We're hiring a Head of Laboratory (Physician) to lead our central laboratory in Ho Chi Minh City. You will be the medical and operational leader, accountable for medical quality, turnaround time, cost and client confidence. We welcome applications from doctors in Vietnam and overseas.
Key responsibilities
Medical and technical leadership
- Lead the medical and technical direction of all laboratory disciplines: haematology, biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology and pathology
- Approve test menus, methods, reference ranges, critical values and result-reporting rules
- Act as the medical lead for pathology (histopathology) services
- Oversee method validation and keep validation dossiers complete and audit-ready
- Act as the clinical contact for doctors and key accounts on complex cases and discrepant results
Quality and accreditation
- Build and run the quality management system: SOPs, internal audits, document control, non-conformance and corrective action
- Lead the laboratory to ISO 15189, CAP or JCI accreditation and maintain it through surveillance audits
- Run internal quality control and external quality assessment, and act on out-of-control results
- Keep the laboratory compliant with Vietnamese medical laboratory, biosafety and medical waste regulations
Operations and cost
- Plan workflows and capacity to meet turnaround time targets across all collection points
- Own the equipment, reagent and consumables strategy with Procurement: selection, validation, maintenance and cost per test
- Manage the laboratory budget and propose investments with a clear business case
People
- Lead, coach and develop department heads and laboratory staff
- Set KPIs, assess performance and act on underperformance under company policy and Vietnamese labour law
- Define competency and training requirements for technical staff
Business growth
- Work with Sales and Key Accounts to grow laboratory revenue through the test menu, pricing and new services
- Build relationships with hospitals, clinics and corporate clients
- Report laboratory performance, risks and improvement plans to senior management on a regular schedule
Result sign-off and authority
- You provide medical oversight of all results, including the rules for review, release, repeat testing and critical-value escalation
- Patient reports are signed off by locally licensed signatories, with you providing medical oversight. A Vietnamese practising licence is welcome but not required
- You may place any test or analyser on hold if quality is in doubt
- You recommend hiring, promotion and corrective action within the laboratory
- Spending limits are stated in your employment contract
Requirements
- Medical degree (MD or equivalent) with postgraduate specialisation in pathology or laboratory medicine
- Current medical registration in your country of practice
- At least 10 years in clinical laboratories, including at least 5 years leading a laboratory or major department
- Experience managing teams of 50 or more people
- Commercial experience: at least 3 years owning a budget or P&L, pricing, or business development with B2B clients such as hospitals, clinics and corporates
- Proven track record running a laboratory under ISO 15189, CAP or JCI accreditation
- Fluent English, spoken and written
Preferred
- A Vietnamese practising licence, or willingness to obtain one
- Hands-on histopathology practice
- Experience in a high-volume private diagnostic network or a large hospital laboratory
- Experience with molecular diagnostics or laboratory information systems
Key competencies
- Clinical judgement that you can defend to other doctors
- Zero tolerance for shortcuts on accuracy and patient safety
- Commercial thinking: you know what a test costs and what a client will pay
- Clear communication in English with senior management, and with Vietnamese staff and clients