Chief Technologist

Description

JOB SUMMARY

The Chief Technologist is responsible for the overall leadership, coordination, and daily operation of sleep laboratory services within the Clinical Research Unit. This position provides operational oversight of polysomnography activities, ensuring compliance with study protocols, accreditation standards, regulatory requirements, and organizational policies. The Chief Technologist supervises, mentors, trains, and evaluates sleep laboratory personnel, including polysomnography technologists, technicians, and trainees, while promoting high-quality patient care, research integrity, and staff development. This role serves as the primary technical resource for sleep operations and is responsible for the oversight of polysomnographic data collection, scoring quality, equipment maintenance, workflow efficiency, supply management, quality assurance activities, and continuous process improvement initiatives. The Chief Technologist collaborates closely with clinical, operational, quality, and sponsor-facing teams to ensure exceptional service delivery, participant safety, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee daily sleep laboratory operations, staffing coverage, workflow efficiency, and adherence to clinical protocols, study requirements, and departmental objectives.
• Supervise, train, mentor, and assess the competency of polysomnography technologists, trainees, interns, and other assigned staff.
• Coordinate staffing schedules, workload distribution, and resource allocation to ensure appropriate laboratory coverage and operational continuity.
• Provide performance feedback and assist leadership with employee development, performance management, coaching, and corrective action initiatives.
• Perform and oversee polysomnographic studies, data acquisition, scoring, quality review, and documentation in accordance with established standards, protocols, and regulatory requirements.
• Serve as the primary technical resource for complex sleep studies, scoring interpretation, troubleshooting equipment, and operational escalations.
• Review clinical and research records to ensure accuracy, completeness, data integrity, and protocol compliance.
• Ensure compliance with applicable accreditation standards, sponsor requirements, regulatory guidelines, organizational policies, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Lead quality assurance and quality control activities related to sleep study performance, data collection, scoring consistency, documentation practices, and operational processes.
• Identify, investigate, document, and escalate protocol deviations, quality concerns, safety events, equipment issues, and operational risks as appropriate.
• Collaborate with investigators, coordinators, nursing staff, quality personnel, sponsors, and other interdisciplinary teams to support study execution and participant care.
• Address participant concerns, workflow barriers, technical challenges, and operational issues in a timely and professional manner.
• Oversee equipment maintenance, calibration, preventive maintenance programs, repairs, and validation activities to ensure operational readiness.
• Monitor and maintain laboratory inventory levels, supplies, consumables, and equipment necessary for uninterrupted operations.
• Assist leadership in developing, implementing, and maintaining workflow processes, technical procedures, departmental standards, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Monitor laboratory performance metrics and support corrective and preventive actions designed to improve quality, compliance, efficiency, and staff performance.
• Support audit readiness, accreditation activities, regulatory inspections, sponsor audits, and corrective action plan implementation.
• Maintain required licensure, certifications, and continuing education requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent required; Associate's or Bachelor's degree in a biological science, or related field preferred.
• Must possess and maintain a valid New Jersey Polysomnographic Technologist License in good standing.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressive polysomnography experience required, including at least two (2) years in a lead, supervisory, or senior technologist capacity.
• Current Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) certification required.
• Demonstrated expertise in polysomnography acquisition, scoring, quality control, sleep laboratory operations, and sleep medicine standards.
• Thorough knowledge of AASM standards, applicable state regulations, accreditation requirements, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), and clinical research regulations.
• Strong leadership, coaching, mentoring, and performance management skills.
• Ability to develop and deliver training programs, competency assessments, and continuing education activities.
• Experience with staffing coordination, workflow management, scheduling, and resource allocation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to identify operational gaps and implement corrective actions.
• Knowledge of equipment calibration, preventive maintenance programs, and technical troubleshooting of polysomnography systems.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, electronic data capture systems, sleep software platforms, and clinical research documentation.