• Flexible work schedule
• Reimbursable travel time and mileage

Traveling Medical Laboratory Scientists are responsible for:

• Receive and record biological and environmental samples.
• Processing blood, urine, oral rinse, and swab samples.
• Labeling cryovials and enter sample data into the sample management system.
• Performing quality control activities as instructed.
• Preparing biological shipments according to U.S. and international regulations.
• Setting up and pack up the laboratory and interview rooms.
• Managing and maintain equipment and supplies.
• Completing required forms to supervisor, as requested.
• Following study protocols and infection control guidelines.
• Attending and complete all required project training.
• This position involves lifting equipment weighing up to 50 pounds.

RTI International is hiring full-time Traveling Medical Laboratory Scientists (MLS) to support the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NHANES conducts health examinations in a Mobile Examination Center (MEC) with participants recruited by field staff.

As part of a small team, the MLS will process biological (i.e., blood, plasma, serum, urine, and swabs) and environmental samples. This position will also prepare biological shipments and be cross trained to support data collection activities in a MEC.

Visit the CDC website to learn more: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.html

Minimum Required Qualifications:

• Must be at least 21 years old.
• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Professional training in a laboratory science or related field.
• Minimum 1 year of lab experience in CLIA-certified setting.
• Technologist (MT) or Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) in a CLIA-certified health care setting.
• CPR certification (or willingness to obtain within 3 months).
• Experience with biological sample processing and shipping.
• Experience processing, storing, and shipping all types of biological samples.
• Knowledge of laboratory safety procedures and shipping regulations for biological samples.
• Strong communication and organizational skills.
• Flexibility in assigned work schedules and tasks is essential.
• Basic computer proficiency and clerical skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work well independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to lift equipment up to 50 lbs.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.
• In order to travel by air, federal law requires individuals to have a REAL ID or an acceptable alternative. This position may require the successful candidate to travel by air for business reasons. Accordingly, successful candidates must have, or be willing to obtain, a REAL ID, or TSA approved alternative.

Preferred Qualifications for Ideal Candidates:

• Certification as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) by the American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP) or the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA) or current licensure as a MT/MLS/CLT in state of residence.
• Phlebotomy experience.
• Fluency in Spanish.
• Willingness to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate MEC vehicles (38 feet in length and over 26,000 lbs. in weight) to various study locations.

• This is a part-time position averaging 25 hours per week over the course of the data collection period. 
• Overnight travel is required and while on travel the work schedule is typically 5 days and 40 hours per week.   
• Work schedule on non-travel weeks will vary. 
• Most work occurs between 7 AM and 7 PM, typically 5 days on and 2 days off based on the data collection schedule, with occasional evenings.   
• Initial data collection period is expected to run through December 2026, with potential extension through 2030. 
• Must commit to a minimum of one year 

Traveling Medical Laboratory Scientists are required to complete all trainings which include:

• Successfully passing project required training (a mix of virtual, online, and in-person).
• Virtual/online training completed prior to in-person training.
• Up to 80 hours of paid virtual/online training prior to in-person sessions.
• Mandatory in-person training in Research Triangle Park, NC.
• Refresher and mid-year training required.
• Travel per diem and accommodations provided for in-person training.

RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach--one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering, and international development. We believe in the promise of science, and we are inspired every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities, and businesses around the world. For more information, visit www.rti.org.

For USA Job Postings Only: RTI participates in the US Government E-Verify program. Further information regarding the E-Verify program and laws that are designed to protect you against discrimination relating to your legal right to work in the US can be found at https://www.rti.org/careers.

For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is available here.

RTI accepts applications to our job openings from candidates with criminal histories or conviction records in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. 

For Applicants in Massachusetts Only: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

For Applicants in US Virgin Islands Only: A record of conviction will not exclude an applicant from being eligible for the position. Factors that may be examined include:
      (1) The rational relationship of the nature of the offense to the duties and responsibilities of the position; and
      (2) Evidence of the rehabilitation of the applicant.

RTI also participates in the E-Verify program. Click here to view the posters in English and Spanish. Click here to view the anti-discrimination notice issued by the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices. Click here to view the Right to Privacy in the Workplace/E-Verify Poster