Under general direction, the Lead Anesthesia Technician provides leadership and support to the anesthesia technician team while performing all responsibilities associated with the Anesthesia Technician II role. This position plays a critical role in departmental operations by overseeing daily activities, coordinating staffing schedules, assigning workloads, and ensuring efficient and consistent support for anesthesia services.

In addition to technical expertise, the Lead Anesthesia Technician partners with departmental leadership on key initiatives, including process improvement projects, policy development, and operational enhancements. The incumbent serves as a vital liaison between the anesthesia technician team and other hospital departments, fostering collaboration and participating in interdisciplinary committees to advance hospital-wide objectives.

The Lead Anesthesia Technician is committed to promoting quality, efficiency, and team cohesion within Anesthesia Support Services. This includes encouraging active participation in staff engagement surveys, contributing to departmental huddles and staff meetings, and supporting a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Department Description:

The Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care at UCSF provides outstanding patient care, promotes cutting-edge basic and clinical science research, and educates the next generation of healthcare providers while focusing on the principles of community.

The Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care ranks as one of the largest departments in the School of Medicine with an annual budget of $145 million. The two largest components of the annual budget are Professional Fee Income and Extramural Funds, representing 90.4% or $132 million (including ZSFG professional fees and 6.9% or $10.1 million of the annual budget respectively. Currently, the department has over 298 Faculty members, 27 Staff Physicians, 205 Staff Employees, 6 Fellows, 90 Residents, 12 Non-Faculty Academics, 11 Post Docs, 68 CRNAs and 5 Nurse Practitioners at ZSFG.

In addition to the Moffitt-Long Hospital, very active units of the department exist at the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (inpatient and outpatient, including a very active trauma service), San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center (inpatient and outpatient), Mt. Zion Medical Center (outpatient, including 23 hour stays and the Pain Management Center), Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, the UCSF Orthopedic Institute and the Benioff Children's, Betty Irene Moore Women's and Bakar Cancer (NIH-designated Cancer Center) Hospitals in the Mission Bay neighborhood.

The Department now has essential roles in patient care outside of the operating rooms, with active participation in Ambulatory Care, Acute and Chronic Pain, and in the Preoperative Clinic. Over the department’s fifty-plus years of existence, the department has been at the heart of modern anesthesia’s explosive growth, and to this day continues to have an enormous impact on surgical practice and the management of pain. The department’s research, education, and clinical care quickly earned and have maintained reputations that are the equal or better of any institution in the world. Individual members of our faculty have had a major influence on our specialty both nationally and internationally, including NIH study sections, NIH funding, FDA and Editorial Boards. Research activities within this department are integrated with and inform clinical practice. For many years, ours has been among the top departments for NIH research funding in anesthesia in the United States.

The Department of Anesthesia provides considerable support and structure for research in general and, for research training programs, highlighted by the innovative Pathway to Scientific Independence (PSI). This program begins at the residency level, incorporating the Research Scholars Track of the Anesthesia Residency, moving through the post-residency NIH-funded T32 training grant, and faculty positions with a mentored research support, and ultimately to achieving extramurally funded, independent researcher status.

Required Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience as an Anesthesia Technician in a clinical setting.
• Must maintain patient safety.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Anesthesia equipment, supplies and procedures
• Ability to mentor and guide staff to promote professional growth
• Must be able to remain standing for protracted periods of time.
• Conflict resolution and effective delegation skills
• Ability to assess operational challenges and implement effective solutions
• Ability to build rapport and foster a collaborative work environment
• Must be able to hear and comprehend at normal conversational levels.
• Must be able to move in confined spaces.
• Must have manual dexterity to manipulate small equipment including, but not limited to, twisting bulbs, turning dials, changing batteries, and pushing buttons.
• Must be capable of repetitively lifting up to 60 pounds and pushing or pulling wheeled equipment (such as anesthesia machines and carts) weighing up to 500 pounds across level surfaces. Maneuvering such equipment may require full-body exertion. Must also be able to stand for extended periods without fatigue.
• Expertise in operating, maintaining, and troubleshooting anesthesia-related equipment
• Must have mathematical skills to quickly and accurately add, subtract, divide, and multiply whole numbers and decimals manually or using a calculator.
• Must be able to see well and read in dim light. Must be able to distinguish colors on the anesthesia monitors.
• Familiarity with infection control protocols, safety standards, and regulatory compliance requirements
• Understanding of hospital workflows and interdepartmental processes
• Strong verbal and written communication skills. Must be able to communicate clearly and effectively. Ability to present information clearly during huddles, meetings, and training sessions and through email communication.
• Knowledge of supply chain systems such as PeopleSoft or equivalent inventory management software
• Knowledge of electronic health records (EHR) software system such as EPIC or equivalent software
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team and to remain calm and make sound decisions in fast-paced and unpredictable clinical situations

Preferred Qualifications:

• Associate’s Degree in a healthcare-related field (e.g., Biomedical Science, Respiratory Therapy, or Surgical Technology)
• Previous experience in a leadership or supervisory role in a healthcare environment
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-acuity or level 1 trauma hospital
• Experience with inventory management systems (e.g., PeopleSoft or equivalent)
• Completion of a formal Anesthesia Technician training program or certification (e.g., Certified Anesthesia Technician [Cer.A.T.] or Certified Anesthesia Technologist [Cer.A.T.T.])
• Leadership or management training, such as courses in team building, communication, or conflict resolution
• Advanced certifications such as Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS)

License/Certification:

• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification - Required
• Completion of a formal Anesthesia Technician training program or certification (e.g., Certified Anesthesia Technician [Cer.A.T.] or Certified Anesthesia Technologist [Cer.A.T.T.]) - Preferred
• Advanced certifications such as Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) - Preferred