Texas Department of State Health Services · 2 hours ago
Laboratory Technician
Harlingen, TX
Full-time
Onsite
New Grad, Entry Level
0+ years expThe Texas Department of State Health Services is dedicated to public health and is seeking a Laboratory Technician IV to join their South Texas Laboratory team. This role involves operating sterilizers, maintaining laboratory equipment, preparing media, and ensuring compliance with safety protocols.
Health Care
Responsibilities
Operates and maintains sterilizers. Performs sterilization of contaminated bio-hazard material prior to proper disposal. Follows all safety precautions in regard to operation of equipment and contaminated materials. Adheres to universal precautions and uses personal protective equipment adequately in performing job duties. Performs ATTEST and reviews, interpret, and report ATTEST results to monitor sterilizer performance on a weekly basis; troubleshoot and correct if test results are out-of-range
Cleans and sterilizes laboratory glassware. Performs Detergent Residue Test; troubleshoots any out of range results. Prepares and sterilizes 7H11 and 7H10 for Agar Susceptibilities, buffers, and other water solutions used in the Mycobacteriology Section. Inoculates lyophilized drugs into 7H10 media used for drug agar susceptibility plates. Pours 7H11 plated media and 7H10 Agar Susceptibilities plated media, labels, and helps put away prepared media and any sterilized solutions
Maintains an efficient and high quality department by ordering Glassware/Sterilization/Media Prep supplies in a timely manner. Cleans and maintains laboratory equipment, such as sterilizers, water bath, glassware washer, incubators, and refrigerators. Performs monthly and biannual inventory of supplies for Glassware, Sterilization, and Media Prep Sections. Performs monthly test of Emergency Shower
Coordinates technical support activities, such as medical waste pickup and disposal by Stericycle, preventive maintenance of sterilizers and glassware washer by Getinge, and DI tank service calls to Culligan Water. Maintain equipment records of sterilizers, glassware washer, and DI tank PM and service calls. Prepares yearly DI water sample for send out testing. Coordinates media prep and sterilization cross-training
Maintains and performs periodic review of Media Prep and Sterilization Procedures in MediaLab. Assists in receiving and accessioning Mycobacteriology specimens. Inputs Mycobacteriology smear and susceptibility test results onto LIMS LabWare computer system from TB worksheets reported by Microbiologists. Provide customer service to mycobacteriology submitters by printing and faxing reports, as needed
Other duties as assigned include but not limited to actively participating and/or serving in a supporting role to meet the agency's obligations for disaster response and/or recovery or Continuity of Operations (COOP) activation. Such participation may require an alternate shift pattern assignment and/or location. Safe operation of either a state owned vehicle or personal vehicle is required to conduct state business, and an acceptable driving record must be maintained in accordance with DSHS Policy OS-3901, Fleet Operations and Management & Procedures and standards developed by the Texas Department of Public Safety
Qualification
Required
Must possess a valid Class C Texas driver's license, or equivalent license from another state
Knowledge of Glassware standards and glassware cleaning procedures
Knowledge of sterilization techniques and principles required in the performance of microbiological laboratory methods
Knowledge of usage of computer programs, such as Windows, Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and spreadsheets or other computer software for inventory reports, data reports, procedures, and special projects
Knowledge of Laboratory Information Systems, to include data entry, sample processing, receiving, result reporting and troubleshooting
Skills in the utilization of microbiology equipment and systems which include balance, water baths, hot plates, sterilizers, reagent refrigerators, and incubators
Ability to perform ATTEST and reviews, interpret, and report ATTEST results to monitor sterilizer performance
Ability to provide customer service to mycobacteriology submitters by printing and faxing reports
Ability to maintain inventory of reagent, consumables, and supplies for media prep, glassware, and sterilizer
Ability to prepare and sterilize media, buffers, and other water solutions used in the Mycobacteriology section
Ability to follow oral and written directions and work well with others
Ability to plan and prioritize assignments
Preferred
Preferred to have earned a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in a chemical, physical, biological or clinical laboratory science, or medical technology from an accredited institution and 6 months of clinical lab experience; or have earned an associate's degree in a clinical laboratory science, or medical laboratory technology from an accredited institution
Work experience in Health Care Facility using Personal Protective equipment and documentation of equipment maintenance checks
Experience with Laboratory Information System data entry
Experience with cleaning glassware
Experience with autoclaves for the sterilization of contaminated materials
Experience preparing media and labeling media
Benefits
DSHS offers insurance coverage and other benefits available through the State of Texas Group Benefits Plan administered by the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS).
Company
Texas Department of State Health Services
Texas Department of State Health Services focuses on public health to promote and protect the health of Texans & their communities.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Texas Department of State Health Services has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2024 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Carolyn Barrett
Senior Advisor to DSHS CFO
Christy Havel Burton
Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
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