Lead Laboratory Technologist - UVA Cancer Care Laboratories

About the role

Cancer care depends on precise, reliable laboratory services, and this role offers a unique opportunity to help build and shape the future of oncology laboratory operations at UVA Health. As the Lead Technologist specializing in the Cancer Care laboratories, you will serve as the technical expert supporting the expansion of specialized cancer laboratory services across multiple outpatient locations while helping ensure the highest standards of quality, compliance, and patient care. This is a rare opportunity for an experienced Medical Laboratory Professional who wants to move beyond a traditional bench role and take ownership of technical operations, instrumentation, quality, validation, and competency management across a growing cancer laboratory network. You'll have the opportunity to work closely with laboratory leadership, clinicians, and the medical director while directly contributing to the care of oncology patients throughout the region.

UVA Health is one of the nation's leading academic health systems, recognized for clinical excellence, innovation, research, and a commitment to advancing patient care. The Cancer Care Laboratory team plays a critical role in supporting oncology clinicians and patients through high-quality diagnostic testing that directly impacts treatment decisions and outcomes.

What makes this opportunity especially attractive:

• Help build and launch an expanding cancer laboratory network supporting multiple oncology care locations.
• Serve as the technical leader for instrumentation, validation, quality, competency, and regulatory compliance.
• Work closely with the Medical Director and experienced Core Laboratory specialists.
• Enjoy meaningful autonomy and influence in designing technical workflows and operational best practices.
• Gain exposure to laboratory implementation, expansion, and multi-site operations that few technologists experience during their careers.
• Develop expertise in CAP compliance, quality management, laboratory validation, training, and competency development.
• Collaborate directly with oncology clinicians and multidisciplinary healthcare teams.
• Experience greater patient visibility and connection to patient outcomes than is typical in many laboratory settings.
• Join a collaborative culture built around a patient-first mindset and continuous improvement.
• Position yourself for future growth in laboratory leadership, quality management, technical operations, and system-wide laboratory initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical operations across multiple cancer care laboratory locations.
• Support laboratory startup, expansion, and implementation initiatives.
• Perform and oversee instrument validations, correlations, and technical assessments.
• Partner with the medical director and laboratory leadership on quality and compliance initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with CAP standards and accreditation requirements.
• Monitor quality assurance metrics and continuous improvement activities.
• Troubleshoot instrumentation, assay, workflow, and technical performance issues.
• Support onboarding, training, competency assessment, and cross-training of laboratory staff.
• Serve as a technical resource for laboratory team members and clinical partners.
• Collaborate closely with phlebotomy, courier, clinical, and Core Laboratory teams.
• Travel between laboratory locations based on operational needs.
• Remain actively engaged in daily laboratory operations while providing leadership support.
• Combine hands-on laboratory expertise, technical leadership, quality oversight, and training responsibilities in a highly collaborative patient-care environment.
• During the initial growth phase, play a critical role in helping establish and expand laboratory operations while supporting instrumentation implementation, validation activities, and regulatory readiness.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree with completion of a NAACLS approved MLS/CLS program; Bachelor’s in Biology/Chemistry or related science.
• Experience: Bachelor’s Degree with completion of a NAACLS approved MLS/CLS program – 3 years of relevant experience; Bachelor’s in Biology/Chemistry or related science – 5 years relevant experience.
• Licensure: MT or categorical, ASCP or equivalent required.
• Physical demands: Job requires sitting for prolonged periods; repetitive motion: typing.