Medical Lab Technologist - Special Chemistry and Functional Med

Role Overview

Medical Lab Technologist – Special Chemistry and Functional Medicine at American Hospital Dubai. The role performs specialized, moderate to high-complexity laboratory testing within the approved test menu to support accurate diagnosis, treatment monitoring, disease prevention, and personalized healthcare.

Role Purpose

Perform pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical laboratory functions including specimen assessment, analytical processes, quality control, instrument operation, result verification within authorized scope, and technical troubleshooting. Ensure compliance with American Hospital Dubai policies and procedures, Dubai Health Authority (DHA) regulations, College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation requirements, Joint Commission International (JCI) standards, and recognized laboratory quality, safety, and professional practice standards.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Operations

• Perform specialized chemistry and functional medicine testing within the approved laboratory scope, including endocrine, metabolic, nutritional, immunoassay, therapeutic drug monitoring, trace element, toxicology, and other advanced chemistry investigations using validated methodologies.
• Assess specimen acceptability by reviewing patient preparation, collection requirements, transport conditions, storage parameters, and other pre-analytical factors.
• Reject or escalate unsuitable specimens in accordance with laboratory policies and quality standards.
• Conduct analytical testing accurately and efficiently while adhering to standard operating procedures, quality requirements, and established turnaround times.
• Review and verify analytical results within authorized scope, evaluating accuracy, consistency, reference intervals, delta checks, instrument flags, and critical values.
• Escalate unusual, discrepant, or clinically significant findings to senior laboratory technologists, supervisors, or pathologists as appropriate.
• Operate, calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot specialized laboratory analyzers and equipment, ensuring optimal functionality, reliability, and regulatory compliance.
• Maintain comprehensive records of maintenance activities, instrument performance, calibration status, reagent utilization, and corrective actions.
• Participate in the validation and verification of new instruments, reagents, assays, reference intervals, and methodology changes, including studies related to precision, accuracy, linearity, analytical measurement range, carryover, and method correlation.
• Maintain accurate, complete, and timely documentation within the Laboratory Information System (LIS) and associated records.
• Adhere to established reporting protocols and escalation pathways for critical results and laboratory issues.
• Manage reagents, calibrators, quality control materials, consumables, and specialized testing kits through appropriate receipt, storage, lot verification, inventory monitoring, stock rotation, and expiry management.
• Assist in maintaining adequate inventory levels to ensure uninterrupted laboratory operations while minimizing wastage.
• Provide technical guidance, mentoring, and support to students and trainees.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

• Perform and evaluate quality control, calibration, calibration verification, proficiency testing, external quality assessment activities, and other quality indicators to ensure analytical reliability and accuracy.
• Investigate quality control failures, instrument performance issues, and non-conforming events, implementing corrective actions and documenting outcomes in accordance with laboratory procedures.
• Ensure compliance with patient identification, traceability, confidentiality, data integrity, and document control requirements.
• Collaborate effectively with pathologists, physicians, nursing staff, phlebotomists, laboratory colleagues, referral laboratories, and other stakeholders to ensure high-quality laboratory services and optimal patient outcomes.
• Provide technical support and guidance to laboratory colleagues within area of expertise.
• Participate in continuing education, professional development, competency programs, and departmental training initiatives to maintain current knowledge and technical proficiency.
• Promote a culture of safety, quality, teamwork, innovation, and patient-centered care.
• Participate in internal audits, quality improvement initiatives, competency assessments, accreditation activities, and regulatory inspections to maintain continuous compliance with CAP, DHA, JCI, and other applicable standards.
• Support the investigation, documentation, and resolution of incidents, non-conformities, corrective actions, preventive actions, and risk management activities.

Qualifications & Experience

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Laboratory Technology, Biomedical Science, Clinical Laboratory Science, or a related recognized discipline.

Professional Registration and Licensing

• Current professional registration in the home country where applicable.
• Valid Dubai Health Authority (DHA) License/Eligibility as a Medical Laboratory Technologist.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of three (3) years of recent experience as a Medical Laboratory Technologist, preferably in Clinical Chemistry, Special Chemistry, Endocrinology, Immunoassay, or a comparable high-complexity laboratory section.
• Demonstrated experience with automated and specialized chemistry/immunoassay platforms, quality control, calibration, instrument troubleshooting, and verification of analytical performance.
• Experience with functional or personalized medicine-related laboratory testing, specialized send-out testing, or advanced metabolic and nutritional investigations is preferred.
• Experience in assay validation/verification, proficiency testing, quality improvement, audit preparation, and corrective action processes is preferred.
• Experience within a tertiary, CAP-accredited, JCI-accredited, or similarly regulated laboratory environment is highly preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of clinical chemistry, immunoassay principles, analytical instrumentation, quality control, calibration, specimen management, laboratory safety, and result interpretation within professional scope.
• Knowledge of CAP accreditation requirements, DHA Clinical Laboratory Standards, JCI requirements, and ISO 15189 quality principles is preferred.
• Proficiency in Laboratory Information Systems, analyzer middleware, quality-control applications, and standard Microsoft Office tools.
• Strong analytical and troubleshooting abilities.
• Excellent documentation and communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills with high attention to accuracy, patient identification, confidentiality, and laboratory quality.