Molecular Biology Laboratory Technician
Project Title: Maintenance Cambodia’s Influenza Surveillance Networks and Response to Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza (Acute Respiratory Illness Surveillance)
Cooperative Agreements Grant No.: NU51IP000921-04
Budget line: Salaries & Wages
Duration: 12months (Possibility to renew)
PURPOSE
The purpose of this TOR is:
- To define the reporting line of authority, role, responsibility, and scope of work/activities of the Contract Molecular Biology Laboratory Technician
- To support relevant Acute respiratory illness surveillance and Notifiable Disease Surveillance, work collaboratively with the broader National and International Laboratory Network to support National Reference Laboratory protocols.
- To define the expected process indicators and measurable deliverables from the contract staff.
REPORTING LINE
The molecular biology laboratory technician will report directly to the Head of the Molecular and Virology Laboratory and/or the Chief of the National Reference Medical Laboratory (NRML).
ROLE AND SCOPE OF WORK
Their roles will be critical in the implementation and maintenance of the high-quality standards in the technical aspects of the molecular biology and Virology laboratory at NRML. He/she will work closely in collaboration with the other units in NRML and the USCDC collaborators (the CDC Molecular Influenza Lab Scientist) to ensure that joint collaborative projects are of high quality and serve the common project goals and objectives.
He/she will be responsible for ensuring that the joint NIPH-US CDC AFI is successfully implemented, conducted, and monitored in accordance with the agreed-upon protocols. In addition, the contract staff will work with the head of the Unit and key collaborators to develop a work plan reflecting the high productivity of the molecular and Virology laboratory with an efficient workflow. He/she will assist the provincial health departments and all partners in program coordination and management within the national laboratory.
- ACTIVITIES
- The molecular biology laboratory technician will be responsible for ensuring that the NIPH molecular and Virology laboratory completes all activities with which it is charged in a high-quality and timely manner. This includes, but is not limited to, the following;
- Receive, label, and process AFI specimens from sentinel sites and health facilities.
- Ensure appropriate storage and transport of specimens (serum, plasma, whole blood, swabs).
- Maintain specimen tracking logs and ensure proper biorepository management.
- Perform routine and specialized laboratory testing for AFI pathogens (e.g., DENV, CHIK, ZIKA, West Nile, and JE IgM ELISA, PCR for viral and bacterial pathogens).
- Perform routine and laboratory testing for Notifiable disease surveillance (e.g, Avian Influenza, enterovirus 71, mpox, and COVID-19 by PCR method.
- Ensure adherence to standard operating procedures (SOPs), biosafety, and quality assurance protocols.
- Conduct equipment calibration, maintenance, and troubleshooting to ensure accuracy of results.
- Record and analyze laboratory results in laboratory information systems or surveillance databases.
- Ensure timely reporting of laboratory-confirmed AFI cases to the national surveillance system and relevant partners.
- Contribute to weekly and monthly AFI and NDS surveillance summary reports.
- Participate in internal and external quality assurance programs (proficiency testing, validation, QC samples).
- Maintain high standards of laboratory biosafety and biosecurity.
- Provide technical input for development and revision of SOPs, job aids, and laboratory manuals.
- Support training and mentorship of health facility staff on specimen collection and referral.
- Collaborate with clinicians, epidemiologists, and surveillance officers to strengthen integrated AFI and NDS surveillance.
- Participate in outbreak investigations and rapid response activities as required.
- PROCESS INDICATORS
- Number of tests done
- Number of contamination issues in test results
- Number of supervisions visit trips
- Number of changes made after feedback given following corrective action on sites or at the lab
- Proficiency testing for lab staff done every 6 months
- Quality of specimens received from sentinel sites
- Number and quality of active participation/interactions with other partners involved in AFI and NDS surveillance.
- Progress of curriculum development for ongoing training of technicians
- Staff recognition event through a posting on a board of the “Staff of the month”
- REPORT FORMAT
- The Contractor Staff are expected to submit a productivity report every 3 months to the NIPH chain of command and to CDC AI leads. The report will include:
- Highlight of activities and accomplishment
- Challenges overcome from last 3 months
- Work plan for the following 3 months with timeline and assignment of responsibilities among staff when applicable
- Associate/bachelor's degree in medical laboratory, master's degree or other related fields is preferred.
- 2 years of working experience in a clinical or public health laboratory, particularly in serology (ELISA) and PCR methods.
- Knowledge of good practice laboratory.
- Experience in conducting laboratory research and article publication
- Experience in writing technical documents.
- Experience in analyzing laboratory data and reports.
- Experience in providing training to laboratory staff
- Good communication skills
- Willing to learn new skills and share knowledge with teammates
- Proficiency in speaking and writing in English
- Skill in Microsoft Office, internet, and data analysis
