Job Type: Full-Time, Contract-to-Hire (Temporary with permanent conversion potential)  $29.00 per hour

Category: Clinical Laboratory / Molecular Biology

Must be able to begin work no later than June 15 Must be Certified as MLS or MT in specialties by nationally recognized accredited agencies such as American Society for Clinical Pathologist or American Board of Bioanalysis or Eligible for certification within 18 months of hire. Position Summary We are seeking a highly skilled and certified Medical Laboratory Scientist / Clinical Laboratory Professional to join a premier, state-of-the-art diagnostic laboratory facility in the Decatur area. This critical role sits within the Molecular Biology and Virology units, focusing on infectious disease detection, outbreak surveillance, and emergency response capabilities.

This position is a unique opportunity to directly impact community safety and public health readiness in anticipation of upcoming high-profile, international large-scale events in the Metro Atlanta area. This role begins as a temporary contract with a strong path toward permanent conversion for the right candidate.

Essential Job Duties & Responsibilities As a core member of the testing team, you will perform high-complexity molecular diagnostics and support assay development, validation, and quality management.

High-Complexity Testing: Perform all phases (pre-examination, examination, and post- examination) of diagnostic and surveillance testing on human clinical specimens using advanced molecular techniques, including RT- PCR and sequencing.

Outbreak Surveillance: Support respiratory disease and biological threat detection workflows, assisting with high-throughput assay development, validation, and performance verification.

Quality Assurance & Compliance: Ensure strict adherence to local, state, and federal regulatory standards including CLIA and OSHA. Review, document, and interpret QA/QC data to establish testing ranges and recommend process improvements.

Laboratory Maintenance & Safety: Operate, calibrate, and troubleshoot complex laboratory instrumentation. Maintain strict adherence to institutional biosafety protocols, chemical hygiene plans, and hazardous material handling guidelines.

Specimen Management: Correctly triage, handle, pack, and ship Category B infectious substances in compliance with safety regulations.

Collaboration & Training: Assist with onboarding and training new laboratory staff. Effectively collaborate and communicate findings with regional and institutional partners.

Bachelor’s Degree in a chemical, physical, biological, or clinical laboratory science AND at least 2 years of clinical laboratory experience.

OR

Master’s Degree in a related scientific field AND at least 1 year of clinical laboratory experience.

Certifications & Regulatory Alignment:

ASCP / AMT Certified: Must hold a current certification as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS), Medical Technologist (MT), or equivalent via a nationally recognized accredited agency (or be eligible to obtain certification within 18 months of hire).

CLIA High-Complexity Requirements: Must fully meet the personnel requirements (42 CFR 493.1461) and responsibilities for high- complexity testing under CLIA '88 regulations.

Preferred Skills & Competencies:

Proven experience with FDA-cleared and Laboratory Developed Tests (LDTs) for infectious disease agents.

Proficiency using Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) alongside standard office software (Microsoft Office Suite) for data tracking and reporting.

Excellent critical thinking, troubleshooting, and analytical skills.

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to remain positive, poised, and detail- oriented in a fast-paced, high-throughput team environment.