Laboratory Technical Officer (National Position)

Background/IRC Summary:  The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is at work in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. The IRC has been operating in Thailand since 1975 and currently provides assistance to displaced persons in Tak, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi and Mae Hong Son provinces.
Job Overview/Summary:
Under the direct supervision of Laboratory Training Manager, the Laboratory Technical Officer (LTO) is focal point responsible for technical oversight for laboratory program in three camps from Tak provinces. He/she will ensure the quality of laboratory services by ongoing monitoring visits, regular feedback and trainings to camp based laboratory workers. He/she will conduct the monitoring of laboratory activities by using checklist, and will involve in procurement, inventory management, and maintenance of laboratory supplies and equipment.
Major Responsibilities:

• Provide regular visits to Tak camps laboratories and provide ongoing monitoring and technical oversight for laboratory services, to ensure the quality of laboratory services are maintained or improved.
• Monitoring an ongoing quality control system and continuously undertake quality checks (internal/external) in the laboratories for existing lab tests (e.g. malaria smear, TB microscopy, Stool routine examination, and urine analysis, hematology, HIV VDRL and other tests as required) in coordination with external partners (e.g., MOPH, SMRU, local hospitals and laboratories).
• Assess training needs of laboratory program staff, develop training plan, and provide new, refresher, and in-service trainings on a regular basis.
• Assist to Laboratory Training Manager to develop laboratory manual for all laboratory tests available in camps, as a reference and in order to ensure up-to-date protocols of the new tests.
• Ensure the laboratory records are done correctly and confidentially, and verify the weekly HIS reports, monthly progress reports submitted by laboratory team. Ensure adequate and timely reporting on program activities, laboratory indicators, and donor report.
• Oversee the inventories management, maintenance and repair of laboratory equipment and supplies in all laboratories in camps.
  
  
• Assist to Laboratory Training Manager to provide technical oversight in reviewing monthly consumption patterns, approving monthly requisition, and facilitate the procurement of laboratory supplies and equipment and inventory management.
• Conducting the trainings related covid-19 for all health care workers according to urgent needs to overcome challenges, obstacles related with Covid-19 pandemic and, associate with the Surveillance rapid & response teams for the outbreak situations and with others during the covid-19 pandemic.
• Engaging the refresher trainings or on the job trainings for COVID-19 related topics to health care workers eg. Nasopharyngeal swab specimen collection and transportation.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor or program needs.
  
  Position Reports to:  Laboratory Training Manager
  Position directly supervises:  None.
  Indirect Reporting: Camp Base Assistant
  Other Internal and/or external contacts:
  Internal: IRC Health team, IRC Operation Team and Camp Base Staff
  External: MOPH, Department of Medical Science, and External technical institutions such as SMRU, VCC and etc.