Cytogenetics Technician

Cytogenetic Technician

At RWJBarnabas Health, Cytogenetic Technicians become part of a purpose-driven environment where teamwork, innovation, and compassionate care come together to support exceptional patient outcomes. This role offers opportunities for professional growth, supportive collaboration, and a culture committed to quality, safety, and continuous improvement.

About the role

This Cytogenetic Technician role plays a critical role in accurate and timely genetic testing that supports the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of prenatal, oncology, and constitutional patient conditions. You will operate and maintain sophisticated laboratory instrumentation, analyze chromosomes, adhere to quality assurance and regulatory standards, and collaborate with pathologists, geneticists, and other healthcare professionals to deliver exceptional patient care.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine, complex, and specialized cytogenetic testing including specimen processing, cell culture, harvesting, slide preparation, and chromosome staining.
• Operate, calibrate, troubleshoot, and maintain specialized laboratory instruments, computerized imaging systems, and microscopes to ensure optimal performance.
• Perform and document quality control, quality assurance, and proficiency testing in compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards.
• Review specimen integrity (such as amniotic fluid, bone marrow, blood, and solid tissue) and determine acceptability for testing; identify and resolve specimen-related issues.
• Follow established laboratory safety protocols, infection prevention practices, and regulatory requirements, including CLIA, CAP, and other applicable standards.
• Maintain adequate inventory of specialized laboratory supplies, reagents, and media to support uninterrupted laboratory operations.
• Review patient and specimen information to ensure proper identification, clinical indications, and testing requirements are met.

Requirements

• Have a Bachelor's degree in a chemical, physical, biological or clinical science or medical technology from an accredited institution.
• 1 year of experience working in a hospital-based or clinical cytogenetics laboratory preferred.
• Experience with chromosome karyotyping and FISH analysis preferred.
• ASCP Certification (CG or MLS) preferred.

Qualifications

• Clear, professional communication defining how you collaborate with pathologists, geneticists, and fellow laboratory professionals.
• Accuracy, patience, exceptional visual acuity, and analytical thinking guiding your work every day.
• Organized and adaptable while managing a meticulous clinical laboratory environment.
• Patient safety and delivering accurate, timely cytogenetic results being your top priorities.
• Enjoying working collaboratively with interdisciplinary care teams to support exceptional patient outcomes.
• Continuous learning, quality improvement, and staying current with genetics and genomics best practices motivating you.
• Taking pride in maintaining the highest standards of quality, compliance, and diagnostic excellence.

Benefits

RWJBarnabas Health offers a market-competitive Total Rewards package that includes comprehensive benefits and resources to support employees' physical, emotional, social, and financial health. These benefits include:

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Medical and Prescription Drug Insurance
• Dental and Vision Insurance
• Retirement Plans
• Short & Long Term Disability
• Life & Accidental Death Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Health Care/Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Wellness Programs
• Voluntary Benefits (e.g., Pet Insurance)
• Discounts Through our Partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, Verizon, and more!