Lead Lab Technician (Molecular)

Midwest Express Clinic; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Midwest Express Clinic Lead Technician, Chicago, coordinates daily laboratory operations at the bench to ensure workflow efficiency and high-quality performance according to SOPs.

The role serves as a senior technical resource and operational leader without direct personnel management, with potential delegation as General Supervisor under CLIA requirements.

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.

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.

Skills

Molecular workflows

Workflow coordination

Quality focus

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in clinical/lab science

Job description

• 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.

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 assessmentsEnsure 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