Lead Senior Phlebotomist

Optum is a global organization that delivers care, aided by technology, to help millions of people live healthier lives. The work you do with our team will directly improve health outcomes by connecting people with the care, pharmacy benefits, data and resources they need to feel their best. Here, you will find a culture guided by inclusion, talented peers, comprehensive benefits and career development opportunities. Come make an impact on the communities we serve as you help us advance health optimization on a global scale.Join us to start Caring. Connecting. Growing together.

Under general supervision of Phlebotomy Leadership, the Sr. Phlebotomy Lead is responsible for overseeing, coordinating, and supporting the daily activities of the phlebotomy team across assigned locations. This role provides hands-on support, ensures safe and compliant specimen collection, and supports quality patient care through effective scheduling, training oversight, and performance monitoring.

The Sr. Phlebotomy Lead serves as a clinical and operational resource, supporting onboarding, remediation, and competency verification of phlebotomy staff. The role also includes performing a broad range of clinical laboratory duties such as specimen collection, waived and moderate complexity testing, and electrocardiograms (EKGs), while maintaining compliance with CLIA, safety, and infection control standards.

Schedule: Office is open seven days a week, 365 days a year. This role would consist of a 40- hour work week, Monday through Friday between the hours of 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. Possible late night and weekend rotation for support services.

Location: 3901 Hoyt Ave. Everett, WA 98201. This is the main office, you will be required to travel 100% of the time to the other Optum Draw Satellites

Primary Responsibilities:

• Provide day-to-day operational support to phlebotomy staff, including daily onsite scheduling, task delegation, workflow coordination, and performance monitoring.
• Assist with daily staffing plans to ensure adequate coverage across all sites, including coordinating coverage when supervisors are on PTO.
• Conduct regular site rounding to observe staff performance, assess workflow efficiency, reinforce best practices, and address operational or training needs in real time.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for phlebotomy practices, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Perform venipuncture and capillary specimen collection in accordance with established protocols, ensuring patient safety, comfort, specimen integrity, and infection control compliance.
• Conduct waived and moderate complexity laboratory testing, including microscopy, in accordance with CLIA standards and organizational policies.
• Perform electrocardiograms (EKGs) and other diagnostic procedures as required.
• Participate in onboarding, training, competency validation, and ongoing education of new and existing phlebotomy staff.
• Assign and coordinate shadowing experiences for teammates who have not successfully passed training or competency assessments, ensuring appropriate supervision and documentation.
• Provide enhanced oversight and support to preceptors working with trainees who demonstrate a high error rate, including reviewing training performance, reinforcing corrective actions, and collaborating on remediation plans.
• Review and verify completion of all training, competency, and required documentation prior to facilitating or approving employee sign-off.
• Support supervisors and leadership with performance improvement initiatives, retraining, and escalation when training or quality concerns are identified.
• Monitor and maintain laboratory and phlebotomy supply inventory to ensure availability of equipment and materials required for daily operations.
• Assist with quality assurance activities, quality control documentation, audits, and compliance with applicable regulatory and accreditation standards.
• Communicate effectively and professionally with patients, providers, leadership, and staff to support coordinated care and efficient operations.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and adhere to all safety, infection control, and organizational policies at all times.

Customer Experience:

• Interact with patients and healthcare providers in a professional and compassionate manner
• Problem solves efficiently and promptly
• Locate missing lab orders and specimens
• Competent and efficient phone skills

Duties integrated into all job functions:

• All staff members are to promote a positive and productive work environment by acting maturely and responsibly, satisfactorily performing job responsibilities, and conducting themselves professionally, courteously, and respectfully toward fellow employees, physicians, and patients.
• Must relate to other people beyond giving and receiving instructions: (a) get along with co-workers or peers without exhibiting behavioral extreme; (b) perform work activities requiring negotiating, instructing, overseeing, persuading, or speaking with others; and (c) respond openly and appropriately to feedback regarding performance from a supervisor.
• Performs all duties in a manner that promotes and supports the Core Values of Optum.
• Integrates Lean principles, practices, and tools to improve operational efficiency, reduce costs and increase customer satisfaction.
• Must follow written and oral instructions and complete routine tasks independently.
• Complete all compliance training, including but not limited to HIPAA/Privacy/Confidentiality/Non-Discrimination/Harassment/Integrity Statement and signed Agreements.
• Ensures confidentiality of patient information by following HIPAA guidelines and Optum policies.
• Attends training to meet job position requirements and as needed or mandated by Optum policies, Div. of Occupational Safety & Health (DOSH), OSHA, L&I, and other state/federal regulations.
• Have regular and predictable attendance.
• P erforms other duties as assigned

What are the reasons to consider working for UnitedHealth Group? Put it all together - competitive base pay, a full and comprehensive benefit program, performance rewards, and a management team who demonstrates their commitment to your success. Some of our offerings include:

• Paid Time Off which you start to accrue with your first pay period plus 8 Paid Holidays
• Medical Plan options along with participation in a Health Spending Account or a Health Saving account
• Dental, Vision, Life& AD&D Insurance along with Short-term disability and Long-Term Disability coverage
• 401(k) Savings Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Education Reimbursement
• Employee Discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee Referral Bonus Program
• Voluntary Benefits (pet insurance, legal insurance, LTC Insurance, etc.)

