Jobs

Laboratory Assistant at Première Urgence Internationale (PUI)

Première Urgence Internationale (PUI) is a non-governmental, non-profit, non-political and non-religious international aid organization. Our teams are committed to supporting civilians’ victims of marginalization and exclusion, or hit by natural disasters, wars and economic collapses, by answering their fundamental needs. Our aim is to provide emergency relief to uprooted people in order to help them recover their dignity and regain self-sufficiency.

The PUI Nigerian Mission has been officially opened in April 2016, with a focus on meeting urgent needs, including improving access to food commodities, primary health care and nutrition for Internally Displaced People (IDP) and host communities (HC) living in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC). The progressive sectorial widening allowed PUI to start implementing an integrated approach from 2017 in food security, livelihoods, nutrition and health sectors, with the support of ECHO, FFP, OFDA and CIAA/CDC, in line with PUI’s global strategy. From the launch of the health care services in February 2017 to the end of April 2018, a total of 119 913 OPD consultations were reached in Bolori II, while more than 60.000 beneficiaries have been reached by our cash project.

In mid-2018, PUI has developed its comprehensive response by adding Protection and Community Outreach (PCO) activities to the existing programs in Bolori II. In the month of October 2018 only, more than 3.500 households have received door-to-door visit from the PCO team. In 2018, PUI has also scaled up its intervention with the opening of Monguno LGA base, with the main objectives of reducing morbidity and mortality of the most vulnerable population and promoting protection amongst the whole affected community. This opening in Monguno allowed PUI to reach the vulnerable population in Cross Kauwa, Kukawa LGA. The severity of the needs and the reduction of the humanitarian access make PUI positioning in Health and Nutrition crucial, especially in Monguno where PUI has taken over some core activities from ALIMA at the beginning of 2021, after they closed their program there.

At the end of 2020, PUI launched an exploratory mission, along with INGO colleagues in Zamfara State (North West), and has developed a strategy for its upcoming intervention in the area.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Laboratory Assistant

Location: Monguno, Borno
Contract Start Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 3 months (with possible extension)

Overall Mission
General objective:

Under the direct supervision of Health supervisor, the laboratory Assistant Perform clinical laboratory activities according to PUI protocols, security and hygiene measures in order to obtain results to determine the patient’s treatment, in collaboration with other team members.

Responsibilities and Task
Patient Care:

Assist to collect and prepare blood and other specimens for rapid diagnostic test
Conduct laboratory tests that may be required of him/her
Respect IPC protocols in line of duty
Clean and sterilize the medical material
Check expiry dates of lab materials
Collaborate with other departments as needed to ensure smooth implementation and integration of services
Participate in any other activities such as vaccination, survey, etc…according to the needs
Maintain the working environment in a clean and presentable state
Respects patients rights, privacy and ensure all beneficiaries are fairly treated
Prepare and organize efficiently the laboratory material/equipment available
Ensure proper sample waste disposal according to protocols and highest safety standards
Dispose of waste management according to waste management procedures

Data Collection & Reporting:

Report to Health supervisor in case of malfunctioning of any device
Ensure a sufficient supply of laboratory reagents and materials and to maintain a stock control register
Report to the supervisor any problem especially the gap/loss/robbery/damage of medical equipment or medicines or any patient and organizational issue
Ensuring proper reporting and registration of the sample results in order to keep a written track of activity
Ensure the confidentiality of the results
Submit lab order to health supervisor on a requested basis
Inform the direct supervisor of the various needs

Internal and External Representation:

Participate in any in-house training organised by the department.
Participate actively in meetings when required

N.B: The tasks and responsibilities defined in this job description are non-exhaustive and can evolve depending on the project’s needs.

Priorities of the Department

Good organisation of the working place, respect and proffectionalism
Ensure qualitative work in collaboration with each department
Provide frequent feedbacks to the team - illness patterns observed in the field that require further assessment
Report to line manager periodically regarding context changes that affect the modality of intervention

Mandatory Requirements

Language skills: Fluentin English, and Hausa and Kanuri is an asset
Education Degree: Essential Laboratory Technician Diploma / Degree
Work experience: Minimum 1 year experience at the same position – work in a hospital setting
Work experience with other NGO’s would be an asset

Knowledge and skills:

Experience with sample-taking (blood, urine, stool, sputum)
Knowledge of laboratory testing quality-control methods
Familiarity with tropical and/or infectious diseases
Knowledge about hygiene standard procedures
Experience using laboratory software packages and carrying out surveys
Good knowledge of Public Health and of epidemiology

Assets
Interests:

Working in humanitarian relief
Understanding of the political situation in the area

Transversals skills:

Be available for any emergency
Ability to adapt or change priorities according to the changing situation within a mission or the organization itself
Behavioral flexibility
Ability to manage a fair workload including emergencies
Neutrality
Able to check validity of information, logical thinking
Reliability
Ability to analyze and suggest improvements of the activities
Well organized and hard worker
Able to manage stress and pressure
Reliability