Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor

Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor

Schedule: Monday - Friday

The Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor is a leader in the diagnostic lab, blending exceptional technical expertise with leadership and communication skills. This role is essential for mentoring and training junior team members, upholding the highest standards of microbiology culture results, resolving complex issues, overseeing lab operations, and driving efficiency and cost-effective testing. This role works closely with the Lab Manager and Medical teams to align lab operations with organizational goals.

The Microbiology Laboratory Supervisor position requires a complete understanding of all ZRL Microbiology processes including all safety practices, quality control, and testing procedures from set-up to reporting though the laboratory information system and including antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). The Supervisor will lead the microbiology team through the daily workflow and must be a highly skilled, effective communicator with strong leadership abilities including the ability to handle complex problem-solving tasks including triaging samples and delegation of work. Additionally, the Supervisor will assist in and delegate to senior staff these tasks: training colleagues, performing advanced quality control tasks, and managing complex reporting and identification processes.

Duties

• Serve as one of several ZRL Veterinary Microbiology subject matter experts. Microbiology skills include:

o Understand and interpret guidelines for culture/PCR results and assist team members with difficult cases.

o Understand and utilize the laboratory information system (LIS) including for accessioning, requisition maintenance, test ordering and batch reporting.

o Perform all reporting of results and manager review in LIS.

o Perform and oversee all antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) procedures and platforms and capable of troubleshooting on each platform.

o Perform and oversee work in accordance with Select Agent Safety Protocols, Select Agent identification and Select Agent reporting requirements.

• Engage with Medical colleagues to resolve customer service issues, utilizing Salesforce as needed.

• Ensures the operation and maintenance of all microbiology/molecular instruments and equipment

• Delegate tasks as necessary to maintain a smooth and seamless workflow, even under the pressure of a high-volume testing work environment.

• Engage with Medical Leadership to improve microbiology/molecular processes and eliminate waste while maintaining quality.

• Perform literature reviews and additional training to stay current in microbiology/molecular topics including assay development, antimicrobial drug resistance, updates to CLSI guidelines, emerging infectious diseases, and updates to specific culture techniques.

• Work closely with all department staff to identify and develop personal and professional growth opportunities.

• Understand and ensure team compliance to all EH&S biosafety requirements of the lab.

• Establishes, maintains, and improves relationships with peers, colleagues, medical team, and laboratory support leaders. Ability to work effectively with other department supervisors/managers to develop and implement ZRL strategic and operational objectives.

• Develops, enforces systems, policies, procedures, and productivity standards, holds the team accountable.

• Maintains quality and customer service goals by collaborating with the Head of Quality and Customer Service Management team; Analyzes and resolves quality and customer service problems; Recommends and implements improvements.

• Drive all non-conforming event management investigations, root cause analysis, corrective action/preventative action, and effectiveness check processes.

• Accountable for monitoring all testing turnaround times. Provide reports and analysis of any turnaround time metrics that do not meet expectations.

• Evaluate new technologies in collaboration with the Head of Microbiology and the Clinical Operations Leadership Team.

• Develop manpower metrics and quantitatively determines staffing requirements.

• Interpret data and produce operational reports (other than turnaround time reports).

• Assists the Lab Manager by developing and managing the department budget, resource utilization, inventory, capital equipment/system acquisition, and contracting processes.

• Provide effective people leadership by fostering a positive, inclusive, and high-performing work environment; set clear expectations, coach and develop team members, manage performance, promote collaboration, and support employee engagement and growth to achieve organizational goals.

• Other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

• Requires a B.S. Degree in Microbiology, Biology, Medical Technology, or other related field of study;

• RVT, MT (ASCP), MLS (ASCP), or CLS certification preferred

• Minimum of 3-5+ years of clinical microbiology laboratory experience, 2+ in a leadership capacity highly desired

• High volume reference laboratory experience is highly desirable

• Veterinary laboratory experience is a plus

Required Technical Skills

• Documented expert technical experience with veterinary microbiology methods, technologies, instrumentation, and processes

• Strong business acumen and leadership skills

• Demonstrated managerial leadership

• Excellent communication skills

• Ability to work with others as well as independently

• Strong organizational skills, troubleshooting skills and follow-through skills

• Large scale change management experience

• Ability to apply quality and process improvement tools to optimize quality and efficiency

• Ability to conduct analysis and read, interpret, and report technical data

Full timeRegularColleague

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