Southern Utah Ocular Tissue Recovery Specialist

About the role

The Southern Utah Tissue Recovery Specialist (Working Title: Southern Utah Ocular Tissue Recovery Specialist) is responsible for the excision of ocular tissue from deceased donors for transplantation. The role involves driving to recovery sites (funeral homes, hospitals), assessing donors, performing ocular excision procedures, and delivering procured tissue to the appropriate facility. The position is part‑time, non‑benefited, based in St. George, UT, within the Utah Lions Eye Bank (Department 00872) of University of Utah Health – Academics.

Responsibilities

• Maintain a valid driver’s license during employment.
• Drive to and from recovery locations safely and timely.
• Perform a detailed physical assessment of potential donors, documenting visible signs of communicable diseases.
• Observe the posterior side of the donor by rolling the cadaver and/or lifting extremities.
• Draw cadaveric blood or obtain pre‑transfused samples from the admitting hospital when necessary.
• Perform sterile corneoscleral excision and aseptic preservation of tissue for transplantation.
• Package, label, and coordinate delivery of procured tissue to the appropriate facility.
• Assist in training new Remote Tissue Recovery Specialists on technique, documentation, and technical skills.
• Conduct professional interactions with referring hospitals, funeral homes, law enforcement agencies, coroner offices, and DonorConnect.
• Maintain competence with Standard Operating Procedures of the recovery department.
• Complete annual LearningHub LMS training per University of Utah Health Academics policy.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Associate’s degree in biology, chemistry, or another scientific discipline in a related field, or equivalency (one year of education may be substituted for two years of related work experience). This is a patient‑sensitive position; incumbents must meet immunization requirements per CDC standards and hospital policy (limited exemptions for documented medical contraindications or religious objections). Applicants must demonstrate the ability to perform the essential functions outlined in the position description.

Skills

• Prior experience in medical or mortuary fields preferred.
• Ability to tolerate strong smells and graphic/traumatic visuals.
• Ability to stand for long periods.
• Ability to perform a basic physical assessment of the decedent to EBAA and FDA standards.
• Maintain donor confidentiality.
• Maintain a professional, customer‑oriented, friendly manner in public on behalf of the Utah Lions Eye Bank.
• Basic working knowledge of PC and Microsoft Office.
• Ability to follow current hospital and Office of the Medical Examiners policies and procedures regarding eye donation per FDA/EBAA/OME/ULEB.
• Uphold University Health Academics core values by adhering to the PROMISE standards.
• Maintain good working knowledge of University of Utah Health, U