Histocompatibility Laboratory Assistant Director

MedStar Health; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 103,000 - 197,000; Full time

Job summary

MedStar Health seeks an Assistant Director for the Histocompatibility Lab to lead pre- and post-transplant testing, including HLA antibody testing and crossmatching, with an emphasis on quality assurance and resident teaching.

The role directs routine lab operations, conducts training, and participates in inspections and multidisciplinary meetings to support multiple transplant programs in a high-volume setting.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in immunology, genetics, or a related biological science.
• 1–2 years postdoctoral lab training or equivalent histocompatibility/immunogenetics experience.
• ABHI certification and ACHI certification required.

Responsibilities

• Establish department goals, adhere to policies, and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Maintain quality plans, SOPs, and training programs; manage competency assessments.
• Oversee technical protocols for HLA testing, crossmatching, antibody testing, and chimerism.
• Participate in inspections, audits, and multidisciplinary clinical meetings.
• Assist clinical pathology residents, nephrology fellows, and students.

Skills

Communication skills

Supervisory experience

Education

Doctoral degree in immunology/genetics/related bio science

Job description

About the Job

The Histocompatibility Lab Assistant Director plays an active role in pre- and post-transplant anti‑HLA antibody testing, HLA typing, flow cytometric crossmatching, chimerism review, and transplant‑related clinical consultation, including on‑call virtual assessments. The incumbent is involved in short‑and long‑term laboratory planning and direction, quality assurance and quality improvement activities, and resident teaching.

The Assistant Director works in the Histocompatibility Laboratory, which supports kidney, pancreas, heart, lung, liver, small bowel, and bone marrow transplant programs. Combined, these programs perform more than 600 transplants annually.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Establishes department goals and objectives and adheres to departmental policies, procedures, quality standards, and safety standards. Complies with governmental and accreditation regulations.

• Maintains the Histocompatibility Laboratory Quality Plan and recommends improvements.

• Ensures all laboratory sections follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and meet federal, state, and licensure requirements.

• Reviews SOPs and training documents related to quality assurance processes and systems to ensure regulatory compliance.

• Develops, performs, and reviews personnel training and initiates retraining programs. Evaluates all competency assessments as part of the formal competency evaluation process. Maintains sufficient technical competency to ensure effective training and competency evaluation.

• Ensures validation plans are established and executed in accordance with internal SOPs and external regulations.

• Oversees monthly audits in all sections to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Supervises comprehensive annual internal audits of the entire quality system in preparation for inspections.

• Participates in quality improvement and corrective action teams within and across operational areas.

• Assists with hosting and coordinating CAP, ASHI, OSHA, CLIA, and other inspections, as necessary. Ensures licensure is accurate and up to date.

• Participates in multidisciplinary clinical meetings.

• Oversees and establishes technical protocols for clinical testing, including HLA molecular testing (by RSSO and/or NGS), crossmatching (by flow cytometry), HLA antibody testing (by flow cytometry and/or Luminex), and post‑transplant chimerism testing.

• Performs immunologic assessments to evaluate donor and recipient compatibility.

• Communicates with clinical providers regarding test interpretation and evolving program needs.

• Assists in the training of clinical pathology residents, nephrology fellows, and medical students.

Education

• Doctoral degree in immunology, genetics, or a related biological science required.

Experience

• 1–2 years of full‑time postdoctoral laboratory training; or

• 1–2 years of experience in histocompatibility or immunogenetics; or

• Residency in clinical and/or anatomic pathology or another related medical specialty; or

• Supervisory experience with high‑complexity testing in human histocompatibility and immunogenetics in an accredited laboratory.

Licenses and Certifications

• American Board of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ABHI) certification, required.

• F(ACHI) or A(ACHI) certification required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

This position has a hiring range of

USD $102,606.00 - USD $196,996.00 /Yr.