Lead Lab Technician (Molecular)

Position Summary

The Lead Technician coordinates daily laboratory operations at the bench, ensuring workflow efficiency, quality performance, and adherence to standard operating procedures. Serves as a senior technical resource and operational leader without primary responsibility for personnel management or program ownership. May function as a delegated General Supervisor in accordance with CLIA requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Coordinate workflow across accessioning, extraction, amplification, and data review
• Perform and oversee routine testing, including PCR and analysis
• Provide real-time troubleshooting for instruments and assays
• Monitor QA and QC
• Train staff and support competency assessments
• Ensure proper specimen handoff between accessioning and testing
• Monitor inventory and communicate supply needs
• Ensure adherence to SOPs and documentation requirements

Decision-Making Authority

• Prioritize workflow and assign bench responsibilities
• Hold or delay results based on quality concerns
• Initiate troubleshooting and reassign tasks as needed
• Escalate non-routine issues to Lab Supervisor

Qualifications

• Meets CLIA high-complexity testing personnel requirements
• Bachelor's degree in a chemical, physical, biological, or clinical laboratory science or equivalent
• 2–4 years of clinical laboratory experience (molecular preferred)
• Experience in PCR workflows and troubleshooting
• Experience training or mentoring staff preferred

Core Competencies

• Technical expertise in molecular workflows
• Workflow coordination and prioritization
• Attention to detail and quality focus
• Clear communication and team leadership skills