Summary: Under the administrative direction of the laboratory director, the lab manager is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the laboratory in the absence of the laboratory director and assisting in the supervision of lab personnel, maintenance of employee schedules, policies, procedures, and quality control practices daily within the department.

Job Title: Laboratory Manager                                                                                             

Reports To (Title): Director, Laboratory       

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Essential Functions:

• Can supervise all aspects of the laboratory (main lab, phlebotomy, ancillary sites and ER lab), including the daily efficient operation of all sections, ordering of supplies, maintaining budget limits and expense reports, payroll edits and accruals, scheduling, personnel policy interpretation, counseling of employees, in the absence of the Director.
• Assists in maintaining an adequate inventory of supplies and reagents in the department to ensure testing can always be performed when ordered.
• Can resolve technical problems and ensures that remedial actions are taken whenever test systems deviate from the departments established performance specifications. Possesses problem solving skills that are needed to ensure quick resolution of problems that technicians/technologists face technical in nature or personnel.
• Maintains an effective quality control program appropriate for the testing performed, establishing the parameter for acceptable levels of analytic performance, and ensuring that these levels are maintained with all required reporting throughout the entire testing process from the initial receipt of the specimen through sample analysis and reporting of test results in their department.
• Ensures that Proficiency testing is performed for all tests in the department, that remedial action is recorded in event of unsuccessful results, and that all laboratory staff working in the department actively participates in PT event. Follows CLIA and CAP guidelines concerning Proficiency testing.
• Evaluates the competency of testing personnel who work in their department, and ensures that the staff maintains their competency to perform test procedures and report test results promptly, accurately, and proficiently.
• Performs and documents annual review of procedure manual, determining if revision is necessary. Evaluate the need for new procedures, selecting the methodology appropriate for the clinical use of the test results.
• Ensures adequate number of employees are available for work by scheduling and maintaining the department work schedule for daily work, holidays, vacations, sick, etc.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

Incumbent performs and supervises the performance of moderate and high complexity laboratory procedures across the major areas of the laboratory or concentrates activity in one area such as blood banking, chemistry, hematology, immunology or microbiology. Identifying atypical/abnormal cells, unusual organisms, parasites and unexpected antibodies requires incumbent to utilize experience and available resources. Failure to accurately perform patient testing may hinder patient safety and moral. Recognizes obvious errors in results and investigates for probable cause. Errors in test results may delay treatment of patient and/or misdiagnosis. Multiple STAT orders may present a problem in performing timely efficient results.

Individual utilizes educational background in technical methodology and theory to independently perform, interpret and report test analyses. Incumbent acts in accordance with laboratory policy and procedure, HIPAA, CAP, Code of Conduct, OSHA, CLIA, HCFA, and JCAHO regulations. An assistant lab supervisor identifies, evaluates and resolves problems with test analyses and consults with the lab supervisor or the lab director when appropriate, according to established and approved protocols.

Education:

• Successful completion of an accredited four-year Bachelor’s Degree program for Medical Technology or the equivalent of, is recommended.

Licenses/Certification:

• Certification as an MT(ASCP) is recommended.

Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years working experience as a bench technologist is preferred with leadership and quality assurance experience.