Lab Assistant

At RWJBarnabas Health, Lab Assistants become part of a purpose-driven environment where compassion, clinical excellence, and patient-centered care create meaningful opportunities to support medical diagnostic services. This role offers opportunities for professional growth, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a culture committed to quality, evidence-based laboratory practices, and continuous improvement.

About the role

Reporting to the Laboratory Supervisor or Director, you will coordinate and perform tasks and activities in several areas of the clinical laboratory. You will play an essential role in receiving, verifying, and distributing critical patient specimens, executing fundamental clinical clerical functions, and partnering with an interdisciplinary healthcare team to promote diagnostic accuracy and improve patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Verifying, accepting, and processing tissue and fluid specimens delivered via the pneumatic tube system or direct delivery from the ED, nursing units, PAT, and outside clinics.
• Conducting comprehensive sorting and rapid distribution of properly barcoded specimens to their laboratory sections, prioritizing Emergency Department, critical care, and STAT specimens.
• Preparing and processing clinical samples for testing using various standardized laboratory methodologies.
• Coordinating external compliance by carefully preparing clinical PKU specimens slated to be sent out to the New Jersey State Department of Health.
• Developing and monitoring all pending or collected patient specimens through the designated laboratory database system to ensure tracking software metrics remain current.
• Facilitating professional communication by answering incoming calls using proper telephone manners and accurately referring inquiries to technical sections when advanced assistance is required.
• Completing administrative oversight by monitoring regulatory logs, printing/sorting medical records, maintaining processing area order, and applying manual tracking knowledge during computer system downtime.
• Maintaining adequate inventory, records of distribution, and detailed logs of costs, pricing, equipment repairs, maintenance, and service.
• Planning and procurement strategies to maintain the quantity and quality of all supplies required for direct and indirect patient care activities.
• Employing inventory management systems and software tools to track supply levels, receive/store supplies, monitor for expired items, set order limits, and calculate replenishment orders.
• Evaluating inventory expenditures against budget constraints to control costs, review routine standing orders for price acceptability, and analyze alternative sourcing strategies (e.g., consignment, just-in-time purchasing).
• Formulating contingency plans with critical suppliers to avoid inventory shortages, while discussing evolving supply needs and their impact on future purchases.
• Coaching laboratory personnel on the principles of inventory control, waste avoidance, and established approval procedures.
• Developing and shaping cost-effective inventory policies, guidelines, and alternative purchasing methods like e-procurement or automatic ordering.
• Leading contract negotiations with major suppliers and equipment vendors to optimize the laboratory's bottom line.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or GED equivalent required.
• 0–2 years of experience, ideally within a laboratory environment. Familiarity or experience with specimen processing is highly demonstrated.
• Competence in organizing, multi-tasking, and prioritizing high-volume workloads for timely clinical completion.
• Effective skills with the ability to express details clearly and professionally both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to easily comprehend and execute complex operational, inventory, and safety instructions.
• Proven ability and willingness to maintain a strict level of data privacy and confidentiality regarding sensitive medical results.
• History of navigating databases, using supply tracking tools, or sorting automated medical logs preferred.
• Comfort working within an environment that involves handling biohazard specimens and meeting active physical demands.
• Ability to make timely decisions consistent with departmental policies, goals, and regulatory rules.

Skills

• Compassion and empathy guide your interactions with patients, families, and clinical laboratory colleagues.
• Passion for supporting individuals by protecting accurate diagnostic paths and maintaining strict levels of confidentiality regarding laboratory results and patient records.
• Strong organizational skills to properly prioritize complex specimen workloads to meet strict, time-sensitive laboratory testing turnaround deadlines.
• Confident communication and collaboration with external hospital departments, medical staff, nursing personnel, patients, and visiting families.
• Ability to execute precise instructions within a technical laboratory environment while upholding exceptional professional standards and corporate codes of behavior.
• Comfort working with complex information networks and excellent computer skills to navigate modern healthcare databases.
• Adaptability to handle biohazard specimens, special physical demands, and shifting laboratory priorities in a dynamic healthcare facility.
• Commitment to continuous learning, strict safety compliance, and professional development within an acute care laboratory framework.

Schedule

• Full-Time, 40 hours per week; Day shift (8:00 AM – 4:30 PM).
• Must maintain open availability to work rotating weekends and holidays as clinically needed.

Pay

The anticipated hourly wage range for this position is $18.00 - $27.90 per hour if hired to work in New Jersey. The compensation offered will depend on several factors, including the candidate's educational background, skills, and professional experience.

Benefits

• 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 partners such as NJ Devils, NJ PAC, Verizon, and more