Reference Laboratory and Product Management Technologist (Augusta)

Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:00am-3:00pm, rotating weekends, rotating on call schedule. 

Position Overview

A Reference Laboratory and Product Management Technologist is a clinical laboratory scientist with a broad knowledge of procedures routinely performed in a medical laboratory and a working knowledge of all procedures performed in a relevant specialty area.  The job primarily involves the application of this knowledge through the performance of analytical related tasks using blood or blood products, the correlation of test results and the solution of testing problems, and the continued development of operational skills through daily workload responsibilities.

Essential Functions

Reference Lab:

• Adheres to all required FDA, AABB, CLIA, and OSHA regulations
• Follows current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) standards
• Handles and processes specimens, ensuring proper identification per established guidelines
• Performs laboratory testing according to Standard Operating Procedures, including but not limited to:
• ABO/Rh(D) testing
• Antigen typing
• Hgb S testing
• Recognizes testing irregularities and has the ability to troubleshoot to identify the cause and resolve the problem or refer to the appropriate level
• Operates laboratory equipment correctly and performs equipment and reagent quality control; able to recognize unacceptable levels of performance and can troubleshoot to resolve discrepancies or failures
• Correlates laboratory test results with patient diagnosis and treatment
• Recognizes and resolves discrepancies in patient and/or donor testing results
• Provides telephone consultation to hospital customers; including receiving and fulfilling orders for antigen negative products
• Performs labeling and verification of blood products
• Maintains appropriate inventories of reagents and laboratory materials and performs tasks associated with supply and reagent management to include ordering, receiving, inspection, preparation, and quality control of supplies and reagents
• Rotates on-call responsibilities

Hospital Services / Product Management:

• Serves as technical resource for Hospital Services staff to ensure that appropriate products are ordered and received by hospital customers (antigen negative orders)
• Ensures that all orders are filled and delivered in a timely manner
• Performs all procedures associated with the shipping and receiving of blood components
• Assists in inventory management and stock rotation of blood and blood components
• Provides technical support to hospital blood banks served by the blood center

Quarantine/Discard of Blood Components:

• Identifies products that require quarantine or discard due to non-conforming test results and communicates information to the component lab

Equipment Care:

• Performs calibration of equipment as needed
• Performs maintenance procedures as indicated by equipment manufacturer’s recommendations

Miscellaneous:

• Other duties as assigned or required

Minimum Qualifications

• MLT/MT Degree strongly preferred or Associates Degree in Laboratory Science or one of the following:

• 60 semester hours including 24 semesters of medical lab technology;
• 60 semester hours including 24 hours of science that includes 6 hours chemistry, 6 hours biology and 12 hours chemistry, biology, or medical lab tech in any combination and laboratory training that includes either:
• Completion of a clinical lab training program or

• • 3 months training in each specialty in which high complexity testing is performed

• MLT/MLS/CLS/MT/BB American Society for Clinical Pathologist (ASCP) certification required or equivalent
• Must meet CLIA and/or AABB requirements for testing personnel
• One year of experience working in a licensed, certified or accredited immunohematology reference laboratory or transfusion service preferred.
• Ability to organize and prioritize workload and meet deadlines
• Ability to communicate effectively, tactfully, and courteously to patrons, donors, sponsors and co-workers
• Ability to work with all levels and in a diverse work environment
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff, management, and peers

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Lifting, carrying, pulling and/or pushing up to 50 pounds
• Repetitive sitting to standing movement throughout a shift
• Bending and twisting