Lab Analyst

ExperTox, Inc. Laboratory Analyst

INTRODUCTION:

This position, Laboratory Analyst, is located at, ExperTox, Inc., Deer Park, TX. The incumbent, a registered Medical Technologist or equivalent, will serve as the Laboratory Analyst of the Forensic Toxicology Laboratory. This position may include supervision of laboratory technicians, assessment of technical performance, and other administrative duties as required to meet regulatory requirements established by CLIA, CAP, DEA, DPS or other agencies. Must possess a Bachelors of Science in one of the following: Biology, Chemistry, Toxicology, Biochemistry or similar degree equivalence and must be able to perform independent case work with little or no supervision. (24.0 credit hours of chemistry)

ExperTox provides toxicology services to any facility or individual that requests laboratory testing.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

As the laboratory’s analyst, the incumbent is responsible for the following:

- Communicating to the team assignments, projects, problems to be solved, milestones, and program issues under review;

- Monitoring status and progress of work and reviewing completed work to ensure Analyst’s instructions on work priorities, methods, deadlines, and quality have been met;

- Resolving technical problems and ensuring remedial actions are taken whenever test systems deviate from the laboratory’s established performance specifications;

- Insuring Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) exist for all testing procedures, that SOPs accurately describe and define the procedure, and writing new SOPs, as necessary;

- Performing the testing of the College of American Pathologist (CAP) Proficiency Testing Program for the department;

- Researching, learning and applying a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to identify, assess, analyze, and improve team effectiveness, efficiency, and work products;

- contribute to a continuous quality improvement (CQI) program appropriate for the laboratory testing performed;

- Identifying training needs and assuring that each individual performing tests receives regular in-service training and education;

- Informing Laboratory of technical performances of department staff;

- Preparing a comprehensive competency assessment plan, and evaluating and documenting the competency of testing personnel;

The above duties and responsibilities will encompass 80-90% of the incumbent’s job.

- Following all safety policies and procedures, both chemical and biohazard. Insists that others comply with all requirements as well;

- Perform moderately and highly complex testing on a variety of patient/donor samples. Evaluates and reports results to clients as required; and

- Executing duties considered reasonable within the scope of the job.

FACTOR 1. Knowledge Required By The Position:

- Professional knowledge of advanced toxicological theories, practices, and established methodologies that meets the requirements for a bachelor’s degree or higher. Knowledge must be sufficient to perform the full range of duties connected with the oversight of multiple laboratory operations.

- Professional knowledge of the types of methods used to monitor and control variables that affect the quality of services provided; skill in evaluating and interpreting results of quality control procedures and implementing corrective action where indicated and mastery of mathematics and statistics as related to laboratory quality control procedures.

- Professional knowledge of accrediting and regulatory agency requirements sufficient to ensure that competency assessment and quality assessment/improvement plans are in compliance with such requirements.

- Ability to teach testing methodologies to others and to document or validate training to ensure tests performed by all trainees meets established standards.

- Professional knowledge sufficient to write SOPs pertaining to laboratory techniques, which comply with, format guidelines set by CLSI (formerly NCCLS).

- Knowledge to perform data base manipulations and basic word processing skills on a computer. Level of expertise must permit creation of SOPs and quality control charts and statistics.

- Professional knowledge and skill sufficient to perform the most complex laboratory testing in accordance with SOP requirements, the ability to discern abnormal test patterns, troubleshoot equipment problems, and to perform confirmation testing when indicated or suggest alternative protocols to document or validate unusual results.

FACTOR 2. Supervisory Control:

- The Laboratory Analyst reports directly to the Laboratory Manager or his/her designee for technical and evaluation purposes and to the Laboratory Manager for evaluation purposes.

- Work assignment is general in nature and is expressed as a supervisory role designed to facilitate workload completion in a timely manner. The incumbent is responsible for handling assignments independently according to best methods available to ensure successful, efficient operation of the division. Incumbent is given wide latitude for independent judgement and provides input as to choice of methods, techniques, and accuracy of final results.

