Section Lead - Neuro

Arkana Laboratories; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 75,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Generous paid time off

Health insurance

401(k) with match

Company-paid life insurance

Long term disability coverage

Vision plan

Dental plan

Flexible Spending Account or Health-SB

Wellness program & massages

Company lunches

Job summary

Arkana Laboratories, based in Little Rock, AR, seeks an experienced histology supervisor to maintain same-day turnaround and audit-ready output. You will drive method validation, quality control, and continuous improvement across the section.

You will lead a trained team, ensure instrument uptime, and support lean initiatives while maintaining safety and compliance. The role requires ASCP certification and 3–5 years in histology.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of histology-specific laboratory experience with ASCP technician certification or equivalent.
• Must meet CAP and CLIA personnel qualification requirements; NY CLEP certification is required for NY-originating specimens.

Responsibilities

• Ensure same-day turnaround and audit-ready operation.
• Validate and implement new or revised histology methods and procedures.
• Maintain CAP inspection readiness and address non-conforming results.
• Maintain instrument uptime with preventive maintenance and troubleshooting.
• Train staff to independent competency with documented sign-offs.
• Keep supply inventory, SOPs and lab logs current and audit-ready.
• Ensure staffing coverage across shifts to avoid TAT delays.
• Lead lean and design-thinking improvements with measurable results.
• Evaluate automation and AI tools with clear business cases.
• Maintain clean, organized and safe workplace to promote efficiency.

Skills

Histology experience

MS Office / Excel

Education

ASCP certification (HT/HTL/CT/MLT)

Tools

MS Office

Excel

Job description

Who we are:

At Arkana Laboratories, everyone has an important role to fill. Come join us and be a part of a team dedicated to making life better for those who need it most.

This place is packed with super-smart people who do their best work together. We work hard every day to advance our understanding of disease and provide world-class care to our patients in hopes of leaving our corner of the world a little better than we found it. While we are committed to improving the lives of thousands of patients, we never lose sight of the realization that they are the reason we get to create change in our field.

Built on generosity, teamwork, and the freedom to try new things, we take great pride in our work. Great ideas come from everywhere in this company and we celebrate each success and failure for the opportunity it gives us to keep reaching. For more than twenty years after our founder, Dr. Patrick Walker, wrote his goals on the back of a napkin, our people, culture, and values have remained strong.

About the position:

Keep department operation running at the standard pathologists depend on: technically sound, same-day turnaround, and audit-ready every day, while continuously redesigning how the section works so it gets faster, more consistent, and less dependent on any one person, and while keeping a trained team on the bench at all times.

What You’ll Work On

1. Turnaround time: All cases are processed and results delivered same-day at a rate consistent with Arkana’s laboratory-wide TAT standard, with any exception documented and communicated proactively.

2. Method validation: New or revised methods, sample preparation and procedures, are validated, documented, and implemented on a defined cadence, with validation records ready for CAP/CLIA/New York State review at any time.

3. Quality and compliance: The section passes CAP inspection and internal audits with zero unresolved deficiencies; non-conforming results are identified, investigated, and corrected before any report leaves the section.

4. Instrument uptime: Equipment remains in validated working order, with preventive maintenance completed on schedule and unplanned downtime minimized through proactive troubleshooting.

5. Team capability: Section technicians and aides are trained to independent competency on all tasks within the standard onboarding window, with documented sign-off and a clear path to cross-training.

6. Section readiness: Supply inventory, SOPs, and lab logs are current and complete at all times, so the section can be handed off or audited without notice and without gaps.

7. Staffing coverage: The section is staffed with trained, competent personnel on every shift, with shift schedules and workload plans built proactively around case volume so coverage gaps never drive a TAT miss.

8. Continuous improvement: Section workflows are re-examined on an ongoing basis using lean and design-thinking methods, with at least one measurable process improvement (time, error rate, or cost) implemented and documented per year.

9. Automation and digital tooling: Opportunities to automate manual steps or apply AI-assisted methods and workflow tools are actively evaluated, piloted where appropriate, and brought forward with a clear before/after case for adoption.

10. Workplace Organization: Area is clean, organized and safe to promote efficiency, quality, operational and inspection readiness.

What We’re Looking For:

Education and Experience

• 3-5 years of histology-specific laboratory experience, with Certified Technician (ASCP) status in one of the following: HT, HTL, CT, or MLT, combined with demonstrated staff management or supervisory experience;
• Histology-specific certification is not required, but ASCP certification (or an equivalent laboratory credential) must be obtained within an agreed timeframe after start, and histology-specific training will be provided on the job.

Skills

• Must meet and maintain personnel qualification requirements under CAP and CLIA and hold or be eligible for New York State Department of Health Clinical Laboratory Evaluation Program (CLEP) certification, as Arkana tests specimens originating from New York.
• Proficient in MS Office and Excel; strong general computer skills required.

Location and Schedule:

This position is on-site at our Little Rock headquarters and is classified as essential personnel. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 6:30am to 3:30pm, with Saturday on call from 8am to 4:30pm.

What we offer:

We know that health is more than doctor visits and life is more than work. We work hard at Arkana but in turn provide competitive salaries and generous benefit offerings.

Specifically, we offer the following benefits to full-time employees:

• Competitive salary
• Generous paid time off and Paid Holidays
• Minimal cost health insurance for you and affordable options for your family
• 401(k) with immediate eligibility and match
• Company-paid life insurance
• Company-paid long term disability coverage
• Affordable vision and dental plans
• Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account availability
• Wellness plan and complimentary yoga classes
• Monthly in-office massages and employer-sponsored lunches

Please see Careers for further information.