Medical Laboratory Manager

The Medical Laboratory Manager is responsible for the overall management, coordination, supervision, and quality assurance of laboratory services at Washington Healthcare PLC. The position provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure the delivery of accurate, reliable, timely, safe, and patient-centered laboratory services in accordance with professional standards, organizational policies, regulatory requirements, and applicable accreditation standards. The Medical Laboratory Manager oversees laboratory personnel, testing activities, equipment, supplies, quality management systems, biosafety, workflow, documentation, and service improvement initiatives across relevant laboratory disciplines. The position works closely with physicians, nurses, hospital management, pathologists, and other healthcare professionals to support effective diagnosis, treatment, monitoring, and prevention of diseases.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Laboratory Management and Clinical Operations:

• Plan, organize, coordinate, and oversee the day-to-day operations of the medical laboratory.
• Ensure efficient and uninterrupted provision of laboratory services across Clinical Chemistry, Hematology, Microbiology, Serology, Immunology, Blood Bank, Molecular Diagnostics, Parasitology, Urinalysis, and other relevant laboratory disciplines.
• Develop and implement laboratory operational plans, workflows, schedules, and service delivery standards.
• Ensure that laboratory testing is performed according to approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), professional standards, quality requirements, and safety protocols.
• Supervise and coordinate laboratory staff to ensure appropriate workload distribution, adequate staffing, and efficient utilization of human resources.
• Ensure timely processing, verification, validation, and reporting of laboratory results.
• Establish and monitor procedures for the identification, documentation, escalation, and communication of critical laboratory results.
• Review laboratory performance and identify opportunities to improve turnaround time, service quality, productivity, and patient satisfaction.
• Ensure proper specimen collection, identification, reception, processing, storage, transportation, and disposal.
• Ensure appropriate referral and outsourcing of tests that are not performed in-house and monitor the quality and turnaround time of referred services.
• Coordinate with clinicians and other healthcare departments regarding laboratory requirements, test interpretation, service concerns, and clinical needs.

• Quality Management and Accreditation:

• Lead the implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the laboratory Quality Management System (QMS).
• Develop, review, implement, and monitor laboratory policies, procedures, SOPs, work instructions, and quality documents.
• Ensure implementation of internal quality control procedures across all applicable laboratory sections.
• Coordinate participation in External Quality Assessment (EQA), proficiency testing, and other external quality assurance programs.
• Monitor quality indicators, nonconformities, errors, complaints, turnaround times, rejected specimens, and other laboratory performance indicators.
• Investigate laboratory errors, incidents, nonconformities, and quality failures and ensure appropriate corrective and preventive actions (CAPA).
• Conduct or coordinate internal laboratory audits and ensure timely follow-up of audit findings.
• Prepare the laboratory for inspections, accreditation assessments, regulatory audits, and external evaluations.
• Promote a culture of quality, patient safety, accountability, continuous improvement, and professional excellence within the laboratory.

• Staff Management and Supervision:

• Recruit, orient, supervise, evaluate, and support laboratory personnel in accordance with organizational policies.
• Develop staff duty rosters, work schedules, and leave arrangements while maintaining adequate laboratory coverage.
• Monitor staff performance, attendance, competency, productivity, and adherence to laboratory policies and procedures.
• Conduct or coordinate staff competency assessments and identify training and development needs.
• Provide technical leadership, mentorship, coaching, and guidance to laboratory technologists, technicians, interns, students, and trainees.
• Address staff performance issues, disciplinary concerns, conflicts, and professional conduct matters in collaboration with Human Resources and senior management.
• Promote teamwork, effective communication, professional ethics, and positive working relationships among laboratory staff.
• Ensure that staff maintain valid professional licenses, required competencies, and appropriate continuing professional development.

• Equipment and Technology Management:

• Ensure appropriate operation, calibration, preventive maintenance, validation, and performance monitoring of laboratory equipment and analyzers.
• Coordinate equipment installation, qualification, validation, troubleshooting, repair, and replacement as required.
• Maintain accurate equipment inventories, maintenance records, calibration records, service reports, and performance documentation.
• Work with suppliers, biomedical engineering personnel, and service providers to address equipment breakdowns and technical problems.
• Evaluate laboratory technology and recommend appropriate new equipment, analyzers, methodologies, and diagnostic technologies.
• Ensure proper utilization of laboratory information systems (LIS), electronic medical records, analyzers, and other laboratory information technologies.

• Inventory, Reagents and Supply Management:

• Develop and monitor laboratory inventory management systems to ensure continuous availability of reagents, consumables, blood bank supplies, and other essential laboratory materials.
• Monitor stock levels, consumption patterns, expiry dates, storage conditions, and wastage.
• Prepare laboratory procurement plans and provide technical specifications for reagents, equipment, consumables, and other laboratory supplies.
• Participate in supplier evaluation, procurement processes, and assessment of laboratory products and services.
• Ensure appropriate storage and handling of reagents and consumables in accordance with manufacturer recommendations and laboratory standards.
• Establish mechanisms to minimize stock-outs, expired materials, unnecessary wastage, and inefficient utilization of laboratory resource.

• Biosafety and Infection Prevention:

• Ensure compliance with laboratory biosafety, infection prevention, occupational health, and laboratory safety requirements.
• Ensure appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and adherence to safe laboratory practices.
• Monitor proper handling, decontamination, segregation, storage, and disposal of biological and hazardous laboratory waste.
• Ensure appropriate procedures are in place for exposure incidents, spills, accidents, and other laboratory emergencies.
• Conduct or coordinate regular safety inspections and implement corrective actions where necessary.
• Promote a strong culture of occupational safety and infection prevention within the laboratory.
• Quality Improvement and Strategic Development:
• Identify opportunities for expansion, modernization, automation, and improvement of laboratory services.
• Develop and implement laboratory quality improvement projects based on service data and identified gaps.
• Analyze laboratory workload, test utilization, turnaround times, quality indicators, and operational performance to support evidence-based decision-making.
• Participate in strategic planning for laboratory service expansion, technology upgrades, staffing, and resource requirements.
• Promote cost-effective, efficient, and sustainable laboratory operations without compromising quality or patient safety.
• Support implementation of new diagnostic services and technologies in accordance with organizational needs and clinical priorities.
• Other Duties:
• Other duties as assigned by Washington Healthcare.

·         Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Laboratory Technology, or a related field.

·         A postgraduate qualification in Medical Laboratory Science, Laboratory Management, Public Health, Healthcare Management, or a related field is highly desirable

·         Valid professional license by the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) or equivalent regulatory body in Ethiopia

·         Minimum of 5 years of demonstrable professional experience in a clinical, hospital, diagnostic, or specialized laboratory setting.

·         Minimum of 2 years of supervisory or managerial experience in a medical laboratory or healthcare laboratory environment

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

·         Strong knowledge of medical laboratory science, diagnostic testing methodologies, laboratory operations, and quality management systems.

·         Strong understanding of laboratory quality assurance, quality control, internal quality control, external quality assessment, proficiency testing, and corrective and preventive actions.

·         Demonstrated ability to manage, supervise, motivate, and develop laboratory personnel.

·         Proficiency in operating and overseeing laboratory analyzers, diagnostic equipment, laboratory information systems (LIS), and related technologies.

·         Strong knowledge of laboratory biosafety, infection prevention, occupational health, and waste management practices.

·         Excellent analytical, problem-solving, decision-making, and critical-thinking skills.

·         Strong ability to interpret laboratory performance data and develop appropriate corrective and improvement measures.

·         Excellent organizational, planning, coordination, and time-management skills.

·         Strong knowledge of laboratory inventory, procurement, reagent management, equipment maintenance, and resource utilization.

·         Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

·         Ability to collaborate effectively with physicians, nurses, pathologists, hospital administrators, laboratory staff, suppliers, regulators, and other stakeholders.

·         Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and healthcare/laboratory information systems.

·         Knowledge of laboratory accreditation standards and regulatory requirements applicable to clinical laboratories.

·         Ability to develop and implement policies, SOPs, quality improvement plans, training programs, and operational procedures.

·         Demonstrated professionalism, integrity, accountability, confidentiality, leadership, and commitment to patient safety.