Senior Technical Advisor - Laboratory Services

About the role

FHI 360 is recruiting a Senior Technical Advisor for its Laboratory Services department in Lagos State, Nigeria. The advisor provides strategic and technical leadership to strengthen laboratory systems and services under the HIV, TB and Malaria programme, working alongside the indigenous prime partner. The role covers laboratory quality management, diagnostic network optimisation, biosafety and biosecurity, accreditation, quality assurance and capacity strengthening, and aims to ensure milestones are met as per contract.

Key responsibilities

• Provide strategic technical oversight of laboratory components of HIV, TB and Malaria programmes in the designated zones of the Nigeria bilateral project.
• Coordinate the design, planning and implementation of the laboratory component of HIV/AIDS care and treatment with state and community-level staff and agencies.
• Improve laboratory governance, specimen transport, equipment and inventory management, LIS support, and the laboratory-clinical interface.
• Lead implementation of laboratory Quality Management Systems, support ISO 15189, IQC, EQA, proficiency testing, CAPA and accreditation readiness, and promote continuous quality improvement.
• Strengthen viral load testing, early infant diagnosis, HIV rapid testing, CD4 and HIV diagnostics, GeneXpert, TB culture and drug susceptibility testing, and malaria microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests.
• Mentor laboratory managers and staff, conduct competency assessments, develop training curricula and job aids, and build capacity of the indigenous prime to manage laboratory systems independently.
• Analyse laboratory quality data, prepare technical reports for donors and government, document best practices, and support operational research and implementation science.
• Collaborate with ministries of health, national public health laboratory systems, implementing partners and donors, and represent FHI 360 at technical meetings; supervise and mentor field lab staff at state offices.

Required profile

• Master's degree in medical laboratory sciences with over 12 years of relevant experience, or a doctorate in laboratory sciences with at least 11 years.
• At least 7 years supporting HIV, TB and/or Malaria laboratory programmes.
• Certification or licence to practice as a medical laboratory scientist.
• Ability to travel within Nigeria about 45% of the time.

Required skills

• Excellent working knowledge of HIV rapid and confirmatory testing, CD4/CD8, viral load, HIV DNA and viral resistance testing, and TB species identification and drug resistance testing.
• Experience managing laboratory services, including quality assurance, analysis and reporting.
• Knowledge of DHIS and LIMS.
• High proficiency in written and spoken English, including presentation and training skills.