Senior Program Officer, Laboratory Systems Strengthening – Daraja Project

Role Overview

This senior technical position leads all laboratory systems strengthening work for a large HIV and TB project across fifteen counties in Kenya. The officer will coordinate diagnostic services, build county-level ownership of laboratory quality and equipment management, and help transition leadership to local health authorities using a structured mentorship model. Day-to-day work involves direct field support to facilities, data review to improve sample transport and testing times, and close collaboration with county laboratory coordinators to ensure uninterrupted, quality-assured testing services that meet project milestones.

Key Responsibilities

• Direct and coordinate laboratory systems activities across the fifteen supported counties, ensuring alignment with project objectives around diagnostic access, quality, and transition of oversight to county governments.
• Oversee the integrated specimen referral network, including the e-manifest tracking system, to reduce sample rejection rates, monitor turnaround times, and improve the efficiency of viral load and early infant diagnosis testing.
• Coordinate delivery of laboratory commodities, viral load collection supplies, early infant diagnosis kits, and proficiency testing panels to health facilities, working with county teams to prevent stock-outs.
• Guide county-level forecasting and quantification of laboratory supplies, supporting commodity allocation committees to secure adequate budgets and testing stock.
• Strengthen laboratory quality management by supporting internal quality control, external quality assessment participation, continuous quality improvement initiatives, and accreditation readiness at supported facilities.
• Organise and deliver technical mentoring for laboratory personnel on point-of-care and molecular diagnostic platforms, including CD4 testing, rapid test panels, and viral load or early infant diagnosis PCR systems.
• Lead equipment maintenance and biosafety programmes, including preventive maintenance schedules, biosafety cabinet certification, and super-user mentorship for molecular diagnostic instruments.
• Provide biosafety and biosecurity training, infection prevention control monitoring, safe waste management practices, and occupational exposure reporting through county systems.
• Build the capacity of county laboratory coordinators and health management teams to take over specimen referral, equipment management, quality improvement, and diagnostic network functions.
• Track and report on laboratory performance indicators, use data to guide decisions, and represent the project in county technical working groups and coordination forums.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Medical Laboratory Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, or a related field. A master’s degree in public health or another relevant discipline is an added advantage.
• Current registration and a valid practising licence from the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board.
• At least seven years of progressive experience in laboratory systems strengthening, quality management, or diagnostics within HIV/TB programmes, including at least three years in a technical leadership or supervisory role.
• Proven experience on a USG- or other donor-funded HIV/TB programme, with a working understanding of PEPFAR laboratory quality standards and reporting expectations.
• Hands-on familiarity with national health information systems such as KHIS, LIS, DHIS2, and TaifaCare or KenyaEMR.
• Practical experience operating and troubleshooting molecular platforms such as GeneXpert and TrueNat, as well as point-of-care testing technologies.
• Knowledge of external quality assurance and proficiency testing schemes, rapid testing continuous quality improvement, laboratory continuous quality improvement, and accreditation preparation such as SLIPTA.
• Strong preference for candidates who have mentored county or facility laboratory staff and worked directly with County Health Management Teams and County Laboratory Coordinators.
• Valid driving licence and willingness to travel frequently and extensively across the project’s fifteen-county coverage area, including a shared Nairobi–Meru duty station.
• Excellent technical writing, data analysis, reporting, interpersonal, and stakeholder-engagement skills; ability to work independently and deliver results under milestone-based funding.