- Work is evaluated from an overall standpoint in terms of efficiency, quality, compatibility with company programs, and compliance with federal/peer guidelines. Work is further evaluated through the section’s performance on proficiency surveys, peer review inspection for accreditation (e.g. CAP) and other agencies as required by Federal Law.

FACTOR 3. Guidelines:

- Guidelines include professional peer standards, laboratory manuals, technical references, laboratory operating procedures, and regulatory agency requirements. The guidelines do not always have complete information necessary and may be expressed in general terms requiring interpretation. The incumbent must use his/her own resourcefulness and professional experience to establish guidelines for the quality assessment/improvement of the department.

- Establishes and maintains liaison with federal agencies and professional peer organizations (e.g. College of American Pathologists, and/or Society of Forensic Toxicology) to keep abreast of recommendations and to interpret those recommendations to establish guidelines for implementation into current SOPs.

- Guidelines often contain limited interpretation. The incumbent frequently evaluates new instruments, computers, and techniques before initiation within the facility. This requires the incumbent to review literature and scientific journals for potential guidelines. When controversy exists in published guidelines, the incumbent evaluates and makes recommendations based on accuracy, precision, reliability, technical soundness, and overall quality assurance.

- The incumbent uses initiative and past personal experience in the specialty area to modify or extend the methods to satisfy unprecedented analytical requests and requirements. The incumbent must also keep current knowledge within the specialty areas and in the field of chemistry/toxicology generally to determine and satisfy the needs of the clients and staff at ExperTox.

FACTOR 4. Complexity:

- The Laboratory Analyst must ensure the quality of work carried out in all areas of responsibility. This includes all checks and balances to safeguard equipment function and patient/donor test results. The incumbent has the authority to halt laboratory process and or procedures until apparent problems are resolved.

- The incumbent considers such complex factors as the use of proficiency testing programs, availability and currency of procedural instructions, validation of methods, types of surveillance needed to monitor results, documentation of remedial action taken for detected deficiencies/defects, preventive maintenance and performance testing of equipment and instruments, proper preparation and storage of reagents, procedures for the collection and preservation of specimens, identification of specimens, etc.

- The Laboratory Analyst assesses the effect of such variables as the precision, specificity, and sensitivity of methods and instruments. Accordingly the incumbent often modifies or adapts quality control procedures and techniques to ensure validity of data in relation to test systems.

FACTOR 5. Scope And Effect:

- The purpose of the position is to perform multiple laboratory operations, ensuring the forensic and clinical reliability of services and laboratory data in accordance with accrediting and regulatory agency requirements. Failure to meet position requirements could invalidate test results, jeopardize accreditation, or limit the ability of the laboratory to perform affected tests under established Federal Law.

FACTOR 6. Personal Contacts:

- Personal contacts are with laboratory staff at ExperTox, other medical and administrative staff at ExperTox/All American Screening facilities, clients/patients, students, as well as agencies such as police departments and attorneys. Contacts also include professional peer inspectors and federal regulators.

FACTOR 7. Purpose Of Contact:

- The purpose of contacts is to provide technical advice, resolve operating problems, maintain compliance with accreditating agencies, and produce patient results for distribution to providers.

FACTOR 8. Physical Demands:

- The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as long periods of standing, bending or reaching for supplies or materials, lifting moderately heavy items such as table top centrifuges, and 5 liter reagent containers (i.e. saline cubes). The work may require specific physical characteristics and abilities such as above-average dexterity (to perform intricate collection or analysis procedures) and color vision. It may involve alternated work sites or times.

FACTOR 9. Work Environment:

- The work involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks of discomforts that require special safety precautions, (i.e. contagious disease, caustic reagents, noxious fumes, and flammable liquids). The Laboratory Analyst is required to use and enforce the use of protective clothing or gear such as laboratory coats, fume hoods, safety goggles, aprons, gloves, and face shields, and to adopt aseptic techniques. Analyst will be required to work monthly “call” as required by Lab Manager and his/her designee.

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