Senior Laboratory Scientist - Complement Laboratory

Senior Laboratory Scientist

National Jewish Health is seeking a Senior Laboratory Scientist to join the Complement Laboratory, a specialized diagnostic laboratory supporting the evaluation of immune system and complement disorders. This role offers the opportunity to perform high-complexity testing while serving as a technical resource within a collaborative team dedicated to quality, innovation, and scientific excellence. The Senior Laboratory Scientist plays a critical role in ensuring accurate and reliable test results that support patient diagnosis, treatment, and research initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform and oversee high-complexity laboratory testing in accordance with CAP, CLIA, and laboratory quality standards.
• Troubleshoot assay and instrumentation issues, perform maintenance activities, and support quality control and proficiency testing programs.
• Review, analyze, and document laboratory data to ensure accurate and timely reporting of patient results.
• Serve as a technical resource for laboratory staff by providing guidance, training, competency support, and operational expertise.
• Participate in procedure development, SOP reviews, inspection readiness activities, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Maintain laboratory supplies, reagents, and equipment to support efficient laboratory operations.
• Collaborate with laboratory leadership and team members to improve processes, solve complex technical challenges, and support departmental goals.

At National Jewish Health, the nation's leading respiratory hospital, employees are part of an organization recognized for clinical excellence, groundbreaking research, and scientific discovery. This position offers the opportunity to expand technical expertise in a highly specialized laboratory environment while contributing to diagnostic services that help improve the lives of patients with complex immune and complement-related conditions.

Essential Duties:

1. Performs high complexity tests that are authorized by the laboratory leadership. Adheres to the laboratory's quality control policies, documenting all quality control activities, instrument and procedural calibrations and maintenance performed.
2. Follows set guidelines to troubleshoot/correct assay problems or instrument malfunctions. Performs maintenance and works with supervisor/manager in troubleshooting QC or instrument problems. Identifies and assists in troubleshooting with peers.
3. Follows the laboratory's and NJH established policies and procedure manuals. Reviews and signs laboratory and personnel SOP on an annual basis. Is responsible for completing NetLearning in a timely manner. Follows specific biosafety standards for the laboratory and protocols for handling potentially infectious material.
4. Performs error correction, data entry, and compilation of data packets as required. Documents all corrective actions taken when test systems deviate from the laboratory's established performance specifications.
5. Participates and maintains records that demonstrate that proficiency testing samples are tested in the same manner as patient specimens.
6. Adheres to the laboratory's quality control policies, documenting all quality control activities, instrument and procedural calibrations and maintenance performed. May performs QC review as necessary.
7. Follows GxP (e.g., GLP, GCLP, GCP, etc.) standards as defined by different national and international organizations (e.g., ISO, FDA, OECD, etc.) when appropriate.
8. Performs, observes, and reviews competencies (including age-specific competencies and/or non-human species) as identified through the departmental competency program.
9. Appropriately uses the computer systems in the department, including proper use of order/reports/charging, and maximizes personal proficiency. Responds appropriately to email and other forms of communication in a timely manner.
10. Makes recommendations to improve laboratory operations and performs extra projects of increasing complexity and skill and completes projects as directed and approved by the supervisor.
11. Is responsible for maintaining and ordering appropriate levels of reagents and consumables in the laboratory at all times.
12. Assists, in partnership with supervisor, in preparation for inspections where required.
13. Functions as technical supervisor or general supervisor (per CLIA and CAP) as applicable. Provides direction and guidance in testing operations as directed by supervisor.
14. Writes and reviews procedure manuals and documents.
15. Attends continuing education programs sponsored by National Jewish, manufacturer in-services and/or professional society programs. Obtains at least 12 approved CEU credits per year including but not limited to the following: webinars, lunch and learn seminars, seminars, etc.

Other Duties:

1. Performs as a back-up to staff absences and vacancies, as necessary.
2. Performs all other duties as assigned.

Competencies:

1. Accountability: Accepts full responsibility for self and contribution as a team member; displays honesty and truthfulness; confronts problems quickly; displays a strong commitment to organizational success and inspires others to commit to goals; demonstrates a commitment to National Jewish Health.
2. Laboratory Knowledge: Coaches others in developing and improving laboratory testing methods; possesses cross functional laboratory knowledge in other ADx laboratories.
3. Creativity: Supports and delivers initiatives; focuses well on vision or concept implementation; generates new ideas and assist with implementation
4. Customer Focus: Proactively shares new knowledge with appropriate constituents; will look at processes and results with the laboratory in mind, and with the customer or patient in the forefront; brokers customer and physician relationships with other complementary service providers or departments; shares new knowledge with appropriate colleagues, clients and physicians as necessary.
5. Decision Quality: Solutions prove to be correct and accurate when judged over time; understands and makes decisions that benefit the laboratory and the patient.
6. Drive for Results: Productivity is above expectations; balances achieving individual goals with providing value to laboratory; volunteers for additional projects and identifies new initiatives and fills in for staff absences
7. Informing Communicating: Addresses issues as they arise or within an appropriate time interval; effectively uses all forms of communication; Informs coworkers/leadership of when work product may be affected. Identifies key issues to pursue for maximum input rather than arguing every point; demonstrates ability to restate others' positions accuratelyreflecting both facts and feelings; maintains long-term objectives while resolving short-term challenges.
8. Adaptability: Balances competing demands of multiple projects by setting priorities, communicating change, and meeting deadlines; recovers quickly from setbacks and maintains focus under stress; can handle multiple changes in direction or assignments; consistently learns quickly when facing new problems; embraces change and unfamiliar tasks; consistently analyzes both success and failure to determine how to improve; maintains open mind and willingness to try new ideas or approaches; analyzes both success and failure to determine how to improve; has a desire to learn.
9. Professional Relationships: Coaches others to appreciate workforce diversity; seeks value in diversity and differences; encourages positive attitude in others.
10. Perseverance/Resourcefulness: Works to apply new approaches to existing challenges when delegated; is open-minded and will find new solutions when obvious problem or gap exists; validates accuracy of information collected; uses internal knowledge bases or best practices.
11. Problem Solving: Considers customer implications and perceptions when approaching problems to proposing solutions; reconciles inconsistent details within SOPs or processes; able to identify problem or key issue; able to rapidly perform complex analysis, accurately assess situations; probes all potential sources for answers; can see hidden problems. Looks beyond the obvious and doesn't stop at the first answer.

Supervisory or Managerial Responsibility None

Travel None

Core Values:

1. Be available to work as scheduled and report to work on time.
2. Be willing to accept supervision and work well with others.
3. Be well groomed, appropriately for your role and wear ID Badge visibly.
4. Be in compliance with all departmental and institutional policies, the Employee Handbook, Code of Conduct and completes NetLearning by due date annually.
5. Promotes a workplace culture based on mutual respect and merit, where all individuals are treated fairly and provided with equal opportunity to contribute to the mission and goals of the institution.
6. Adheres to safe working practices and at all times follows all institutional and departmental safety policies and procedures.
7. Wears appropriate PPE as outlined by the infection control policies and procedures.
8. Demonstrates compliance with all state, federal and all other regulatory agency requirements.

Minimum Qualifications:

1. Education: Bachelors of Science degree in biology, chemistry or a related scientific field required.
2. Work Experience: 3 years of CAP/CLIA laboratory work experience required.
3. Special Training, Certification or Licensure: None

Salary Range : $27.54 - $26.42

Benefits At National Jewish Health, we recognize that our outstanding faculty and staff are the essence of our organization. For every