Laboratory Assistant

The Laboratory Assistant supports the American Red Cross by documenting telephone messages and customer orders for special blood products, coordinating and transporting blood samples, maintaining inventories, and performing manufacturing duties as applicable. The role requires compliance with safety and regulatory standards and involves operating laboratory equipment and maintaining accurate records.

Responsibilities

• Document telephone messages and IRL customer orders for special blood products.
• Coordinate and transport blood samples as applicable.
• Maintain inventories for IRL reagents, supplies, equipment, and products.
• Perform data entry.
• Manufacture components as applicable.
• Perform all duties in compliance with standard operating procedures, Safety Quality Identity Potency Purity (SQUIPP), Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), OSHA, Clinical Laboratory Information Act (CLIA), and other applicable regulations.
• Receive customer calls including orders for antigen negative blood products.
• Operate, maintain, and perform quality control checks on laboratory equipment.
• Perform receiving, inspection, and storage of IRL supplies and reagents.
• Perform manufacturing duties associated with special blood products if applicable.
• Perform donor product inventory management if applicable.
• Perform labeling and verification of blood products if applicable.
• Maintain accurate, legible, and complete records.
• Perform duties associated with receipt, coordination, shipment, and transport of patient and donor blood samples if applicable.
• Monitor temperatures of blood products and donor/patient samples if applicable.
• Adhere to procedures and good manufacturing practices (GMP).

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent and 2 years of laboratory experience required or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Associate degree (AS) or higher preferred.
• Computer experience and familiarity with office automation (e.g. MS Word) desired.
• Must be able to stand for long periods of time, repeat the same movements, and use hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
• Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to hear and speak clearly.
• Must frequently lift and/or move up to 15 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 30 pounds.
• Ability to react quickly using hands, fingers, or feet.
• May need to bend, stretch, twist, or reach out.
• Ability to use stomach and lower back muscles to support the body for long periods and maintain balance in unstable positions.
• Ability to frequently use one or two hands to grasp, move or assemble objects.
• Ability to work in a small cubicle and sit at a computer terminal for extended periods.

Skills

• Research Laboratory Experience
• Office Automation Software
• MS Word
• Inventory Management
• Sample Transportation
• Laboratory Equipment Operation
• Safety Compliance
• Regulatory Compliance
• Records Keeping
• Manual Dexterity
• Physical Stamina
• Customer Order Documentation

Languages

English