System Director, Lab Services - Full Time, Days

Who We Are

UCI Health is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine, and the only academic health system based in Orange County. UCI Health is comprised of its main campus, UCI Medical Center, a 459-bed, acute care hospital in in Orange, Calif., four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and ambulatory care centers across the region. Listed among America's Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 23 consecutive years, UCI Medical Center provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to Orange County's only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County.

To learn more about UCI Health, visit www.ucihealth.org.

Your Role on the Team

Position Summary:

The System Director, Laboratory Services provides enterprise-level leadership for all clinical laboratory operations across UCI Health. The incumbent is accountable for the strategic direction, clinical quality, operational performance, and financial management of laboratory services systemwide, encompassing areas inclusive of clinical pathology, anatomic pathology, microbiology, hematology, chemistry, blood bank and transfusion services, cytogenetics, and molecular diagnostics. This role leads the development of a centralized, system-wide laboratory service model to standardize operations across all sites, ensuring consistency of care delivery, operational efficiency, and scalability to support future growth. The System Director oversees the development and execution of systemwide laboratory strategies that advance diagnostic quality, patient safety, regulatory and accreditation compliance, and operational performance. The System Director partners with clinical, medical, and administrative leadership to drive service line optimization, capital and technology investment planning, laboratory information systems strategy, and workforce development, ensuring laboratory services are delivered in alignment with health system standards and organizational objectives. This position provides direct oversight to departmental managers and directors across all facilities, with accountability for performance outcomes and the financial integrity of laboratory operations.

What It Takes to be Successful

Required Qualifications:

• Strong organizational and leadership skills to solve complex issues. Must interact and negotiate in a professional manner with a variety of highly influential entities, Senior Leadership, Health System and School of Medicine Leadership, partner medical groups, Faculty and staff.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills and the ability to plan strategically
• Must possess the skill, knowledge, and ability essential to the successful performance of assigned duties
• Minimum 8 years' experience of progressive management responsibility
• Minimum of 3 years' experience in an executive leadership role (Director or higher) in a related setting
• Minimum 5-7 years managerial experience in a medium to large size diagnostic laboratory facility to include management experience in a multi-programmatic and multidisciplinary work environment involving areas such as research, teaching, and patient care
• Financial management and analysis skills consistent with budgetary responsibilities
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills necessary to communicate complex material
• Demonstrated experience with financial management including budget and report preparation, analysis and forecasting Demonstrated ability, using critical thinking skills, to effectively lead, manage, supervise and strategically plan administrative and fiscal operations
• Demonstrated ability to effectively administer and manage complex department operations and programs based on analysis, judgment and knowledge of applicable government, institutional and other policies and regulations in an academic environment
• Bachelor's degree in science or healthcare related field
• Ability to read and correctly interpret complex regulations, contracts and policies
• Ability to persuade or influence people to take appropriate action
• Ability to manage staff and resources consistent with goals, and in keeping the organizational vision and values. Ability to delegate and empower staff and build strong employee morale
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively to build trust and establish effective working relationships within the department, across the organization and with a wide variety of audiences
• Ability to build, attract and develop a strong management team by demonstrating and setting high standards of behavior, performance, quality, credibility and integrity

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree, or enrollment in a program within the first year of hire
• Familiarity with service agreements and medical group reimbursement policies
• Experience working with community based pathology group practices
• Experience with current health care credentialing and ability to interpret new policies for Medicare, Medi-Cal and other third party carriers
• Experience with clinical operations in order to maximize charge capture
• Medical Laboratory Scientist (ASCP) or Certification in Anatomic Pathology or CA CLS license
• Advanced management/leadership experience in an academic healthcare environment