CLS LEAD, CHEMISTRY

Sutter Health • Oakland, CA

7d • $77 - $108

About The Position

The CLS Lead monitors, assesses, organizes, and coordinates the daily activities of co-workers to maintain smooth laboratory workflow overall or within an assigned area. The role includes scheduling staff, arranging coverage for absences, assigning and prioritizing work, directing troubleshooting and problem-solving, maintaining shift-to-shift continuity, and handling customer complaints or inquiries. The lead contributes to developing and implementing policies, procedures, and protocols that streamline workflow, improve efficiency, and support safe and reliable testing. The role also trains and assesses co-worker competency, provides direction on instrument maintenance, quality control, non-conforming event management, and records management, and provides constructive feedback and recognition to peers. The CLS Lead serves as a liaison between the manager and staff, physicians, patients, families, and other hospital staff, and leads communication huddles and structured team meetings.

The position routinely performs Clinical Laboratory Scientist duties in one or more laboratory areas. It requires adherence to applicable local, state, and federal regulations, codes, policies, and procedures to protect patient privacy and maintain safety and testing reliability. Specialty-licensed leads may work only in the department for which they hold a license.

This is a regular, full-time, non-exempt position on the day shift, Monday through Friday, with 8-hour shifts and 40 weekly hours. No weekend work is required. The position is eligible for a sign-on bonus of up to $10,000 for qualified external candidates, in accordance with Sutter Health policy. The listed pay range is $77.03 to $107.84 per hour; compensation may vary by geographic location and other factors. Eligible positions include a comprehensive benefits package.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in biology or a related science.
• One applicable license based on the department supported: Clinical Cytogeneticist Scientist License (CLSPCG), Clinical Genetic Molecular Biologist Scientist License (CGMBSL), Clinical Hematologist Scientist License (CHSL), Clinical Histocompatibility Scientist License (CHSL), Clinical Immunohematologist Scientist License (CISL), Clinical Microbiologist Scientist License (CMS), Clinical Toxicologist Scientist License (CTSL), Clinical Reproductive Biologist Scientist License (CRBSL), or Clinical Lab Scientist Generalist license (CLS).
• Eight years of recent relevant experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge and technical competence in routine specimen collection, preparation, testing applications, laboratory operations, and quality assurance in one or more assigned clinical specialty areas.
• Competence in monitoring, assessing, organizing, coordinating, and prioritizing workflow; training and assessing competency; directing co-workers; escalating issues appropriately; and solving complex operational problems in real time.
• Ability to organize and prioritize self and team duties and complete work within expected timeframes.
• Ability to guide the team in accurately, precisely, and reliably performing assigned work, with sound judgment and problem-solving.
• Ability to interact compassionately and effectively with patients of diverse ages, backgrounds, values, beliefs, and behaviors.
• Ability to coordinate team responses to volume fluctuations, unexpected problems such as equipment or information systems failures, shift handoffs, STAT test orders, specimen integrity issues, pending logs, and priority assignments.
• Ability to guide the team in following standard practices, processes, and procedures in sequence.
• Knowledge of applicable local, state, and federal regulations, codes, policies, and procedures for patient privacy and safety.

Responsibilities

• Monitor, assess, organize, and coordinate daily co-worker activities to maintain laboratory workflow.
• Schedule staff, arrange coverage for absences, assign and prioritize work, direct troubleshooting, and ensure shift-to-shift continuity.
• Manage customer complaints and inquiries.
• Help develop and implement policies, procedures, and protocols to streamline workflow and improve efficiency, safety, and testing reliability.
• Train co-workers and assess their competency.
• Guide staff in completing instrument maintenance, quality control, non-conforming event management, and records management accurately and efficiently.
• Provide constructive feedback and recognition to peers and focus team efforts on safe, reliable care.
• Serve as liaison between the manager and staff, physicians, patients, families, and other hospital staff.
• Lead communication huddles and other structured team meetings, such as Daily Engagement.
• Perform Clinical Laboratory Scientist duties in one or more areas of the Laboratory.
• Oversee proficiency testing survey testing and troubleshooting.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, codes, policies, and procedures to protect patient privacy and maintain safety and reliability in testing.

Benefits

• Sign-on bonus of up to $10,000 for qualified external candidates, in accordance with Sutter Health policy.
• Comprehensive benefits package for eligible positions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior