Overview

Management and Development for Health (MDH) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization whose primary aim is to contribute to address public health priorities of the people of Tanzania and the world at large. These priorities include: communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Reproductive, Maternal, New-born and Child Health (RMNCH); Nutrition; Non-Communicable Diseases of public health significance; as well as Health System Strengthening. MDH strongly believes in and works in partnership with various local and global institutions, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MOHCDGEC); President’s Office Regional Authorities and Local Government (PORALG); donor agencies; academic and non-academic institutions;  implementing partners; civil society, community-based and faith-based organizations and others. All job positions require significant fieldwork and travel up to 80% of the time. MDH seeks to recruit qualified individuals to fill vacancies below:

LAB  AND  SUPPLY CHAIN OFFICER :  1 post; Tabora Reporting to Regional Project Manager.

Regional Laboratory and Supply Chain Officer is a self-motivated individual who will be responsible for providing oversight to Laboratory support services and supply chain management systems of HIV/AIDS care and treatment programs at the regional/district and MDH supported facilities. His/ Her main objective is to ensure good performance of  MDH supported laboratories in diagnostic, safety and quality assurance including un-interrupted availability of health commodities at districts/sites.  She/he will work in close collaboration with the relevant regional, district and facility level health management teams.

Laboratory-Duties and Responsibilities.

• The LSCSO is responsible for ensuring that MDH supported sites meet national standard for laboratory practice required to support all project activities, including capacity building of laboratory personnel through training and mentorship.
• Ensuring good quality clinical laboratory testing in MDH supported private and public sites by assessing site needs, identifying areas for quality improvement and provide technical assistance.
• Ensure Lab manuals, guidelines work sheets and forms are utilizes appropriately and ensure availability of reagents and other lab supplies.
• Play supportive role in provision of technical assistance for the selected labs for accreditation, as directed by the MDH Laboratory Services Manager.
• Assist the Lab Services Manager in the development of proposals, budgets, work-plans and reports related to MDH’s Laboratory services support activities.
• Facilitate reports by preparing quarterly, semiannually and annually reports.
• Prepare laboratories to meet performance indicators as set by CDC
• Work closely with health facility laboratory manager and quality officer in developing and/or refining guidelines and protocols for laboratory services
• Provide daily support to MDH specialized laboratory to ensure smooth operation of the laboratory according to GCLP
• Assist in the implementation, monitoring, and documentation of laboratory test results.
• Institute and monitor the use of internal quality control in all tests performed
• Review quality control data and assure that patient results are not reported when tolerance limits are exceeded.
• Advise the laboratory manager on quality control/quality assurance issues and ensure participation in proficiency testing programmers.
• Assist in the development of SOPs for implementation, site assessment follow-up and corrective action and quality assurance procedures.
• Assists in the calibration of instruments; performance of preventative and corrective maintenance, function checks, and repairs on instruments and equipment.
• Work together with the CHMTs in the provision of technical assistance and supportive supervision to district laboratory network.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned by the MDH Laboratory Services Manager.

Supply Chain Management: Duties & responsibilities

• LSCO is responsible for ensuring that MDH supported sites meets national standard for related medicines and commodity supply chain management by:
  • Providing TA to regional and districts teams  to ensure MDH  supported sites/districts meet national standards
  • Ensuring that relevant staff at MDH supported sites/districts are trained to provide high quality of

Pharmaceuticals services o Identify training needs for sites, districts and regional Pharmacists  o Facilitate trainings on good practice in health commodities Logistics systems  for MDH site staff oCollaborate with National, regional and district levels to conduct a mentorship program

• Ensure uninterrupted supply of HIV/AIDS commodities at all MDH supported sites by o Annual forecasting and budgeting of needs in HIV/AIDS commodities including lab commodities  for each single site/district during planning
  • Ensuring that each single site/district has adequate buffer stock off all HIV/AIDS commodities including lab reagent and consumables and assist in redistribution of products before out of stock o Providing technical assistance to regional/district pharmacists and sites in forecasting and ordering of ARVs and related commodities from the MSD
  • Ensuring that technical procedures for procurement, distribution and dispensation are respected at all sites according to the standard operating procedures
  • Keep track of drug flow between stores and MDH supported sites and continuously update and educate site staff on developments and issues related to new medicine formulations, national and zonal ARV and OI medicines stocks update
  • Provide TA to districts/sites to maintain the inventory of drugs and laboratory commodities and reagents that are present at both storage facilities and all MDH supported site pharmacies/Labs 
  • Make sure that all dispensing rooms at the various sites have the necessary infrastructure and can function efficiently.
  • Assist R/CHMTs members to conduct quarterly logistics data quality assessments (LDQA’s) of 10 sites per district to ensure that all supplies including medicines and laboratory reagents reach its intended beneficiaries.
• Play key role in the development of proposals, budgets, work plans, and reports related to MDH activities concerning pharmaceuticals and commodities management
• Facilitate preparation of quarterly, semiannually and annually narrative reports to be submitted to key stakeholders
• Follow up collection of monthly information about the stock at all MDH supported sites/districts, and share with respective key stakeholders
• Providing regular information to MoH /NACP on any challenges associated with HIV/AIDS commodities and HIV Rapid test kits availability at the supported regions.
• Liaising with the Pharmaceutical and Supply chain advisor and municipal counterparts on quarterly basis to address any concerns or problems that they are faced with regarding supply chain issues of HIV/AIDS/Malaria commodities and related supplies.
• Actively participate and advise management in solicitation and writing of proposals for new grants/ business development
• Identify questions for operational research and actively lead OR to demonstrate best practices in ARVs and related commodities supply chain system management
• Actively perform supportive supervisions to MDH supported sites and use these supervisions to strengthen their capacity on issues related to supply chain management.
• Carry out any other job-related responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor.

Required Qualifications: Education, Work experience and skills

• Senior pharmacist with degree/diploma in pharmacy
• Public Health background
• 3 years of experience in Health commodities management within public and private sector (forecasting, procurement, distribution, and monitoring); 
• 3 years’ experience previous work in HIV/AIDS prevention of Care and Treatment program or projects
• In-depth understanding/knowledge of national and international drugs/ARV policy and procurement issues an advantage.
• Excellent written and oral communication in English and Kiswahili
• Management of database in access or other relevant software
• Experienced in computer software applications such as MS Word, Excel, and the Internet.

TO APPLY:

Interested candidates for any of the above positions should submit an application letter indicating clearly the position applied for, a detailed copy of their CV, and contact information (email addresses and telephone numbers) of three work-related referees.  MDH doesn’t have any agents and don’t charge any fees to the interested candidates. Applications should be submitted by August 7, 2019, to the Human Resource Manager through e-mail hr@mdh-tz.org  or dropped by hand at the MDH Head Office in Mikocheni, along Mwai Kibaki Road, Plot No. 802. 

Kindly note that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.