Lab Technician - Eye Banking

Eye Bank Specialists contribute to ConnectLife's mission of inspiring donation and connecting lives through the recovery of anatomical gifts. This position offers advancement with the opportunity to pursue becoming a Certified Eye Bank Technician (CEBT) after 1 year in this role.

Eye Bank Specialist I 

Location: 4444 Bryant and Stratton Way, Williamsville, NY 14221

Pay: $20.50 per hour, non-exempt

Status: Full-Time 

Schedule: Monday-Friday, standard office hours: 7:30am-4:00pm or 8:00am-4:30pm; weekend availability and some holidays required.

Job Summary

Responsible for assisting in aseptic surgical ocular tissue recovery from deceased donors, processing, and evaluation of the ocular tissue under a microscope, and the packaging and distribution of recovered eye and tissue.  Coordinates with local surgeons and processors to fulfill requests for use in transplant and research.  This role works towards fulfilling Eye Bank Specialist II eligibility requirements in becoming a Certified Eye Bank Technician by the Eye Bank Association of America.

Education Requirements:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Bachelor’s degree in a healthcare related field or Life Sciences area preferred.
    

Experience Requirements:

• One year experience in eye or tissue banking OR healthcare related field preferred.
• Customer service experience required.
• Experience working in a sterile field preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology and/or medical diagnosis, medical record review preferred.
• Must be adaptable to change, detail oriented, and highly organized with the ability to think critically and multi-task while maintaining focus and accuracy through interruptions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, data entry, and electronic medical records required.
• Must be able to remain professional in making decisions and handling confidential information.
• Experience working in a collaborative team environment.

Required Physical Demands:

• Frequent standing, sitting, walking, bending, balancing, and grasping.
• Occasional lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling up to 25 lbs.
• Frequent reaching forward; occasional lateral, and overhead.
• Continuously receiving detailed information through written, electronic, and oral communication.
• Frequent clarity of vision at near and/or far distances.  Continuous computer use.

Essential Job Functions:

1. Offer surgical tissue to ophthalmologists or other eye banks with excellent customer service. Deliver ocular tissue to local hospitals, surgery centers, and/or couriers.

1. Package and ship recovered eye and tissue to processors, hospitals, surgery centers, or couriers.

1. Collect/ QC all required/necessary data post recovery from all sources available (medical records, nursing staff, physicians, lab work/serologies, autopsy, etc.). Complete all case related paperwork and enter all necessary information into donor electronic medical record.

1. Assist in processing ocular tissue through operation of the microkeratome system and utilizing aseptic technique.
2. Offer research tissue post-recovery to appropriate research outlets with excellent customer service.
3. Provide follow-up on all tissue transplants for applicable reporting agency.

1. Clean, wrap and sterilize instruments according to specifications, as necessary.  Maintain and operate autoclave and perform required biological indicator testing, as necessary.

1. Perform lab maintenance while ensuring all records are complete and accurate, as necessary.

1. Ensure all necessary supplies are maintained at sufficient levels and use-by dates through rotating stock and ordering, as needed.  

1. Assist in post-recovery, donor-related activities, as needed.

1. May need to work outside standard office hours to fulfill surgery and processor requests, as needed.

1. Ensure compliance with all federal and accrediting agencies and ConnectLife standards for tissue and eye recovery by remaining informed and up to date regarding policies, procedures, and all regulatory and partner requirements.

What We Offer:

• Health Insurance
• Employer Sponsored Dental & Vision insurance
• Employer Sponsored Life insurance
• Paid vacation & sick time on an accrual basis beginning on day 1
• 401(k) after one year of service with 3% employer contribution
• Employee Referral Bonuses
• Mileage Reimbursement
• Pet insurance
• And more!