Director, Laboratory Operations
Location: PHO Corporate Office & Toronto Laboratory, 661 University Avenue, Toronto, ON
Department: Laboratory Operations
This posting is to fill a current vacancy.
To provide strategic clinical and business leadership for the planning, implementation and overall direction of the laboratory portfolio (e.g., multiple laboratory sites/programs or a province-wide service) to ensure deliverables, resources and service requirements are delivered in a manner that meet the vision, mission and goals of Public Health Ontario (PHO).
Key Responsibilities-
- Acts as a strategic leader and thinker across the organization to drive sound, innovative, business and clinical programs for an assigned laboratory portfolio, ensuring operational effectiveness and efficiency across areas of responsibility.
- Directs and leads the development and overall implementation and management of multi-year operational and strategic plans, in conjunction with the Vice President and Chief, Microbiology and Laboratory Services and relevant Directors, ensuring standardized processes are developed, reviewed annually, maintained and followed in all PHO laboratory locations; ensuring consistency with the organization’s corporate goals and supports the values and mission of PHO.
- Sets the strategic and operational directions, oversees budget and program goals across departments, involving a large multi component portfolio including technical equipment, laboratory facility requirements and multi-million-dollar procurement contracts and budgets.
- Provides the framework for optimum best practices, protocols and performance indicators as well management systems to ensure that PHO meets Accreditation Canada Diagnostics (ACD), Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA) and Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) standards.
- Provides strategic leadership and oversight for the standardization and strategy setting in testing, reporting as well as quality across all PHO laboratory sites.
- Directs the continued development and oversight of the quality management framework and leads the continued development of quality improvement activities, including the promotion of innovation, creativity, and efficiency in the ongoing review, streamlining and standardization of processes, based on the requirements of the PHO laboratory quality management system, regulatory and accreditation requirements.
- Works closely with other PHO laboratory services to optimize operational links and efficiencies, and effectively supports research, surveillance, method development, quality management, business development, business process improvement, and other PHO laboratory projects.
- Through understanding in technical aspects of providing high quality testing, implementation of new testing methods, including validation and verification as well as ongoing monitoring of performance of tests.
- Acts as an authority in laboratory programs/services and provides clinical expertise across PHO as required.
- Promotes strategic alliances and connections with portfolios across PHO, external partners, clients, members of the public and other stakeholders, e.g., public health units, hospitals, long term care facilities, physicians, laboratories, clinics, academic partners etc. to cultivate relationships and manage expectations in the development and delivery of high-quality reliable laboratory services and the resolution of escalated complaints and issues.
- Establishes and fosters effective communication mechanisms with directors across the PHO. Laboratory and PHO system as related to operational issues.
- Supports implementation of approved research studies and method development in conjunction with clinical/medical microbiologist.
- Manages and directs managers to ensure congruence with PHO’s internal policies and procedures, professional standards, collective agreement requirements and other relevant standards, legislation or regulations, including: providing direction and leadership in the implementation of new techniques and standards; setting clear responsibilities and objectives and evaluating performance; advising on training needs, participating in recruitment and selection; dealing with disciplinary issues and responding to grievances in conjunction with PHO’s Human Resources management programs.
- As a member of the PHO senior leadership team, acts as a key participant in developing public health strategies, planning and execution.
- Represents senior leadership on appropriate committees and work teams to advance PHO activities and to ensure broad external stakeholder input where appropriate, e.g. Senior Leadership Committee, Privacy Subcommittee, etc.
- Manages risk across programs against established risk system/model business or programs.
- Political acuity and awareness of government directions, sensitivities and relationships with the ability to work with ambiguities.
- Models’ organizational values and culture and embeds values into areas of responsibility.
- Supports PHO in the provision of response in an emergency, pursuant to responsibilities as delegated in an emergency response plan; supports PHO’s 24/7 incident and emergency response through shared participation in on-call schedule, as required.
- Other duties as required.
Knowledge and Skills-
- Knowledge in the field of microbiology.
- Demonstrated senior level experience in managing and planning in a highly specialized and complex environment; experience in a unionized environment is an asset.
- Knowledge of microbiology principles and practices in a public health setting.
- Knowledge and understanding of the Accreditation Canada Diagnostics (ACD), Canadian Association for Laboratory Accreditation (CALA) and Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) standards.
- Skilled in managing cross departmental planning and budgeting. Experience with quality improvement
- tools such as LEAN principles, TQM/CQI, six sigma and skilled in performance measurement.
- Knowledge of the roles and authority of the various stakeholders in the medical laboratory system, e.g., private laboratories, hospitals, health care providers, and health units, to manage operations and develop operational strategies/solutions for the programs in the context of the system.
- Knowledge of modern management methodologies to effectively manage all business and operational functions/accountabilities of the laboratory portfolio, including labour relations issues.
- Facilitation capacity and motivation to achieve results in collaboration with other professionals, particularly in an environment where influence is as important as positional authority.
- Skills/ability to manage, coach and mentor professionals within the team and within cross-functional teams.
- Strategic capacity to think, work and communicate across a system both vertically and horizontally and build exceptional relationships.
- Skilled in managing cross departmental planning and budgeting.
- Awareness of government directions, sensitivities and relationships; can work with ambiguities.
Education and Experience-
- Master’s degree in science or business.
- Ten (10) years’ experience involving clinical laboratory diagnostic service delivery and management with experience in microbiology laboratory (or an equivalent combination of education and experience deemed satisfactory by PHO).
- Membership in the College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Ontario or equivalent laboratory qualification, deemed satisfactory by PHO.
Attributes and Competencies-
- Communication and interpersonal skills to provide leadership in building effective relationships with clients and stakeholders (internal and external) including those throughout the broader health care sector.
- Oral and written communication skills to provide expertise, direction and advice on department strategies, services, standards and programs.
- Diplomacy, negotiation and interpersonal skills to develop networks and partnerships with one or more of public health, research, academic, and institutional sectors, to manage critical relationships internally and externally (with clients and stakeholders and to build networks to negotiate and resolve conflict).
- Oral and written communication and presentation skills, often as a senior authoritative expert in the laboratory field, to promote or influence PHO decision making with colleagues across the organization.
- Presentation skills to communicate very complex technical information or concepts to a variety of executives or stakeholders at varying levels.
- Oral communication, presentation and interpersonal skills to develop collaborative business relationships with external contacts, critical to the work of PHO.
- May require travel between offices and to offsite meetings.
Duration: Permanent
Hours of Work: Full time, 36.25 hours per week
Compensation Group: Director
Compensation Range: $123,831.00 - $154,789.00
Posting Date: 07-3-2026
Closing Date: 08-1-2026
Please note: applications will be received no later than 11:59pm on the date preceding the closing date as indicated on the Job Requisition.
Note: Internal candidates will be considered first.
While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected to move forward in the recruitment process will be contacted. Any information obtained during the course of recruitment will be used for employment recruitment purposes only, and not for any other purpose.
PHO is committed to ensuring equity in employment. Our goal is to create a diverse, inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to ensure our services and communications are accessible to all individuals. Any candidate who requires a job posting in an alternative format may email a request to [email protected]. Once an applicant has been selected for an interview, they can inform PHO about any accommodations they may require at any stage of the interview process.
