HIV and COVID-19 laboratory related laboratory reagents and consumables. Perform other related duties as assigned by Supervisors, Deputy Project Director, Project Director and Country Director.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in medical laboratory technology with three years of experience working in health program implementation/management. Master’s degree preferable with relevant experience.
• Experience on molecular testing, IPC, waste management, and COVID-19 will add value.
• Basic computer skills, ability to handle computer applications and have experience on using laboratory or hospital information systems.
• Experience in working effectively across various teams within the project and organization, and building and sustaining positive working relationships with NGOs, government, and other stakeholders.
• Proactive in managing multiple tasks, managing, and working in virtual work environment, and flexible and open for managing time for working with different teams in different time zones as needed. 
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, communication, team building and management, and problem-solving skills. 
• Excellent oral and written English and Nepali including documentation skills.