Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist
Primary Location San Marcos, California
Facility Name San Marcos Hospital
Employee Status: Regular
Worker Location: Onsite
Schedule Full-time
Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40
Shift Day
Salary $64.32 - $69.58 / hour
Job Number 1453701
Date Posted 10/27/2026
Job Summary:
Provides functional direction and guidance to Clinical Laboratory Scientists as assigned. Performs, completes and releases laboratory tests of all complexities as defined by (CLIA) Clinical Lab Improvement Act, such as but not limited to Hematology, Microbiology, Clinical Chemistry). Analysis of tests to include specialized laboratory tests and analyses in one or more areas of clinical laboratory such as Hematology, Microbiology, Clinical Chemistry, Immunohematology, Urinalysis, Serology, Parasitology and chemical morphological examinations to obtain data for use in diagnosis and recording laboratory test results on the population serviced (e.g., pediatric, neonatal, adolescent, adult, and geriatric clients). The above is performed with minimum supervision, using critical judgment and responsibility.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Upholds Kaiser Permanentes Policies and Procedures, Principles of Responsibilities and applicable state, federal and local laws.
- Demonstrated ability to perform the duties of a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act) general supervisor such as outlined below.
- Participates in direct patient care by providing the patient with information to enhance the understanding of laboratory test, instructing the patient on specimen requirements and conditions for specialized testing and collecting from the patient samples to include blood, body fluids, secretions, and tissues for analysis.
- Recommends new methodologies, assists Supervisory Team by evaluating, incorporating and writing new procedures.
- Assists in keeping existing procedure manuals updated by periodically reviewing written procedures and eliminating obsolete procedures after conferring with Supervisory Team.
- Assists in the evaluation of work performance of other Clinical Laboratory Scientists and Medical Clinical Laboratory Scientist students assigned to the Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientists area.
- Attends seminars/workshops in order to keep abreast of new developments in the clinical laboratory field.
- Shares through lectures to co-workers information from seminars/workshops attended and medical literature read.
- Discusses clinical laboratory problems of mutual interest with the Supervisory Team and other laboratory Supervisor and Clinical Pathologists in order to provide continuous communication of vital information within operating units.
- Provides general guidance and specific instructions when required to all Clinical Laboratory Scientists, Laboratory Assistants, clerical staff and students.
- Accepts responsibility of assisting in work areas not primarily their own as time permits.
- The Lead Clinical Laboratory Scientist will assist supervisory team in certain lead functions as well as assuring the activity to promote the best achievement in the department.
Basic Qualifications:
Experience
- Two (2) years recent experience as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist
- NOTE: ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REGIONAL REFERENCE LABS (RRL):
- Function competently as a Licensed Clinical Laboratory Scientist in a high volume Laboratory demonstrating knowledge of principles, theories, practices, techniques. Must have Good communication skills and able to solve problems. And, as appropriate for the department/specialty, within the last three (3) years, at least six (6) months experience:
- Note: CLS students one (1) year internship can be considered meeting the experience requirement below.
- Experience in automated instrumentation; knowledge testing principles; molecular based procedures; QC protocols; knowledge in autoverification, EIA, chemiluminence and IFA platforms;knowledge of method validations, and hematology validation, QC and calibration, manual diff count. (CORE LAB, inlcudes AUTO CHEM, IMMUNOLOGY, HEMATOLOGY).
- Experience and knowledge in using high complex methods employing electrophoresis,chromatography, and mass spectrometry, and Special Coagulation (SPECIAL CHEMISTRY, SPECIAL COAGULATION, BIOCHEMICAL GENETICS).
- Read, interpret, work-up and report culture results for all areas of Aerobic and Anaerobic Bacteriology; proficient in reading and interpreting stained smears; knowledge and ability to set-up and report automated/molecular identification and susceptibility testing
- and interpret results (BACTERIOLOGY).
- NOTE: ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR REGIONAL FLOW CYTOMETRY (LOS ANGELES):
- One year recent experience in Flow Cytometry analysis such as leukemia / lymphoma phenotyping, paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, T cell subset enumeration, DNA cell cycle analysis and cytochemical staining.
- A Clinical Laboratory Scientist with a limited license will only qualify for a CLS position within their specialty and only applicable in the following departments at the Regional Reference Laboratories: Chemistry limited license qualifies for Automated Chemistry or Esoteric Chemistry CLS positions; Toxicology limited license qualifies for Esoteric Chemistry CLS positions; Immunology limited license qualifies for Molecular or Immunology CLS positions; Microbiology limited license qualifies for Bacteriology, Molecular or Immunology CLS positions; Hematology limited license qualifies for Hematology and Special Coagulation.
Education
- N/A
License, Certification, Registration
- Clinical Laboratory Scientist License (California)
Additional Requirements:
- Ability to demonstrate knowledge of and to utilize the principles, theories, practices, techniques and methods required of a Clinical Laboratory Scientist.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Previous experience as a department lead highly preferred.
- Applicant must have strong quality assurance experience in multiple laboratory sections.
Notes:
Position requires at least 50% bench time working as a laboratory generalist.
Primary Location: California,San Marcos,San Marcos Hospital
Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40
Shift: Day
Workdays: Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
Working Hours Start: 07:00 AM
Working Hours End: 03:30 PM
Job Schedule: Full-time
Job Type: Standard
Employee Status: Regular
Worker Location: Onsite
Employee Group/Union Affiliation: B02-L135|UFCW|Local 135
Job Level: Individual Contributor
Department: SAN MARCOS MEDICAL CENTER - Pathology/Lab-PermLab SysCoord - 0806
Pay Range: $64.32 - $69.58 / hour
Kaiser Permanente strives to offer a market competitive total rewards package and is committed to pay equity and transparency. The posted pay range is based on possible base salaries for the role and does not reflect the full value of our total rewards package. Actual base pay determined at offer will be based on labor market data, internal alignment, and a candidate's years of relevant work experience, education, certifications, skills, and geographic location.
Travel: Yes, 10 % of the Time
Kaiser Permanente is an equal opportunity employer committed to fair, respectful, and inclusive workplaces. Applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic or status.
For jobs where work will be performed in unincorporated LA County, the employer provides the following statement in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
Consistently supports compliance and the Principles of Responsibility (Kaiser Permanente's Code of Conduct) by maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of information, protecting the assets of the organization, acting with ethics and integrity, reporting non-compliance, and adhering to applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, accreditation, and licensure requirements (where applicable), and Kaiser Permanente's policies and procedures.
Models and reinforces ethical behavior in self and others in accordance with the Principles of Responsibility, adheres to organizational policies and guidelines; supports compliance initiatives; maintains confidences; admits mistakes; conducts business with honesty, shows consistency in words and actions; follows through on commitments.
Job duties with at least occasional or possible access to: (1) patients, the general public, or other employees; (2) confidential protected health information and other confidential KP information (including employee, proprietary, financial or trade secret information); (3) KP property and assets, for example, electronic assets, medical instruments, or devices; (4) controlled substances regulated by federal law or potentially subject to diversion.
For jobs where work will be performed in unincorporated LA County, the employer provides the following statement in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
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