POSITION SUMMARY

The position of Organ Machine Perfusion Specialist is a highly specialized clinical and technical role within the Center for Organ Recovery & Education (CORE), responsible for advanced organ preservation and perfusion operations that directly influence organ viability, transplant center acceptance, and recipient outcomes. This position serves as CORE’s subject matter expert for normothermic and hypothermic mechanical perfusion technologies and provides real-time clinical decision making, troubleshooting, and organ optimization under time-sensitive conditions.

This role will remain competent in all tasks outlined in the Organ Recovery Coordinator roles I and II taking on additional primary responsibilities in advanced organ preservation and perfusion. They will function independently and collaboratively to manage mechanical perfusion platforms including, but not limited to, OrganOx Metra, Organ Recovery Systems Kidney Transporter, Bridge to Life VitaSmart, and future perfusion technologies adopted by CORE. This position is responsible for ensuring organs are prepared, cannulated, supported, monitored, packaged, labeled, and transported in compliance with OPTN standards. They will remain competent in specialized clinical functions including interpretation of perfusion labs and trends, device troubleshooting, documentation, and verbal communication with surgeons responsible for organ acceptance. They will provide intraoperative first-assist support upon recovering surgeon request and independently perform back-table organ preparation for perfusion cannulation, including anatomical dissection, biopsy retrieval, site closure, and kidney preparation (including fat removal), ensuring optimal preservation readiness and sterile field integrity.

The Organ Machine Perfusion Specialist collaborates with the Administrator On Call to support daily recovery operations, including aligning staffing needs with the technical and innovative requirements of each case and coordinating Normothermic Regional Perfusion pre-OR call recovery technique alignment amongst all recovery teams. The role also collaborates with the Organ Machine Perfusion Manager on transplant center education, perfusion training initiatives, and research-based innovation projects.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY

The Organ Machine Perfusion Specialist will be responsible for positively educating and interacting with health care professionals in the donation process.  They will be responsible for participating in promoting a work environment that is safe-proof, injury free, and fire safe. They are responsible for demonstrating knowledge of current OPTN policy and operating within current CORE policies and procedures. They will manage preservation solutions, integrity of sterile equipment, and supplies specific to the donation activity. Demonstrate operation of ISTAT and interpretation of basic biochemistry and clinical labs to provide pharmaceutical therapeutics to support organ function on mechanical perfusion device. They will package, label, and verify donor information with every organ and/or tissue recovered for transplant or research with precision and urgency. They must have experience in electronic documentation applications and will be responsible for managing the OPTN electronic bar-coding organ labeling system (TransNet). They must demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and are responsible for the promotion of a positive workplace that assures the success of the operations of CORE.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS

The Incumbent for the position of Organ Machine Perfusion Specialist education must include a bachelor’s degree nursing, biomedical sciences or equivalent required. Minimum of 2 years’ experience in healthcare, organ procurement organization, surgical services, or related clinical setting required. Candidates must demonstrate the ability to interpret protocols independently, exercise sound judgement in time-sensitive situations, and communicate effectively with transplant surgeons, hospital partners, and CORE leadership. They must possess strong written and verbal communication skills and must demonstrate professional commitment, ethical behavior, and respect for donor families, donors, and transplant centers. Experience with sterile technique and intraoperative environments is required. Experience with transplant preservation technologies, perfusion systems, ECMO, surgical first- assist, or clinical laboratory specimen preparation is strongly preferred.

The Organ Machine Perfusion Specialist must complete CORE’s structured orientation in approximately 6 months and maintain ongoing competency thereafter. They must be physically capable of working long and unpredictable hours, lifting up to 60 pounds, and working in high-stress clinical environments. A valid Pennsylvania driver’s license is required. A passport must be secured within 6 months of employment. Travel by ground and air is required.

Certification:

CTP (Certified Transplant Preservationist) preferred at hire and expected within an established timeframe as defined by CORE.

DEGREE OF JOB DIFFICULTY

The degree of job difficulty for the Organ Recovery Coordinator falls into the moderate range.  Inadvertent errors or mistakes could result in the death of a transplant recipient.