Supervisor, Histology - Redwood City, United States - Exact Sciences

Description

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At Exact Sciences, were helping change how the world prevents, detects and guides treatment for cancer. We give patients and clinicians the clarity needed to make confident decisions when they matter most. Join our team to find a purpose-driven career, an inclusive culture, and robust benefits to support your life while youre working to help others.

Position Overview

The Supervisor, Histology is responsible for the day-to-day operations of histology in support of meeting production throughput and quality requirements in a manner that utilizes laboratory best practices and adheres to all company policies and procedures. Additionally, the Supervisor, Histology will be a point person for interactions with pathology to ensure that specimens are prepared and delivered on-time and with sufficient quality for pathology review and analytical testing.

The high volume and interactive nature of the work requires excellent attention to detail, effective written and verbal communication skills, the ability to multi-task and be flexible with tasks and schedules, and the ability to work independently and in a team environment.

The Supervisor, Histology shall act as a liaison between the histology laboratory staff and various functional groups including, but not limited to, customer service, analytical laboratory, process and service engineering, information technology, human resources, and materials management groups. As such, the Supervisor, Histology must exhibit leadership skills such as good judgment, sound analysis and decision making, the ability to remain professional and composed under pressure, effective interpersonal skills, and the ability to effectively communicate across all levels of the laboratory and across departments.

The Supervisor, Histology will directly supervise both Lab Assistants and Histology Technologists. Emphasis is placed on involvement with scheduling, troubleshooting technical and non-technical challenges, coaching and mentoring the laboratory staff, and building an effective team. The Supervisor, Histology will, in partnership with the Histology Education Coordinator, drive the training of both new hires and current employees with moderate levels of experience to advance the overall technical and organization readiness of the histology group. The Supervisor, Histology will assist the histology management team in managing projects, meeting project deliverables, and implementing laboratory enhancements. Given the wide variety of tasks involved in this position, the Supervisor, Histology must demonstrate the ability to seek guidance and input when analyzing complex issues and make recommendations that lead to sound decisions in a timely manner, the commitment to helping and motivating employees, the ability to respond to difficult issues quickly, fairly, and ethically, outstanding organizational skills, and the ability to respond to change with flexibility in order to adapt quickly to evolving circumstances. The Supervisor, Histology must be able to utilize various communication channels (e.g., email, communication board, team meetings, one-on-one etc.), to communicate team goals and priorities clearly, openly, and objectively, and to communicate changes, issues, and challenges to various sections of the clinical laboratory and applicable cross-functional teams.

Essential Duties

include but are not limited to the following:

• Maintain stringent standards for quality; identifying any issues which might adversely impact the quality of test results and/or employee safety and immediately communicating these to the appropriate management representatives, as necessary, to ensure prompt resolution.
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the histology laboratory; including, but not limited to, ensuring processing systems are functioning properly and samples are processed in a timely manner, with sufficient quality, and delivered to pathology and analytical laboratory as expected, monitoring quality control testing results, assisting the histology management team in planning, validation, and implementation of new test procedures, and direct supervision of histology laboratory personnel.
• Work with the histology laboratory staff on the laboratorys quality control and quality assurance procedures, technical/process troubleshooting and improvement procedures, and staff training and education programs under the guidance of management.
• Interact with clinical laboratory QA, IT, process engineering, customer service, and other cross-functional teams to address process and workflow issues.
• Assist the histology management team to manage laboratory and cross-functional projects; such as process improvement, quality improvement, development studies, and new assay launch.
• Write and review standard operating procedures (SOPs), NCDR and DAR reports, and other documents, as assigned.
• Write, review, and conduct staff performance assessments, facilitate development discussions, and partner with histology management and human resources, as needed, to effectively manage staff performance gaps.
• Conduct the training and competency assessment of histology staff, under the guidance of histology management.
• Assist management in resource management and exploring various improvement initiatives.
• Assist management in holding staff meetings and implementing staff development plans and team building exercises.
• Ensure that histology laboratory operations and personnel conducts meet the requirements of local, state, and federal regulatory agencies and company policies.
• Participate in quality assurance activities.
• Assist the staff with daily laboratory processing.
• Ability to maintain open communication with employees, managers, cross-functional team members, and customers, as needed.
• Ability to integrate and apply feedback in a professional manner.
• Ability to prioritize and drive to results with a high emphasis on quality.
• Ability to work individually and as part of a team.
• Ability to effectively communicate verbally and in writing technical information to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Ability to analyze and make recommendations to solve complex issues that impact laboratory processes under the guidance of the histology management team.
• Consistent demonstration of exceptional leadership qualities, including but not limited to the ability to attract and retain the best team, foster a culture of high performance, lead with integrity, humility, accountability, and courage, and set a clear vision to energize teams towards the future.
• Effectively manage, support, and guide your team, including, but not limited to delegating tasks and responsibilities, assess employee performance and provide helpful feedback and training opportunities.
• Uphold company mission and values through accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.
• Support and comply with the companys Quality Management System policies and procedures.
• Regular and reliable attendance.
• Ability to use various types of laboratory equipment; including microscopes, microtomes, blades, strainers, and pipettes for extended periods of time.
• Ability to perform repetitious actions using lab tools.
• Ability to use near vision to view samples at close range.
• Use of various chemicals may be used to perform duties.
• Ability to use a computer and spend time concentrating, reading, analyzing data, or applying scientific rules.
• May be exposed to hazardous materials, tissue specimens and instruments with moving parts, lasers, heating and freezing elements, and high-speed centrifugation.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. in a relevant biological or clinical science discipline.
• 6+ years of relevant laboratory operations and/or R&D experience.
• 2+ years of experience in a high throughput laboratory production environment using LIMS, data management systems, and automated H&E and IHC stainers.
• Strong leadership and communication skills and a strong desire to provide superb service to internal and external customers.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a project and/or project teams.
• Demonstrated ability to successfully train junior personnel in laboratory and organizational processes.
• Working knowledge of regulatory inspection preparation and execution.
• Strong proficiency and computer skills; including standard business software (e.g., Microsoft Office), laboratory information management software (LIMS) systems, and automated instrumentation.
• Ability to integrate and apply feedback in a professional manner.
• Ability to prioritize and drive results with a high emphasis on quality.
• Ability to work as part of a team.
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Demonstrated ability to perform the Essential Duties of the position with or without accommodation.

Preferred Qualifications

• 1+ years of experience managing staff and lab processes.
• ASCP Board of Certification, e.g., HT(ASCP), HLT(ASCP).
• 6+ years of experience in a histology laboratory performing tissue processing techniques; including sectioning, slide preparation, H&E staining, macrodissecting, IHC processing, tissue embedding, and process troubleshooting.
• Experience with one or more Histological techniques/platforms, such as Digital Pathology.
• Experience with project management.
• Good working knowledge of local, state, and federal laboratory regulations.

Salary Range:

Exact Sciences is proud to offer an employee experience that includes paid time off (including days for vacation, holidays, volunteering, and personal time), paid leave for parents and caregivers, a retirement savings plan, wellness support, and health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage. Learn more about our benefits.

Our success relies on the experiences and perspectives of a diverse team, and Exact Sciences fosters a culture where all employees can develop personally and professionally with a sense of respect and belonging. If you require an accommodation, email Well work with you to meet your accessibility needs.

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We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, creed, disability, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, and any other status protected by applicable local, state, or federal law. Any applicant or employee may request to view applicable portions of the companys affirmative action program.

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