Blood Center Technician I

Stanford Health Care•Palo Alto, CA

12d•$32 - $40•Onsite

About The Position

As a Blood Center Technician at Stanford Blood Center, you will work directly with blood donors as part of the Collections team, alongside nurses and other technicians. The role involves donor care and collection work at four donation sites—Campbell, Menlo Park, Mountain View, and Dublin—and at mobile blood drives throughout the Bay Area. Technicians rotate among these locations on a schedule published in advance. Mobile-drive teams travel together from a donation center, and team members rotate driving; willingness to be trained to drive a 10-passenger van is required. Shifts are eight-hour days, with start times from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. depending on the schedule. Weekend shifts rotate, and consecutive days off are not guaranteed. Training lasts approximately three months and is fully paid; employees are expected to attend consistently, engage fully, and develop into contributing team members. Working under minimal supervision and following standard operating procedures, the technician supports donor relations and care; assesses donor suitability for whole blood, apheresis, community, and research donations or samples based on inventory needs; performs whole-blood donor venipunctures and research bi-product collection; and responds to donor reactions. The role also includes fixed-site and mobile-site opening, closing, setup, and breakdown, as well as floating and transporting employees, volunteers, equipment, supplies, and blood products in Stanford Blood Center vehicles. The position requires a high school diploma or GED, a valid in-state California driver’s license, and Basic Life Support certification upon hire. Base pay generally starts at $31.72–$40.44 per hour. The final salary depends on factors including internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training; the stated pay scale is not a promise of a particular wage.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
Fluent in oral and written English and able to communicate information clearly.
Demonstrated punctuality and good attendance.
Flexibility to work rotating daily and weekly schedules based on donor appointments, including evenings and Saturdays and Sundays; ability to adjust to unplanned situations.
Organizational skills, critical-thinking skills, and attention to detail.
Ability to comprehend and stay current on medical terminology, policies, procedures, and regulatory compliance requirements.
Ability to understand and stay current on written and oral communications and work-schedule parameters.
Ability to work effectively with diverse groups, interact civilly, and maintain appropriate professional relationships and boundaries with coworkers and customers.
Strong customer-service and interpersonal skills, including an empathetic approach to coworkers and customers.
Ability to work with initiative and minimal supervision, independently or as part of a team.
Ability to attend required Stanford Blood Center and department meetings, in-services, and continuing education opportunities.
Basic Life Support (BLS) certification upon hire.
Valid, in-state California driver’s license (CADL) upon hire.
Willingness to be trained to drive a 10-passenger van.
Commitment to consistently attend and fully participate in approximately three months of paid training.

Responsibilities

Greet and assist donors with paperwork, identify donation-specific requirements, and determine donor suitability.
Provide information to donors within defined limits.
Prepare equipment and donors for blood draws; perform venipuncture; collect, label, and store donations.
Maintain complete and accurate donor files and other documentation.
Clean equipment and perform quality assurance checks; order, restock, and maintain supplies; keep work areas clean and orderly; ensure samples are documented and ready for laboratory delivery.
Consult the charge nurse as appropriate.
Develop and maintain knowledge of applicable Stanford Blood Center procedures and protocols, and participate in staff meetings, in-service sessions, and continuing education.
Assess suitability for whole blood, apheresis, community, and research donations and samples based on inventory needs, including physical assessment, medical history, and mobile registration.
Perform whole-blood community donor venipunctures and research bi-product collection, and treat donor reactions.
Open, close, set up, and break down fixed-site and mobile operations.
Serve as a float and drive Stanford Blood Center vehicles to transport employees, volunteers, equipment, supplies, and blood products.
Rotate among donation sites and mobile blood drives; rotate driving duties for mobile drives.