Medical Laboratory Assistant - Part-Time 20 hours

Join the MD Anderson Cancer Center Division of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and become part of a team that supports the diagnostic and laboratory services essential to patient care at one of the world's leading cancer centers. This opportunity is ideal for a detail-oriented laboratory professional who enjoys working behind the scenes to ensure specimens are processed accurately, quality standards are maintained, and laboratory operations run efficiently.

The Medical Laboratory Assistant plays a critical role in supporting laboratory operations through specimen receiving, accessioning, processing, and quality activities that help ensure accurate and timely patient results. Responsibilities include transporting, receiving, identifying, and processing patient specimens, evaluating specimen integrity, maintaining laboratory records, documenting quality control activities, and utilizing laboratory information systems to support workflow and patient care operations.

The ideal candidate will possess strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced laboratory environment. Candidates should be comfortable prioritizing multiple tasks, troubleshooting pre-analytical issues, maintaining accurate documentation, and supporting laboratory staff to ensure productivity and quality goals are achieved. Previous experience in a clinical laboratory, healthcare, pathology, or specimen processing environment is highly desirable.

A unique aspect of this role includes supporting regulatory and compliance activities throughout the laboratory. Responsibilities may include assisting with CAP and CLIA audit preparation, maintaining regulatory documentation, supporting inventory management processes, tracking laboratory records, and helping ensure the laboratory remains inspection-ready. Candidates with experience supporting quality assurance, quality control, compliance documentation, or laboratory accreditation activities are encouraged to apply.

Success in this role requires strong communication and customer service skills, as well as the ability to work collaboratively with laboratory staff, healthcare professionals, vendors, and other stakeholders. The ideal candidate will be dependable, proactive, and committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, and service.

At MD Anderson Cancer Center, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven organization dedicated to Making Cancer History®. MD Anderson offers competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, generous paid time off, retirement benefits, professional development opportunities, and the chance to build a rewarding career within one of the nation's premier laboratory medicine programs.

**This is a part-time 20 hours a week position. The ideal candidate will be a currrent student of MD Anderson's school of health professions**

JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

Technical Skills    
- Performs tasks assigned in accordance with established policies and procedures. 
- Correctly transports, receives, accessions, processes, and assures proper identification of specimen 
- Evaluates specimen integrity and notifies appropriate personnel of unacceptable specimens in accordance with departmental procedure 
- Acquires and maintains proficiency in computer functions 
- Independently performs work without undue reliance on others and assists co-workers as time permits 
- Keeps abreast of new procedures and policies 
- Performs and documents all required quality control/quality assurance 
- Maintains neat, accurate and complete records according to established policies and procedures.

Productivity and Communication/Teamwork   
- Maintains organized processes to provide optimal and timely patient results. 
- Prioritizes and organizes workflow to meet productivity goals of the section 
- Remains knowledgeable of processes and pre-analytical procedures enabling efficient trouble shooting and problem solving 
- Assists with monitoring and documenting of the sections inventory control system while assuring effective use of supplies. 
- Communicate effectively

Quality Commitment and Enhancement    
- Performs laboratory internal regulatory (CAP/CLIA) audits with sections and reports finding to laboratory management 
- Assists in the management of laboratory regulatory documentation (i.e. competency, instrument logs, job aides, etc.) for compliance 
- Complies with section's telephone/customer service courtesy policies and procedures
- Reports results of problem resolutions to callers in accordance with section's policies 
- Demonstrates cooperation when working with both internal and external customers
- Demonstrates calmness under varying environmental circumstances; remains willing and capable of assisting with crisis situations 
- Effectively follows up with vendors to resolve pending laboratory supply/equipment orders 

Other duties as assigned.