What are the responsibilities and job description for the Laboratory Support Technician position at UPMC?
Join a Team Advancing Life-Changing Medicine
UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital is seeking a full-time Laboratory Support Technician to join our cutting-edge UPMC Cytogenetic Laboratory (UCL). This entry-level role offers the opportunity to work in a state-of-the-art environment dedicated to delivering answers that truly make a difference for patients and families. The position follows a Tuesday–Saturday schedule, 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
At the UCL, you’ll support a laboratory recognized for its advanced diagnostic capabilities, utilizing both traditional cytogenetic methods and molecular techniques—including fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and genome-wide array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH). You’ll be part of a team that performs chromosome studies on diverse specimen types, contributing directly to meaningful, life-impacting discoveries.
Responsibilities:
- Answers phone inquiries.
- Investigates specimen status and report disposition. Directs callers to additional resources as needed.
- Receives, sorts, prepares and delivers testing-ready specimens for analysis to work areas.
- Demonstrates service orientation approach by conveying courtesy, respect, enthusiasm and a positive attitude in work situations.
- Performs routine and basic instrument maintenance according to established protocols. Records temperatures if required.
- Assists with restocking supplies to maintain an optimal inventory. Maintains clean and orderly storage spaces for room temperature, refrigerated, and frozen supplies.
- Prepares and replenishes instrument reagents and consumables as needed.
- Performs QA / QC procedures as assigned.
- Assists with specimen/slide storage and retrieval.
- Checks pending work lists. Investigates and resolves any unprocessed work.
- Decontaminates work area, keeping a neat and clean working environment.
- Keeps any glassware clean and dry, including tests for residue removal as needed.
- Tests and cleans emergency eyewashes and showers as assigned.
- Sorts laboratory waste as needed and ensures that proper disposal occurs.
- Transports specimens off-site and delivers supplies where required.
- Prepares specimens at workstations for testing. Includes building worklists, checking specimens for acceptability (clots, QNS), aliquoting specimens, loading/unloading specimens onto instruments.
- Prepares microscopic slides and plants specimens in microbiologic growth media where required.