Job DescriptionCalling All Esteemed Leaders! Are you a senior laboratory leader with deep expertise in quality, accreditatio, and regulatory compliance who thrives in complex, highly regulated healthcare environments? Do you excel at influencing system-wide performance, aligning divisional laboratory teams, and ensuring safe, reliable, and high-quality diagnostic services at scale? If so, this Senior Director, Clinical Laboratory opportunity may be an excellent fit.
The RoleThe Senior Director, Clinical Laboratory provides strategic, programmatic, and analytic leadership in partnership with Divisional Executives, supporting divisional laboratory operations through quality oversight, regulatory accreditation programming, and contracting support.
In close collaboration with the System Laboratory Chief Administrative Officer, System Laboratory Team, and Divisional Laboratory Executive Leaders, this role contributes to divisional and regional laboratory operations in the areas of quality management, accreditation readiness, regulatory compliance, and Pathology and Physician Services contracting.
As a member of the Laboratory Executive Team, the Senior Director is accountable for advancing Providence Laboratories' quality policy and overarching goals to ensure that all laboratory departments deliver test results that are:
- Accurate
- Timely
- Compliant with all laws and regulations
- Affordable
- Continuously improved
- Consistent with Providence Health & Services core values
The role provides direct oversight of Divisional Laboratory Quality teams, offering mentorship, guidance, and governance for quality and accreditation activities. The Senior Director also serves as the most senior support for Pathology and Physician Services contracting, ensuring alignment and collaboration with Providence Physician Compensation and the Department of Legal Affairs. In addition, the role partners with System Compliance to proactively identify and resolve compliance issues.
What You'll DoSystem Quality Strategy & Accreditation Leadership- Develop, implement, and maintain the System Laboratory Quality Plan, ensuring alignment across system, divisional, and ministry-level quality activities.
- Ensure laboratories across the system maintain continuous inspection readiness while fostering a just culture.
- Establish structures, programs, and caregiver development initiatives that support highly reliable laboratory services.
- Maintain conditions necessary to meet all regulatory requirements related to CLIA, OSHA, and CAP, and ensure compliance with the Laboratory Compliance Program.
- In collaboration with the Laboratory CMO, develop system-standardized quality programming that ensures regulatory compliance and high-quality patient services.
Divisional & Governance Leadership- Provide direct oversight and mentorship to Divisional Laboratory Quality teams.
- Partner with Divisional Laboratory Executive Leaders to ensure quality leaders allocate appropriate time and resources across accreditation cycles.
- Provide indirect oversight of Providence laboratory leaders in acute-care settings through the laboratory governance structure.
- Serve as executive sponsor within laboratory governance, including leadership of high-complexity testing technical workgroups.
- Travel as needed to deploy system strategies, support regional needs, and meet aggressive implementation timelines.
- Assume accountability for divisional quality leadership in support of executive laboratory governance objectives.
Performance Improvement & Analytics- Collaborate with senior system leadership on long-range strategic planning initiatives to improve quality, integration, patient experience, and value.
- In partnership with the System Lab Senior Director - Operations, Performance Improvement & Integration, develop system-wide dashboards to drive laboratory performance improvement.
- Define quality goals and performance plans in collaboration with the System Lab Chief Administrative Officer and Regional Executive Leadership.
- Review and monitor laboratory outreach programs for compliance with applicable federal and state regulations.
Contracting, Compliance & Resource Coordination- Provide senior leadership oversight for Pathology and Physician Services contracting processes.
- Ensure effective collaboration with Physician Compensation and Legal Affairs to support compliant contracting.
- Partner with System Compliance to proactively identify and correct laboratory compliance risks.
- Direct deployment of complex, cross-functional resources, including REH, LIS/IT, HR, Finance, Clinical Institutes, and vendor partners.
- Initiate new procedures supporting Business Development, Quality Management, Patient Safety, and Quadruple Aim initiatives.
Mission & Values Integration- Actively support and integrate Providence mission and core values into all leadership decisions and daily activities.
- Promote patient safety, reliability, and continuous improvement as foundational elements of laboratory operations.
What You'll BringEducation & Certification- Bachelor's Degree in Laboratory Science or a related scientific field, or equivalent education/experience.
- Master's Degree in Health Administration or Business Administration (preferred).
- Advanced technical degree (preferred).
- Medical Laboratory Scientist (ASCP) or equivalent (required upon hire).
- Professional certifications strongly preferred, including:
- Certified Quality Auditor (CQA)
- Diplomate in Laboratory Management (DLM)
- Qualification in Laboratory Safety (QLS)
Leadership & Experience- 10+ years of experience in a clinical laboratory environment.
- 8+ years of leadership experience with strong emphasis on Quality Management.
- 5+ years as a systems-level thinker with long-term planning experience.
- Demonstrated success working in environments with strong regulatory oversight.
- Multi-facility laboratory leadership experience (preferred).
- Acute or hospital-based clinical laboratory leadership experience (preferred).
Professional & Leadership Competencies- Proven ability to develop and execute a system-level laboratory quality strategy.
- Strong change-management capability and reputation as a visible change champion.
- Demonstrated success aligning divisions, systems, and multidisciplinary teams.
- Excellent relationship-building skills with physicians, physician leaders, and executives.
- Data-driven decision-maker comfortable making complex, high-impact decisions.
- Skilled at navigating political, regulatory, and economic complexity.
- Results-oriented, resilient leader able to manage competing priorities under pressure.
- Strong communication, facilitation, and influence skills to drive consensus and action.
Why Join Us?- Lead laboratory quality at scale: Influence system-wide quality, accreditation, and safety outcomes.
- Drive reliability: Advance inspection readiness and high-reliability laboratory operations.
- Partner strategically: Collaborate with executive, clinical, and governance leaders.
- Impact patient care: Ensure accurate, timely, and safe diagnostic testing.
- Serve a mission that matters: Advance compassionate, high-quality care aligned with Providence values.
Ready to Shape the Future of Healthcare?If you are a results-driven laboratory executive ready to elevate quality, accreditation, and regulatory excellence across a complex health system, we encourage you to explore this opportunity.
The full pay range is listed in accordance with applicable law. Final compensation will be determined based on qualifications, experience, organizational compensation alignment, and the approved hiring department budget for the position. This position may also be eligible for incentive compensation and benefits.
At Providence we believe in the importance of human connection and the impact of in-person collaboration towards team cohesion and caregiver engagement. Further, we want our leaders to live in or near the communities we serve. Therefore, leaders applying for this role will be required to work and live within a reasonable commuting distance to the service area they support and lead.
