Sequencing Laboratory Assistant

UNDP believes that the people of Indonesia should have ownership over the programmes and projects we support. All UNDP programmes therefore actively promote the spirit of mutual respect, support and accountability and subscribe to the principle of national ownership as enshrined in the Jakarta Commitment – a declaration put forward by the government and its development partners in 2009 to strengthen aid effectiveness in Indonesia. In the true spirit of national ownership, all of UNDP’s assistance in Indonesia is implemented by national entities, including line ministries and the Ministry of National Planning and Development, and at the subnational level by line departments, provincial and district authorities as well as community groups.

While each programme supported by UNDP has specific and varied objectives, capacity development is one aim that all UNDP programmes – in Indonesia and worldwide – have in common. This takes on many forms including institutional reform, leadership development, education, and training for members of the public such as journalists, and women’s communities. In line with this logic, UNDP advisers work side by side with Indonesian counterparts to strengthen capacities in technical matters, policy formulation and budget planning, amongst others.

UNDP Indonesia and the Ministry of Health (MoH) have been working together in a long-term partnership on health governance that is aimed at narrowing health development gaps and meeting the SDGs commitments. This partnership has been expanded with the implementation of activities under the 2020-2025 Health Governance Initiative (HEART). HEART Programmes focus on the support to strengthen Indonesia's health system capacity through policy advocacy, evidence-based generation intervention, technical assistance, and partnerships by adoptions of information technology advancement with a total program budget of approximately USD 70 million.

The HEART Programme will have two outputs: (i) By 2025, strengthened national policy and institutional environment that is governing access to affordable medicines through evidence-based and multisector collaborations. (ii) By 2025, the performance of national programmes is improved and positively impacts the coverage and the sustainability of service delivery and the health system better integrate environmental concerns in waste management practices to mitigate or limit its impact on environment(s) and prevent and reduce diseases related to climate change.

Biomedical and Genome Science Initiative (BGSI) is MoH’s new initiative supported through HEART Programme. BGSI will act as a multi-institutional ecosystem that aims to support collaborative biomedical and genomic activities in Indonesia by leveraging strengths in technology and infrastructure including biobanking, data management, high throughput sequencing and bioinformatics. This initiative aims to build a national asset with focus on: (i) To establish a national biobank concentrate on six conditions (diabetes, cancer, stroke, TB, psoriasis, and rare/genetic diseases) which will store samples from participants where each sample will be connected to a registry that manages all information associated with the participant (demographic and clinical), and (ii) To generate Whole Genome Sequence information, that will be curated in a national database.

Through this assignment, the Volunteer will get an apprentice opportunity and gain experience to support national programme in Ministry of Health. This UNV assignment is part of the Health Governance Initiative (HEART) Programme for BGSI.

The Sequencing Laboratory Assistant position will support in performing laboratory procedures including DNA extraction, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), sequencing preparation, and data integration. S/he will assist in ensuring the quality of sample processing, the execution of sequencing workflow, and the organization of preliminary data to support clinical and surveillance objectives.

Under the direct supervision of the Project Coordinator Analyst BGSi, the UN Volunteer will assist and support in performing sequencing laboratory work as following:
• Perform DNA extraction from clinical and culture samples.
• Conduct Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), carry out library preparation, sequencing runs, and initial data quality control.
• Record, organize, and report laboratory work processes and results/data.
• Ensure sample traceability and integrity throughout the workflow.
• Compile and integrate laboratory data into project databases.
• Maintain laboratory instruments and consumables stock as per project needs.
• Collaborate with the Data Analyst and Clinical Teams to ensure complete sample-to-data traceability.