CHIEF MEDICAL TECHN
Company : Covenant Health
Location : Knoxville, TN, 37916
Job Type : Full Time
Date Posted : 31 December 2025
Overview
Chief Medical Technologist
Full Time, 80 Hours Per Pay Period, Day Shift
8a-4:30p Monday through Friday.
Fort Sanders Regional Overview:
Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center is a 444-bed hospital recognized for pairing clinical expertise with advanced medical technology to deliver exceptional care. As a Joint Commission Comprehensive Stroke Center, we provide leading-edge treatment for stroke recovery. Our facility also offers specialized services in bariatric surgery, robotic surgery, minimally invasive spine procedures, and advanced orthopedic care.
Fort Sanders Regional is part of Covenant Health, East Tennessee’s largest nonprofit health system and a Becker’s “Top 150 Places to Work in Healthcare.” Covenant Health includes nine hospitals and nearly 150 service locations, offering employees a comprehensive benefits package with tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, certification bonuses, and leadership development programs.
Position Summary:
This position is designed to provide supervisory leadership to staff level employees, coordinating such activities with the department’s Manager. The incumbent is expected to exercise independent judgement and discretion in performing duties listed below, in addition to, job criteria as defined by Med Tech. The incumbent will assume duties of Laboratory Manager in the manager’s absence.
Recruiter: Jennifer Gordon || apply@covhlth.com
Responsibilities
- Participates in performance appraisals of staff.
- Participates in the hiring process, including providing hiring recommendations to the Lab Manager.
- Prepares documentation for possible disciplinary actions and makes recommendations for such actions to the Lab Manager.
- Provides recommendations to Laboratory Manager for commendations, bonuses, or other appropriate forms of recognition for outstanding performance of employees on applicable shift.
- Makes work assignments and directs work activities. Coordinates staff relief for breaks, meals, meetings, and absences. Adjusts staffing as appropriate according to patient testing volumes to minimize overtime.
- Projects staffing needs for the next shift- coordinating adjustments in staffing as needed or arranging coverage on next shift.
- Serves as clinical resource for all staff.
- Monitor inter-departmental specimen travel lists, and resolve discrepancies.
- Provides shift report to Laboratory Manager.
- Coordinates work schedules.
- Demonstrates competency in critical skills, including demonstration of competency in each technical area of the Laboratory.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
- Resolves technical and clerical problems and ensures that remedial actions are taken and documented, if applicable. Ensures that patient results are not reported until all corrective actions have been taken.
- Identifies training needs and assures that each individual performing duties reads all memos, new procedures/policies, and receives appropriate regular in-service training.
- Assists Laboratory Manager in evaluating competency of personnel and assures that competency is maintained, including direct observation, monitoring of testing performance, and assessment of problem-solving skills.
- Manages daily operations of laboratory sections.
- Administers financial management for laboratory
- Manages personnel (recruiting, performance, and evaluation)
- Consults regularly with the LIS staff, laboratory manager, laboratory director, and technical specialist in the performance of daily duties.
- Evaluates and makes recommendations for the purchase of laboratory equipment and supplies;
- Maintains appropriate records of the financial operation of the sections
- Troubleshoots problems and coordinates the application of laboratory policy and the delivery of services with other hospital departments and patients;
- Prepares and maintains the department work schedule, and quality assurance records.
- Takes a leadership role in the hospital's quality improvement program and maintains the department service and policy manual.
- Collects blood specimens as necessary, using established techniques for the various age groups assigned.
- Reviews proficiency testing program performance and reviews corrective action.
- Implements and conducts laboratory continuing education programs.
- Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
- Assumes duties of laboratory manager in manager's absence.
Qualifications
Minimum Education:
None specified; however, must be sufficient to meet the standards for achievement of the below indicated license and/or certification as required by the issuing authority.
Minimum Experience:
Must have at least four (4) years of experience in a high-complexity testing laboratory, with exposure to managerial duties.
Licensure Requirement:
Licensed as a Medical Technologist by the State of Tennessee.
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Frequently asked questions
In Knoxville, the Chief Medical Technologist ensures smooth lab workflows by overseeing staff performance, coordinating schedules, and managing quality control. Their leadership directly influences accurate patient test results, especially in high-complexity environments like Covenant Health’s Fort Sanders Regional.
Tennessee requires licensure as a medical technologist, but employers like Covenant Health also appreciate candidates with advanced certifications in clinical laboratory management and specialized testing areas, reflecting the hospital’s emphasis on quality and compliance.
Beyond technical expertise, this chief role demands supervisory skills, financial management, and policy leadership. It combines hands-on laboratory work with strategic oversight, setting it apart from more routine medical technologist roles within the Knoxville healthcare sector.
Yes, Covenant Health’s size and diversity of services, including stroke and robotic surgery care, require the Chief Medical Technologist to adeptly manage multidisciplinary teams and rapidly adjust staffing to meet variable testing demands, ensuring seamless lab support across specialties.
Knoxville’s growing healthcare sector, anchored by institutions like Covenant Health, has a steady but specialized demand for experienced medical tech supervisors. Competition is moderate, with preference for candidates combining clinical experience and management capabilities.
Chief Medical Technologists in Knoxville typically earn between $75,000 and $95,000 annually, reflecting regional cost of living and healthcare demand. This range is slightly below metropolitan hubs but competitive within Tennessee’s hospital systems.
A day often involves supervising lab personnel, resolving testing discrepancies, coordinating staffing shifts, collaborating with LIS teams, and stepping in for the lab manager as needed. The role blends technical problem-solving with administrative leadership in a fast-paced clinical setting.
Advancement can lead toward laboratory management, hospital administration, or specialized clinical leadership roles. Covenant Health’s leadership development programs and tuition reimbursement support skill enhancement, making it an ideal environment for upward mobility.
Covenant Health offers tuition reimbursement, certification bonuses, and regular in-service training programs, encouraging Chief Medical Technologists to stay current with evolving lab techniques and regulatory standards essential for maintaining licensure and professional excellence.
Knoxville’s traffic patterns are generally manageable, with most commutes under 30 minutes from suburban areas. Public transport is limited, so most employees rely on personal vehicles, but flexible shift scheduling helps accommodate various commuting needs.