Senior Lab Technical Specialist / Blood Bank

Emory•Atlanta, GA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Emory Medical Laboratory seeks a certified Senior Lab Technical Specialist with a Blood Bank / Transfusion Service background. This highly skilled medical laboratory professional leads specialized testing, develops and validates methods, manages laboratory projects, and collaborates with healthcare professionals to enhance diagnostic capabilities and patient outcomes. The role bridges bench technicians and laboratory management, supporting a laboratory discipline’s training or quality program and overseeing technical operations, complex troubleshooting, quality control, and quality assurance. Depending on the specialty and assignment, the specialist may develop and validate laboratory methods, design and manage educational curricula, oversee process-improvement projects, and analyze and adjust quality control. The role serves as a technical advisor to laboratory leadership, supports regulatory compliance and inspection readiness, and works with vendors, IT, clinical partners, interdisciplinary teams, senior management, and external regulatory agencies. The position is onsite 100% of the time, with a 9:00 p.m.–7:30 a.m. shift and rotating weekends and holidays. Travel is listed as none, although the job description also notes that travel may be required depending on the assigned work area and tasks.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Laboratory Science, Medical Technology, or a chemical, physical, or biological science. Other bachelor’s degrees are accepted if the school is accredited and science and math coursework meets the certifying agency’s requirements.
The bachelor’s degree requirement may be waived for a medical technologist certified by ASCP before its bachelor’s-degree requirement, or for an HEW/HHS technologist certified by Health and Human Services.
Three years of related laboratory specialty experience in a hospital clinical laboratory or relevant subspecialty.
Certification by one of the following: MT (ASCP), MLS (ASCP), MT (AMT), MT (HHS or HEW), or MT (AAB), generalist. A categorical certification may be considered instead of a generalist certification if it covers the work performed.
Analytical thinking and ability to interpret complex data.
Expertise in maintaining and repairing complex laboratory instrumentation.
Deep understanding of laboratory safety protocols and accreditation requirements.
Leadership experience and responsibilities are required.
Promotion criteria review and approval are required.

Nice To Haves

SBB certification is preferred.
Three years of clinical laboratory experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as the key expert and operator for problems that technicians cannot resolve.
Monitor quality-control data, ensure compliance with accrediting standards, and review test results for accuracy.
Provide specialized analysis of complex, rare, or esoteric test results and validations.
Troubleshoot complex tests, instruments, reagents, methodologies, and equipment failures; manage quality-control corrections.
Evaluate laboratory procedures, validate new instrumentation and protocols, and edit and maintain standard operating procedures.
Train and mentor laboratory staff, medical technology students, and residents on methods and theory; sign off on staff competencies.
Coordinate vendor repairs, maintain inventory, and assist section managers with workflow management.
Advise laboratory leadership on test performance, quality risk, instrumentation strategy, regulations, accreditation standards, and specialized methods.
Serve as a laboratory information system super user and subject matter expert, and assist with software testing.
Resolve instrument and hardware issues, support maintenance, verify test-result validity, and address non-conformance events.
Oversee quality-assurance, process-improvement, and training programs; compile and evaluate data, perform statistical analyses, and maintain policies and procedures.
Lead or support method validations, assay harmonization, and technology implementations, including large-scale or multi-site work.
Collaborate with vendors, IT, clinical partners, interdisciplinary teams, senior management, and external regulatory agencies to optimize workflows, turnaround time, and patient safety.
Support system-level inspection readiness and lead technical responses during audits and regulatory reviews.
Perform additional duties as assigned.