Laboratory Director – Acute Care Hospital

Louisville, Kentucky

Salary Range: $112,653 – $169,041
Relocation Assistance: Strong one-time relocation payment/stipend, typically $25,000+

An excellent opportunity is available for an accomplished Laboratory Director to provide strategic, operational, and administrative leadership for comprehensive laboratory services at an acute care hospital in the Louisville, Kentucky area.

We are seeking an experienced laboratory leader with a strong combination of technical expertise, operational leadership, regulatory knowledge, financial management, and people-development skills.

This is a key hospital leadership position with oversight of clinical laboratory operations, pathology services, transfusion/blood bank services, and outpatient laboratory services.

The successful candidate will bring a minimum of five years of laboratory leadership experience and a demonstrated ability to lead high-performing teams while maintaining exceptional standards for quality, safety, regulatory compliance, productivity, and financial performance.

Position Overview

The Laboratory Director is responsible for the overall technical, administrative, and operational leadership of the hospital's laboratory services.

The Director will provide oversight across the hospital's laboratory functions, including clinical laboratory testing, pathology, transfusion/blood bank services, and outpatient laboratory operations.

This leader will oversee day-to-day operations while providing strategic direction for laboratory planning, staffing, quality, regulatory compliance, process improvement, budgeting, productivity, and resource management.

The Director will ensure laboratory services operate safely, accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements while supporting the needs of physicians, nursing teams, patients, and other clinical departments.

Key Responsibilities

Laboratory Operations & Leadership

• Provide overall technical and administrative leadership for hospital laboratory services.
• Oversee clinical laboratory, pathology, transfusion/blood bank, and outpatient laboratory operations.
• Ensure effective and efficient operations across all assigned laboratory functions.
• Develop and implement operational strategies that support quality patient care and organizational objectives.
• Provide leadership for laboratory planning and future operational needs.
• Evaluate workflow, staffing, processes, and resources to improve efficiency and service.
• Investigate and follow up on reported laboratory inconsistencies or operational concerns.
• Ensure laboratory policies and procedures are consistently followed.
• Maintain a strong focus on patient safety, accuracy, quality, and service excellence.

Quality & Regulatory Compliance

• Ensure laboratory operations remain compliant with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and safety requirements.
• Maintain department readiness for regulatory surveys and inspections.
• Monitor laboratory quality standards and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure appropriate follow-up and corrective action when quality or compliance concerns are identified.
• Promote continuous process improvement throughout laboratory operations.
• Maintain established policies, procedures, safety standards, and organizational expectations.

Staff Leadership & Development

• Provide leadership, direction, coaching, and development to laboratory employees and leaders.
• Ensure laboratory staff are appropriately trained, competent, and proficient in their responsibilities.
• Establish clear performance expectations and promote accountability.
• Support recruitment, retention, employee engagement, and professional development.
• Foster a collaborative and professional department culture.
• Develop a strong laboratory team capable of meeting the operational and clinical needs of the organization.

Financial & Operational Management

• Develop and manage the annual laboratory operating budget.
• Provide oversight of capital and operational budgets for assigned laboratory areas.
• Monitor department performance and productivity against established budget expectations.
• Identify variances and implement appropriate operational changes when necessary.
• Evaluate staffing, equipment, technology, and resource requirements.
• Balance financial stewardship with quality, safety, and clinical service requirements.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and appropriately manage laboratory resources.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Clinical Laboratory Science required
• Minimum of five years of laboratory leadership experience required
• Strong understanding of hospital laboratory operations
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing laboratory teams
• Knowledge of laboratory quality and regulatory compliance requirements
• Experience with operational and capital budget management
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrated ability to manage productivity and operational performance