<p>A Lead Medical Laboratory Scientist with a microbiology focus is needed at a clinical laboratory in Dover, Delaware. This is a permanent, full-time leadership role on a stable Monday–Friday day shift, offering direct involvement in operational management, staff development, and quality oversight within a high-complexity laboratory environment. The position carries a $12,000 sign-on bonus and a pay ceiling approaching $50 per hour — a strong compensation package for an experienced MLS ready to step into a formal leadership track.</p>
<h3>Perks and Benefits</h3> <ul> <li>Hourly pay range: $32.03 – $49.64, commensurate with experience</li> <li>$12,000 sign-on bonus — first $6,000 paid at 90 days, second $6,000 paid at one year; requires a two-year commitment</li> <li>Stable Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM – 3:30 PM schedule — no rotating shifts, no weekend requirement</li> <li>Comprehensive benefits package included</li> <li>Professional growth and formal leadership development opportunities within the laboratory department</li> </ul>
<h3>Practice Highlights</h3> <ul> <li>Lead-level role within the Microbiology section of a high-complexity clinical laboratory in Dover, DE</li> <li>Reports to and directly supports the Laboratory Section Supervisor and Laboratory Manager in daily operational and technical management</li> <li>Performs hands-on laboratory testing, specimen analysis, and result reporting alongside leadership duties</li> <li>Leads staff assignments and adjusts workloads in real time to maintain throughput and quality standards</li> <li>Serves as the primary technical resource for troubleshooting, problem resolution, and instrument maintenance oversight</li> <li>Manages quality control programs, proficiency testing, and regulatory compliance documentation</li> <li>Coordinates inventory management, supply ordering, and vendor communications for the section</li> <li>Participates in new procedure implementation, method validations, and process improvement initiatives</li> <li>Conducts staff training and competency assessments; contributes to performance evaluations</li> <li>Acts in a supervisory capacity in the absence of section leadership</li> </ul>
<h3>Qualifications</h3> <ul> <li>Bachelor's degree in Medical Laboratory Science or a related science field meeting MLS educational requirements</li> <li>Certified Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS/ASCP) — required</li> <li>Minimum of three years of experience as a Medical Laboratory Scientist, Medical Laboratory Technician, or equivalent in a high-complexity laboratory setting</li> <li>Demonstrated microbiology experience — required</li> <li>Five or more years of high-complexity laboratory experience — preferred</li> <li>Additional specialty certification relevant to microbiology or laboratory leadership — preferred</li> </ul>
<h3>About the Community</h3> <p>Dover is Delaware's state capital — a mid-sized city that balances a low cost of living with genuine quality of life, including well-regarded public schools, proximity to the Delaware beaches, and easy access to Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C., all within a two-hour drive. The region offers a four-season Mid-Atlantic climate, a strong sense of community, and no state sales tax — practical advantages that make a Dover-based position particularly attractive for clinicians relocating from higher cost-of-living markets.</p>