Technician I, Clinical Pathology

For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

Job Overview

Charles River Laboratories (CRL) is seeking a Clinical Pathology Technician to join our team at the Kansas site. This site is the first of its kind, bridging CRL’s Discovery and Safety Assessment business units, while bringing automation to standard lead optimization toxicology study models to deliver rapid study results to our clients. When you join our team, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. As a technician, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about.

The pay rate for this position is $20/hour.

Job Description

The Clinical Pathology Technician will become proficient in on-boarding skills, procedures, and cooperating in a team environment, while learning basic skills required to conduct a study. Daily activities include sample labeling, delivery, aliquoting, processing, and verification; cleaning of lab and equipment; preparation, staining, consolidation of slides, and reviewing study ordered parameters and computer input of raw data. The Technician may also perform shipping and receiving activities.

Additional responsibilities:

• Complete all new hire training requirements while gaining proficiency in CP Tech II core skills and values.
• Operate general laboratory equipment (i.e. centrifuge, pipettes, water baths) used in the processing of biological samples.
• Perform biological sample management duties including labeling, delivery, aliquoting, processing, and verification; cleaning of lab and equipment; preparation, staining, and consolidation of slides.
• Monitor and perform tasks related to individual study assignments.
• Receive, process, track, and store all samples received into the laboratory; sample pick-up and delivery from/to the vivarium and supporting labs
• Ship samples to external sites/locations and receive samples into the Site as needed – tracking shipping information
• Aliquoting with disposable and mechanical pipette
• Sample storage (cooler) preparedness and delivery
• Cleaning – Centrifuges, Counters, laboratory equipment, etc.
• Labeling of standard nuncs and blood tubes
• Observe and assist with technical/study related duties with guidance.
• Generate, update, and maintain data for department activities.
• Maintain and perform record keeping.
• Assist with training for less experienced staff.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: High school diploma or General Education Degree (G.E.D.) preferred.
• Experience: Experience in a laboratory setting preferred.
• Certification/Licensure: None, unless required by local government.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities to achieve goals.
• Computer skills (e.g., Microsoft Office Suite), commensurate with essential functions, including the ability to learn a validated system.
• Ability to ensure that a safe working environment is maintained by observing all safety procedures and working methods by making proper use of protective clothing and equipment, and by reading, understanding, and following all safety documents issued or notified of.
• Ability to ensure the integrity of the studies and fulfill the regulatory agencies requirements by performing the activities according to the Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), Business Operating Procedures (BOP) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) rules.
• Ability to work extended hours beyond normal work schedule to include, but not limited to evenings, weekends, extended shifts, and/or extra shifts, sometimes on short notice.
• Ability to work under specific time constraints.

Schedule will either be Thursday - Sunday or Saturday - Tuesday, 8:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. (four days per week).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
• Employees must be able to lift, move, manipulate, and/or hold heavy objects up to and including 50 pounds; this includes work materials, equipment, and/or animals.
• Must be able to perform laboratory procedures, which require, talking, hearing, standing or sitting for long periods of time, entering data into a computer, using appropriate instruments, reaching with hands and arms, working in narrow spaces, and wearing safety equipment (PPE) according to OSHA regulations and company standards.
• Must be able to frequently hold and manipulate work materials while utilizing fine motor skills.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, depth perception, and
the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
• Works in a research laboratory environment, which requires use of sharp objects, working around mechanical parts, working with or near known or unknown toxic or caustic chemicals and/or biological hazards, exposure to fumes and airborne particles, working at noise levels ranging from quiet to moderately noisy.

About Safety Assessment
Charles River is committed to helping our partners expedite their preclinical drug development with exceptional safety assessment services, state-of-the-art facilities and expert regulatory guidance. From individual specialty toxicology and IND enabling studies to tailored packages and total laboratory support, our deeply experienced team can design and execute programs that anticipate challenges and avoid roadblocks for a smooth, efficient journey to market. Each year approximately 300 investigational new drug (IND) programs are conducted in our Safety Assessment facilities.

About Charles River
Charles River is an early-stage contract research organization (CRO). We have built upon our foundation of laboratory animal medicine and science to develop a diverse portfolio of discovery and safety assessment services, both Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and non-GLP, to support clients from target identification through preclinical development. Charles River also provides a suite of products and services to support our clients’ clinical laboratory testing needs and manufacturing activities. Utilizing this broad portfolio of products and services enables our clients to create a more flexible drug development model, which reduces their costs, enhances their productivity and effectiveness to increase speed to market.

With over 20,000 employees within 110 facilities in over 20 countries around the globe, we are strategically positioned to coordinate worldwide resources and apply multidisciplinary perspectives in resolving our client’s unique challenges. Our client base includes global pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, government agencies and hospitals and academic institutions around the world.

At Charles River, we are passionate about our role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Our mission, our excellent science and our strong sense of purpose guide us in all that we do, and we approach each day with the knowledge that our work helps to improve the health and well-being of many across the globe. We have proudly worked on 80% of the drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the past five years.

We’re committed to providing benefits that elevate your quality of life. Based on your position these may include: bonus/incentives based on performance, 401K, paid time off, stock purchase program, Health and wellness coverage, employee and family wellbeing support programs, and work life balance flexibility.