Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) Quality Manager, Biomedical & Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine: UTIA

University of Tennessee•Knoxville, TN

18d•Onsite

About The Position

The College of Veterinary Medicine seeks a Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) Quality Manager in the Biomedical & Diagnostic Sciences department. The Quality Manager leads the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Quality Management System for Diagnostic Laboratory Services within the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. The position ensures alignment with American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians accreditation requirements, applicable ISO standards, and institutional quality requirements, and serves as the laboratory’s designated subject-matter expert and independent resource for quality-related matters. Working collaboratively with laboratory leadership, service directors, technical personnel, and administrative staff, the Quality Manager evaluates laboratory processes, maintains accreditation readiness, identifies quality and compliance risks, coordinates audits and corrective actions, and promotes continuous improvement. The position exercises independent judgment when evaluating quality issues, conducting assessments and investigations, recommending corrective actions, and monitoring the effectiveness of quality-system activities. The Quality Manager has direct access to laboratory administration regarding quality matters and may escalate significant quality concerns to laboratory leadership. The Veterinary Medical Center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, year-round. Occasional weekend, evening, or holiday work may be required. The position is on-site in Knoxville, Tennessee. The anticipated hiring range is $63,000–$73,000. Applicants must be legally authorized to work full-time in the United States without current or future need for employment-based visa sponsorship. Applications should include a resume and cover letter.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in biological science, veterinary technology, laboratory science, quality management, public health, or a closely related field.
At least three years of progressively responsible experience developing, administering, supporting, or auditing a quality-management system.
Experience in one or more of the following: accreditation programs, regulatory compliance, internal or external audits, corrective and preventive action processes, quality assurance or quality-improvement programs, or interpreting and applying quality standards, regulations, or accreditation requirements.
Knowledge of quality-management systems, accreditation standards, and regulatory compliance requirements.
Knowledge of laboratory operations, testing workflows, document-control systems, and records-management practices.
Knowledge of internal-audit methodologies, risk-management principles, root-cause analysis techniques, and corrective and preventive action processes.
Ability to collect, analyze, interpret, and report quality and performance data; identify trends; and develop process- and quality-improvement recommendations.
Ability to organize and manage complex projects, audits, accreditation activities, and competing priorities.
Ability to prepare reports, policies, procedures, forms, and technical documentation, and communicate technical, quality, and regulatory information to diverse audiences.
Ability to exercise independent judgment when evaluating quality concerns and recommending corrective actions.
Ability to conduct objective investigations and maintain appropriate confidentiality.
Ability to train, advise, and positively influence personnel at multiple organizational levels.
Ability to establish collaborative working relationships while maintaining independence and objectivity in quality oversight.
Ability to build effective teams, foster collegiality, manage multiple priorities and deadlines, and maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
Legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without needing employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in biological science, veterinary technology, laboratory science, quality management, public health, or a closely related field.
Five or more years of quality-management experience in a veterinary diagnostic, clinical, public health, healthcare, research, or similarly regulated laboratory environment.
Experience with American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians accreditation, ISO 17025, ISO 15189, ISO 35001, or comparable laboratory quality and safety standards.
Experience administering internal or external audit programs, corrective and preventive action programs, organizational quality-improvement initiatives, or laboratory information management or quality-management software.
Licensed Veterinary Technician credential.
Certified Quality Auditor certification.
Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence certification.
Comparable quality-management, laboratory-quality, or auditing certification.
Formal training in quality-management systems, accreditation, auditing, or regulatory compliance.
Knowledge of veterinary diagnostic laboratory operations and accreditation requirements, medical and veterinary terminology, and laboratory biosafety and biosecurity principles.
Skill using laboratory information management systems, quality-management software, and electronic records systems.
Ability to apply continuous-improvement methodologies in a regulated laboratory environment.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Diagnostic Laboratory Services Quality Management System.
Ensure compliance with American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians accreditation standards, applicable ISO standards, and institutional quality requirements.
Coordinate quality programs and activities across laboratory service areas.
Develop, revise, and maintain quality policies, manuals, procedures, forms, plans, and related documentation.
Monitor laboratory processes and workflows for quality, consistency, and compliance; establish, track, analyze, and report quality indicators and performance metrics.
Evaluate quality data and trends, recommend operational improvements, prepare quality reports and recommendations for laboratory leadership, and coordinate annual management reviews and quality-program assessments.
Advise laboratory leadership regarding quality, accreditation, and regulatory requirements.
Develop, administer, and improve the internal audit program; schedule, coordinate, and conduct internal audits of laboratory operations and quality processes.
Train and provide technical guidance and work direction to personnel participating in internal audits; document findings and monitor resolution.
Coordinate preparation for accreditation assessments and external quality reviews; serve as the primary laboratory liaison and coordinator during inspections and external audits.
Coordinate responses to audit findings, monitor corrective-action completion, and maintain year-round accreditation readiness.
Facilitate quality-related risk assessments and advise laboratory leadership on identifying, evaluating, and mitigating operational risks.
Investigate quality incidents, nonconformities, testing errors, client complaints, and other quality-related operational concerns.
Manage the corrective and preventive action program, including evaluating client complaints and feedback for potential quality-system issues.
Conduct or facilitate root-cause analyses, coordinate corrective and preventive actions, and monitor their effectiveness and resolution of identified issues.
Maintain quality-risk registers, mitigation plans, and improvement records; promote continuous-improvement initiatives throughout Diagnostic Laboratory Services.
Administer the laboratory document-control system and coordinate document review, revision, approval, distribution, and retention.
Maintain current, approved quality documents and quality records in accordance with accreditation, regulatory, and institutional requirements; ensure documentation accessibility, traceability, integrity, and security.
Coordinate quality-related training and educational resources; provide orientation and training on quality-management policies, systems, and procedures.
Provide supervisors with quality-system guidance and resources to support competency-assessment programs.
Promote employee awareness of quality principles, accreditation standards, and regulatory expectations; encourage participation in quality-improvement initiatives and foster accountability, collegiality, continuous improvement, and quality ownership.