Technical Director of Laboratory Operations

Job Functions, Duties, Responsibilities and Position Qualifications:

Position Summary:

The Director of Technical Operations works under the direction of the Laboratory/Division President with guidance from the Laboratory Director, managing all Clinical Lab staff, Supervisors- Microbiology, Processing, Cytology, Histology, as well as other employees that are directly or indirectly involved in the testing of patient specimens.

The Director maintains compliance with CLIA, CAP, OSHA and other applicable regulations including employee safety and waste disposal in all aspects of the laboratory.  Responsible for orienting, evaluating and documenting competency of testing and specimen processing personnel.  Establishes, maintains and revises departmental policies and procedures to include departmental programs, quality control, quality assurance and safety.  Oversees and reviews patient test results and quality control results and takes remedial action when indicated.  Researches and develops new testing in the clinical laboratory and ensures procedures used are adequate to determine the accuracy, precision and other performance characteristics of the method.

Job Responsibilities:

• Develops and implements strategic planning of laboratory operations to support corporate goals.
• Directs supervisors in all activities related to the various laboratory operations and sets performance goals accordingly.
• Reviews Quality Assurance measures and analyzes to determine customer needs, turn-around-time, personnel needs and other laboratory issues.
• Hires and directs staff in the performance of their duties to include oversight for orienting, training, competency assessment, performance evaluations and goal setting.
• Counsels employees when indicated in accordance with organization policies.
• Establishes and monitors productivity benchmarks for all laboratory employees.
• Establishes, implements and monitors adherence with a continuing education program for clinical laboratory employees.
• Meets with key clients and assists sales representatives with maintaining client relationships.
• Prepares periodic budget report showing volume, expenditures, and areas of proposed testing and instrument expansion.
• Reviews instrument functions and ensures each department’s documentation is in compliance with established schedule and standard operating procedure.
• Responsible for referral and entry of referral testing results and analyzes for possible discrepancies.
• Performs assessment of clinical laboratory production and staffing to achieve optimal efficiencies.
• Assists in any aspect of problem resolution for laboratory operations.
• Answers questions posed by sales and marketing, physicians, physician’s office staff, or patients concerning procedures, normal and therapeutic ranges, interpretations and provides consultation as needed in regards to clinical laboratory operations.
• Performs medical laboratory tests, procedures, and analyses to provide data for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease.
• Responsible for all aspects of the clinical laboratory to maintain and revise that department to ensure compliance with the College of American Pathologist (CAP) standards, CLIA and other applicable regulations. 

Job Qualifications:

• B.S. in Chemical, Biological, Medical Technology, or Physical Science
• Master’s in Business Administration or other health related field (preferred).
• Certified under the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP); Health, Education and Welfare (HEW); or equivalent registry.
• Five years of laboratory training and or experience or both in a laboratory performing high complexity testing.  Two years previous laboratory management experience.

Skills:

• Organization, long range planning, implementation and leadership ability
• Act as a role model to promote relationships and create a supportive business climate
• Effective communication with leadership
• Effective communication with subordinate team members
• Ensure staff adherence to all established policies and procedures
• Perform duties in a timely and accurate manner
• Maintain confidentiality of information
• Possess effective written, verbal and electronic communication skills
• Ability to work under deadlines