You'll be rewarded and recognized for your performance in an environment that will challenge you and give you clear direction on what it takes to succeed in your role as well as provide development for other roles you may be interested in.

Required Qualifications:

• High School Diploma/GED
• Medical Assistant-Phlebotomist (MA-Pbt) certification from the state of Washington to perform capillary and venous invasive procedures for blood withdrawal under the supervision of a health care practitioner
• Completion of a Phlebotomy Certificate program through an accredited school
• BLS (AHA) certification is required or obtained within the first 30 days of employment
• 5+ years of blood draw experience
• 1+ year of computer proficiency with Microsoft Office and demonstrates solid computer skills
• Have reliable transportation and the ability travel 100% of the time to the other draw locations within Optum
• Ability to work a flexible 40-hour week scheduled to include
  Monday through Sunday between 6:30 am to 7:00 pm
• Able to use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects. Occasionally, lifting to 50 pounds and carrying up to 24 pounds may be required
• Ability to abide by the code of conduct per Optum/UHG

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of common safety hazards and precautions to establish a safe work environment
• Knowledge of waived laboratory testing, including sample preparation and analysis, quality control, and troubleshooting.
• Familiarity with EKG procedures and acceptable results.
• Knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, and physiology. Understanding of HIPAA regulations and compliance standards. Knowledge of laboratory information systems and electronic medical records.
• Ability to perform waived testing accurately and efficiently. Skilled in sample handling, processing, and storage
• Skilled in sample handling, processing, and storage. Ability to perform EKGs and accurately determine acceptable readings
• Ability to collect and process specimens accurately and efficiently.
• Ability to maintain a clean, safe, and efficient work environment.
• Ability to troubleshoot and resolve issues related to specimen collection, testing, and equipment.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-volume environment with a high degree of accuracy and efficiency.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and privacy of patient information. Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends and holidays, as needed.
• Ability to adapt to changing technologies and procedures.
• Ability to participate in quality assurance and quality control activities.
• Ability to work with a diverse patient population, including infants, children, adults, and geriatric patients.
• Ability to perform phlebotomy techniques, including venipuncture and capillary blood collection

Soft Skills:

• Ability to work independently and maintain good judgment and accountability
• Ability to acclimate working on a small or large team
• Demonstrated ability to work well with health care providers
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize tasks to meet all deadlines
• Ability to work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to speak clearly and concisely, conveying information in a manner that others can understand, as well as ability to understand and interpret information from others

Physical and Mental Demands:

• Employees must meet the physical and mental demands described here to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to frequently stand and walk from place to place for long periods with intermittent breaks
• Must be able to run during an emergency
• Must be able to frequently use hands and fingers to handle, grasp or feel objects, tools, controls, and medical or office equipment
• Must be able to repeat the same movements frequently
• Must be able to make quick, precise adjustments to machine controls and move arms and legs quickly
• Must speak clearly so listeners can understand and be able to understand the speech of another person
• Must be able to hear sounds and recognize the difference between them
• Must have a level of visual acuity to see details of objects from near and far, see differences between colors, shades, and brightness, and determine the distance between objects. May have periods of prolonged sitting in connection with telephone or computer usage
• Must be able to use muscles to lift, push, pull, or carry heavy objects. Occasionally, lifting 50 pounds and carrying up to 24 pounds may be required
• Must be able to bend, stretch, stoop, twist, squat, kneel, crawl, push/pull, grasp, handle, or reach out
• Must be able to move two or more limbs together while remaining in place
• Must be able to coordinate the movements of several body parts, such as arms and legs, while the body is moving
• Must demonstrate proper body mechanics to support physical activity for long periods without getting tired or out of breath
• Must be able to keep or regain the body's balance or stay upright when in an unstable position

Typical Working Conditions:

• The work environmental characteristics described here represent those employee encounters while performing the job's essential functions
• Can have frequent exposure to communicable/infectious diseases, toxic substances, ionizing radiation, medicinal preparations, and other conditions common to a clinical environment. Interaction with others is busy, constant, and occasionally interruptive. Typical office conditions and noise levels are usually quiet. Work may be demanding at times. It may require the ability to work irregular hours

Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to local labor markets, education, work experience, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, we offer benefits such as, a comprehensive benefits package, incentive and recognition programs, equity stock purchase and 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). No matter where or when you begin a career with us, you'll find a far-reaching choice of benefits and incentives. The hourly pay for this role will range from $17.98 to $32.12 per hour based on full-time employment. We comply with all minimum wage laws as applicable.

At UnitedHealth Group, our mission is to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone. We believe everyone-of every race, gender, sexuality, age, location, and income-deserves the opportunity to live their healthiest life. Today, however, there are still far too many barriers to good health which are disproportionately experienced by people of color, historically marginalized groups, and those with lower incomes. We are committed to mitigating our impact on the environment and enabling and delivering equitable care that addresses health disparities and improves health outcomes - an enterprise priority reflected in our mission.

Diversity creates a healthier atmosphere: UnitedHealth Group is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

UnitedHealth Group is a drug - free workplace. Candidates are required to pass a drug test before beginning employment.

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