Head of Laboratory (Physician)

About the roleWe’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 responsibilitiesMedical and technical leadershipLead the medical and technical direction of all laboratory disciplines: haematology, biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology and pathologyApprove test menus, methods, reference ranges, critical values and result-reporting rulesAct as the medical lead for pathology (histopathology) servicesOversee method validation and keep validation dossiers complete and audit-readyAct as the clinical contact for doctors and key accounts on complex cases and discrepant resultsQuality and accreditationBuild and run the quality management system: SOPs, internal audits, document control, non-conformance and corrective actionLead the laboratory to ISO 15189, CAP or JCI accreditation and maintain it through surveillance auditsRun internal quality control and external quality assessment, and act on out-of-control resultsKeep the laboratory compliant with Vietnamese medical laboratory, biosafety and medical waste regulationsOperations and costPlan workflows and capacity to meet turnaround time targets across all collection pointsOwn the equipment, reagent and consumables strategy with Procurement: selection, validation, maintenance and cost per testManage the laboratory budget and propose investments with a clear business casePeopleLead, coach and develop department heads and laboratory staffSet KPIs, assess performance and act on underperformance under company policy and Vietnamese labour lawDefine competency and training requirements for technical staffBusiness growthWork with Sales and Key Accounts to grow laboratory revenue through the test menu, pricing and new servicesBuild relationships with hospitals, clinics and corporate clientsReport laboratory performance, risks and improvement plans to senior management on a regular scheduleResult sign-off and authorityYou provide medical oversight of all results, including the rules for review, release, repeat testing and critical-value escalationPatient reports are signed off by locally licensed signatories, with you providing medical oversight. A Vietnamese practising licence is welcome but not requiredYou may place any test or analyser on hold if quality is in doubtYou recommend hiring, promotion and corrective action within the laboratorySpending limits are stated in your employment contractRequirementsMedical degree (MD or equivalent) with postgraduate specialisation in pathology or laboratory medicineCurrent medical registration in your country of practiceAt least 10 years in clinical laboratories, including at least 5 years leading a laboratory or major departmentExperience managing teams of 50 or more peopleCommercial experience: at least 3 years owning a budget or P&L, pricing, or business development with B2B clients such as hospitals, clinics and corporatesProven track record running a laboratory under ISO 15189, CAP or JCI accreditationFluent English, spoken and writtenPreferredA Vietnamese practising licence, or willingness to obtain oneHands-on histopathology practiceExperience in a high-volume private diagnostic network or a large hospital laboratoryExperience with molecular diagnostics or laboratory information systemsKey competenciesClinical judgement that you can defend to other doctorsZero tolerance for shortcuts on accuracy and patient safetyCommercial thinking: you know what a test costs and what a client will payClear communication in English with senior management, and with Vietnamese staff and clients