Ocular Genetic Counselor | Full-Time

Wills Eye Hospital•Philadelphia, PA

24d•Onsite

About The Position

Wills Eye Hospital is hiring an Ocular Genetic Counselor in Philadelphia, PA. In this role, you'll provide comprehensive genetic counseling for patients with inherited eye diseases while working alongside internationally recognized ophthalmologists, researchers, fellows, and educators. This unique opportunity combines direct patient care, clinical research, education, and program development within one of the nation's leading ophthalmology institutions. Whether your background is in general genetics, pediatric genetics, cancer genetics, prenatal genetics, neuromuscular genetics, inherited disease programs, or another specialty, you'll have the opportunity to deepen your expertise in ocular genetics while helping shape the future of precision medicine and inherited eye disease care. This positioning reflects Wills Eye's successful hiring history and broadens the candidate pool beyond those with existing ocular genetics experience.

Requirements

Master's degree in Genetic Counseling or Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from an accredited college or university.
Graduate of an Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC) accredited training program.
Board Certified or Board Eligible Genetic Counselor.
Pennsylvania Genetic Counselor license or ability to obtain Pennsylvania licensure.
Strong communication, counseling, and interpersonal skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

Two or more years of clinical genetic counseling experience.
Experience in general genetics, pediatric genetics, cancer genetics, prenatal genetics, neuromuscular genetics, inherited disease programs, or another specialty genetics practice.
Exposure to ocular genetics, inherited retinal disease, rare disease, or ophthalmic genetics through clinical practice or graduate training is preferred but not required.
Experience coordinating complex genetic testing, interpreting molecular testing results, and providing psychosocial support.
Experience participating in clinical research, IRB studies, academic publications, or quality improvement initiatives.
Experience practicing within an academic medical center, children's hospital, tertiary specialty center, or multidisciplinary clinic.
Previous teaching, mentoring, presentations, or student supervision experience.
Experience providing genetic counseling through in-person and/or telehealth settings.
Experience with genetics software and databases such as OMIM, POSSUM, or similar clinical genetics platforms.

Responsibilities

Provide comprehensive pre-test and post-test genetic counseling for patients with inherited ocular conditions through in-person and, when appropriate, virtual visits.
Obtain detailed personal and family medical histories to assess genetic risk and inheritance patterns.
Interpret complex genetic testing results and communicate findings to patients and families with empathy and clarity.
Coordinate genetic testing, informed consent, referrals, follow-up care, and ongoing patient support.
Collaborate closely with ophthalmologists to develop individualized patient care plans.
Support the ongoing development, implementation, and coordination of the Ocular Genetics Program.
Supervise the Ocular Genetics Administrative Assistant in day-to-day program operations.
Lead weekly multidisciplinary case conferences.
Partner with clinical laboratories and testing vendors while remaining current on advances in genetic testing technologies and best practices.
Monitor emerging developments in ocular genetics and integrate evidence-based practices into patient care.
Participate in IRB-approved clinical research studies.
Assist with patient enrollment, informed consent, data collection, quality monitoring, and research coordination.
Analyze clinical data and contribute to scientific manuscripts, abstracts, book chapters, and peer-reviewed publications.
Support faculty-led clinical and laboratory research initiatives focused on inherited eye disease.
Educate patients, physicians, residents, fellows, genetic counseling students, and other healthcare professionals on inherited eye diseases and genetic testing.
Present educational sessions during Grand Rounds, resident education programs, specialty conferences, and patient education events.
Supervise genetic counseling students during clinical rotations.
Mentor fellows by assisting with literature reviews, mutation analysis, and clinical interpretation.
Work closely with physicians, researchers, laboratory professionals, and multidisciplinary care teams to deliver exceptional patient care.
Communicate genetic findings and recommendations with referring providers.
Foster collaborative relationships across departments while supporting Wills Eye's mission of advancing vision care through innovation, education, and research.