Hematology & Coagulation Medical Laboratory Scientist Lead, Renton Lab

Overview

Job Description

$4,000 recruitment incentive for eligible new employees joining the UW Medicine team.

Position:
Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) Lead, Core Reference Lab Team, Renton Central Lab. The UW Medicine - Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology (DLMP) in Seattle, WA has a leadership opportunity for an MLS Lead to oversee the automated testing system in the Hematology and Coagulation section of the Core Lab. The MLS Lead provides advanced technical expertise, workflow oversight, and operational leadership to enhance performance and optimization.

This role coordinates daily operations and work assignments, trains and mentors staff, performs method validation, troubleshoots instrument and assay issues, maintains regulatory compliance, and collaborates with managers, supervisors, and medical directors. The MLS Lead writes and maintains SOPs, sets up benches and equipment, conducts validation studies, and contributes to a safe, efficient, patient-focused lab environment. The MLS Lead may perform duties of the MLS 1 and 2.

Work schedule:

• 100% FTE
• Monday – Friday with occasional rotating weekends and holidays
• Day shift

Leadership & Workflow Coordination

• Participate in interviewing, hiring, and performance evaluation processes as requested.
• Support a culture of professionalism, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Support Total Laboratory Automation workflow.
• Oversee day-to-day operations of the Core Lab section.
• Prioritize and distribute work assignments based on staffing, efficiency, workload, and turnaround-time requirements.
• Serve as the primary technical resource for technologists and technicians.
• Provide real-time guidance, coaching, mentorship, and performance feedback.
• Escalate staff performance issues to manager when corrective action is needed.
• Assist leadership with workforce planning, scheduling, and staffing adjustments.
• Promote a culture of teamwork, respect, and continuous quality improvement.
• Act as a backup for the manager, if needed

Technical Expertise & Method Support

• Maintain strong theoretical and practical knowledge of all procedures in the section.
• Lead development, evaluation, validation, and implementation of new assays and methodologies.
• Work with faculty to troubleshoot assay issues, resolve instrument or method problems, and improve test performance.
• Develop and manage written current and new instrument/assay validation protocols and perform validation studies.
• Oversee preventive maintenance and instrument care performed by staff, SID teams, and vendors.
• Maintain expert knowledge of instruments, assays, and analytical processes.
• Lead investigation and resolution of instrument failures, QC flags, calibration issues, and workflow disruptions.
• Collaborate with medical directors, supervisors, and vendors on instrumentation performance, assay optimization, and workflow improvements.
• Support method evaluation, validation, and implementation of new tests and equipment.
• Evaluate and optimize workflow to maintain high-volume efficiency and target turnaround times.

Quality Control & Quality Assurance

• Ensure processes comply with CAP, CLIA, and organizational standards.
• Review QC, proficiency testing results, and quality dashboards; initiate corrective action as needed.
• Oversee section QA activities, including documentation, maintenance logs, and quality indicators.
• Maintain inspection readiness by enforcing regulatory standards and participating in audits, corrective actions, improvement plans, and CAP inspections.

Training & Education

• Develop and maintain training and competency documentation for all tests performed.
• Train new employees, students, and rotating staff on instrumentation, workflows, and procedures.
• Develop and maintain training materials, competency assessments, and procedure documentation.
• Provide ongoing education and in-services when updates or changes occur.
• Support staff development by identifying knowledge gaps, providing mentorship, feedback, and improvement actions, escalating when appropriate to manager

Communication & Collaboration

• Serve as the point of contact for providers, nursing units, clinics, and other lab sections regarding lab related questions or service concerns.
• Communicate significant and provide recommendations for QC issues, instrument downtime, and operational updates to leadership, and staff.
• Facilitate clear shift-to-shift communication to ensure continuity of patient care.

Computer & LIS Skills

• Maintain proficiency with email, Word (procedure editing), Excel (data analysis), and procedure management.
• Ensure validation of computer interfaces and support CAP-mandated documentation and testing, escalate when appropriate.
• Utilize LIS functions for QC review, troubleshooting, sample tracking, and workflow monitoring.
• Validate LIS rules, middleware connections, and instrument interfaces.
• Participate in system upgrades, validation testing, and configuration changes.

Administrative & Financial Responsibilities

• Monitor section expenses and contribute to…