The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, invites applications for Chief of the Department of Laboratory Medicine - a rare opportunity to lead laboratory medicine in the world's largest hospital devoted entirely to clinical research.

Why this role is distinctive

·        Clinical impact at national scale: DLM supports all Clinical Center inpatients and clinic outpatients through integrated laboratory services that inform diagnosis, monitoring, patient safety, and protocol-driven care.

·        Research embedded in the clinical mission: The Chief will align laboratory operations with clinical research protocols, including customized specimen collection, processing, testing, interpretation, and investigator consultation.

·        Collaborative translational science: DLM partners with NIH investigators to move observations from the laboratory and bedside into improved diagnostic, treatment, and prevention strategies.

·        Modern, accredited laboratory operations: DLM is a large, fully equipped laboratory with advanced instrumentation and accredited services, positioned to remain at the leading edge of technology, quality, and efficiency. A state-of-the-art facility which will house the Department of Laboratory Medicine in the future is currently under construction.

·        Education and mentoring: DLM supports research training and postdoctoral fellowship programs, offering a platform to develop the next generation of leaders in laboratory medicine.

What the Chief will lead

As Chief, the incumbent will provide strategic, scientific, operational, and people-centered leadership for DLM. The Chief will foster excellence in clinical laboratory medicine while strengthening research, training, quality, and collaborative initiatives across the NIH Clinical Center and NIH intramural research community.

·        Oversee DLM service areas, including Chemistry, Hematology, Immunology, Microbiology, Phlebotomy, and Sterility services.

·        Lead high-quality, efficient, and patient-centered clinical laboratory operations in a complex clinical research hospital.

·        Ensure rigorous regulatory compliance, quality management, patient safety, and readiness for accreditation standards.

·        Partner with investigators and clinical teams to support protocol development, study implementation, specialized testing workflows, and interpretation of laboratory data.

·        Guide innovation in laboratory methods, informatics, instrumentation, workflow design, and consultative services that support both patient care and discovery.

·        Build and mentor multidisciplinary teams, support professional growth, and promote a collaborative workplace grounded in mutual respect and open communication.

·        Oversee and be accountable for the hospital's phlebotomy and sterile-processing sterility-testing services. The Clinical Center anatomic pathology, blood bank and cell processing laboratories are organized separately from DLM.

·        While the primary role of this position is to run department operations, the Chief may have the opportunity to lead their own investigator-initiated research within the Intramural Research Program depending on their level of experience.

The ideal candidate

The successful candidate will bring strong leadership credentials, sound judgment, and a record of interdisciplinary collaboration. Competitive candidates will have:

·        Doctoral-level training appropriate to the role, including an M.D. as required for the position.

·        Demonstrated experience supervising a clinical laboratory and leading complex laboratory operations, budgets, quality systems, and regulatory requirements.

·        Experience with clinical research and clinical research processes, including collaboration with investigators and clinical teams.

·        A commitment to excellent patient care, protocol support, laboratory innovation, workforce development, mentoring, and inclusive leadership.

·        Interest in providing oversight for, and/or participating in, investigator-initiated or collaborative clinical research.

·        U.S. citizenship is required.