Medical Laboratory Scientist | West Coast

West Coast - Greymouth - Laboratory Services Full‑Time, Permanent position (80 hours per fortnight). Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders. We are seeking a motivated Medical Laboratory Scientist to join our Laboratory Services team as a Technical Specialist in our core laboratory. This role offers the opportunity to apply your scientific expertise across a broad range of laboratory disciplines while contributing to the delivery of high‑quality diagnostic services that support patient diagnosis, treatment, and care. Experience in microbiology and/or blood bank is desirable. The Technical Specialist will play a key role in ensuring accurate, timely and reliable laboratory results and supporting quality improvement, professional development, and service excellence. Working within a multidisciplinary laboratory, you will also contribute to staff development, quality systems, continuous improvement initiatives and the ongoing success of an IANZ‑accredited laboratory service. Workdays are Monday to Friday with participation in a 24/7 roster, including weekends, public holidays and on‑call duties. About the Role The Technical Specialist provides leadership of a laboratory section or subsection, overseeing the collection, receipt, registration, preparation, investigation and analysis of samples of human biological material to support patient diagnosis, management and treatment. You will collaborate with laboratory colleagues, clinicians and external stakeholders to ensure safe, efficient, and high‑quality diagnostic services while contributing to staff development, quality systems and continuous improvement initiatives. Key Responsibilities Provide strong technical leadership across relevant service areas. Supervise, guide and support staff to ensure high performance and accountability. Actively participate in training programmes, including competency sign‑off and onboarding of new staff. Delegate tasks effectively to optimise team performance and workflow. Support and monitor staff training and development plans. Oversee SOP and document review in relevant areas. Participate across all laboratory operations, performing duties in collection, receipt, preparation, investigation and analysis of samples to support patient diagnosis and treatment. Maintain competence within the Medical Laboratory Scientist scope of practice and undertake relevant CPD activities to maintain an Annual Practising Certificate (APC). Maintain accurate and timely client communication, responding politely and promptly to requests and enquiries. Document client feedback and notify the Laboratory Manager promptly. Offer accurate and informed advice on test interpretation to laboratory users. Essential Requirements Registration with the Medical Sciences Council of New Zealand as a Medical Laboratory Scientist and holding current APC. Ability to maintain a high professional standard in line with competence standards for MLS practitioners. Experience working within an IANZ accredited laboratory. A working knowledge of Laboratory Information Systems. Effective interpersonal skills, confidentiality, discretion. Ability to work unsupervised, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines reliably. Capacity to initiate and facilitate open communication with staff. Commitment to client‑focused quality outcomes and teamwork. Strong organisational and time‑management skills. Ability to supervise, train and write technical documents. Cultural sensitivity and understanding of Treaty of Waitangi principles and articles. Desirable Skills and Experience Minimum of 5 years experience in a diagnostic laboratory, preferably with some leadership experience. Experience in a multi‑disciplinary laboratory. Strong desire to grow and develop in the role. Inquisitive mindset to challenge routine and find better pathways. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities. #J-18808-Ljbffr