Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) Quality Manager, Biomedical & Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine: UTIA

The College of Veterinary Medicine invites applicants to apply for the position of Diagnostic Laboratory Services (DLS) Quality Manager, located within the Biomedical & Diagnostic Sciences department. The Quality Manager leads the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Quality Management System for Diagnostic Laboratory Services within the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. The position ensures alignment with American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians accreditation requirements, applicable ISO standards, and institutional quality requirements. 

This position serves as the laboratory’s designated subject-matter expert and independent resource for quality-related matters. The position works collaboratively with laboratory leadership, service directors, technical personnel, and administrative staff to evaluate laboratory processes, maintain accreditation readiness, identify quality and compliance risks, coordinate audits and corrective actions, and promote continuous improvement. The position exercises independent judgment in evaluating quality issues, conducting assessments and investigations, recommending corrective actions, and monitoring the effectiveness of quality-system activities. The Quality Manager has direct access to laboratory administration regarding quality matters and may escalate significant quality concerns to laboratory leadership.

The Veterinary Medical Center is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year. Occasional weekend, evening, or holiday work may be required of this position.

Quality Management System Administration and Quality Oversight

• Lead the development, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Diagnostic Laboratory Services Quality Management System.

• Ensure compliance with American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians accreditation standards, applicable ISO standards, and institutional quality requirements.

• Coordinate quality programs and activities across laboratory service areas.

• Develop, revise, and maintain quality policies, manuals, procedures, forms, plans, and related documentation.

• Monitor laboratory processes and workflows to evaluate quality, consistency, and compliance.

• Establish, track, analyze, and report quality indicators and performance metrics.

• Evaluate quality data and trends and recommend operational improvements.

• Prepare quality reports and recommendations for laboratory leadership.

• Coordinate annual management reviews and quality-program assessments.

• Advise laboratory leadership regarding quality, accreditation, and regulatory requirements.

Internal Audits and Accreditation Management

• Develop, administer, and continuously improve the laboratory’s internal audit program.

• Schedule, coordinate, and conduct internal audits of laboratory operations and quality processes.

• Train and provide technical guidance and work direction to personnel participating in internal audit activities.

• Document audit findings and monitor resolution of identified issues.

• Coordinate preparation for accreditation assessments and external quality reviews.

• Serve as the primary laboratory liaison and coordinator during accreditation inspections and external audits.

• Coordinate responses to audit findings and monitor completion of corrective actions.

• Maintain year-round accreditation readiness.

Risk Management, Corrective and Preventive Actions (CAPA), and Continuous Improvement 

• Facilitate quality-related risk assessments throughout laboratory operations.

• Advise laboratory leadership regarding the identification, evaluation, and mitigation of quality-related operational risks.

• Investigate quality incidents, nonconformities, testing errors, client complaints, and quality-related operational concerns.

• Manage the laboratory corrective and preventive action program, including the evaluation of client complaints and feedback for potential quality-system issues.

• Conduct or facilitate root-cause analyses using established quality methodologies.

• Coordinate the development and implementation of corrective and preventive actions.

• Monitor the effectiveness of corrective actions and verify that identified issues have been resolved.

• Maintain quality-risk registers, mitigation plans, and improvement records.

• Promote continuous improvement initiatives throughout Diagnostic Laboratory Services.

Document Control and Records Management 

• Administer the laboratory document-control system.

• Ensure that current, approved versions of policies, procedures, manuals, forms, and other quality documents are maintained.

• Coordinate document review, revision, approval, distribution, and retention processes.

• Maintain quality records in accordance with accreditation, regulatory, and institutional retention requirements.

• Ensure the accessibility, traceability, integrity, and security of quality documentation.

Training, Competency, and Quality Culture Development 

• Coordinate quality-related training programs and educational resources.

• Provide orientation and training regarding quality-management policies, systems, and procedures.

• Provide quality-system guidance and resources to support supervisors in administering competency-assessment programs.

• Promote employee awareness of quality principles, accreditation standards, and applicable regulatory expectations.

• Encourage employee participation in quality-improvement initiatives.

• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, collegiality, and quality ownership.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in biological science, veterinary technology, laboratory science, quality management, public health, or a closely related field. 
• Experience: Three years of progressively responsible experience developing, administering, supporting, or auditing a quality-management system, including one or more of the following: 
  • Accreditation programs
  • Regulatory compliance
  • Internal or external audits
  • Corrective and preventive action processes
  • Quality assurance or quality-improvement programs
  • Interpretation and application of quality standards, regulations, or accreditation requirements
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 
  • Knowledge of quality-management systems, accreditation standards, and regulatory compliance requirements.
  • Knowledge of laboratory operations, testing workflows, document-control systems, and records-management practices.
  • Knowledge of internal-audit methodologies, risk-management principles, root-cause analysis techniques, and corrective and preventive action processes.
  • Skill in collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and reporting quality and performance data.
  • Skill in identifying trends and developing recommendations for process and quality improvement.
  • Skill in organizing and managing complex projects, audits, accreditation activities, and competing priorities.
  • Skill in preparing reports, policies, procedures, forms, and technical documentation.
  • Skill in communicating technical, quality, and regulatory information to diverse audiences.
  • Ability to exercise independent judgment when evaluating quality concerns and recommending corrective actions.
  • Ability to conduct objective investigations and maintain appropriate confidentiality.
  • Ability to train, advise, and positively influence personnel at multiple organizational levels.
  • Ability to establish collaborative working relationships while maintaining independence and objectivity in quality-oversight activities.
  • Ability to build effective teams and foster collegiality.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Education: Master's degree in Biological science, veterinary technology, laboratory science, quality management, public health, or a closely related field.
• Experience: Five or more years of quality-management experience in a veterinary diagnostic, clinical, public health, healthcare, research, or similarly regulated laboratory environment, including: 
  • American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians accreditation, ISO 17025, ISO 15189, ISO 35001, or comparable laboratory quality and safety standards 
  • Internal or external audit programs
  • Corrective and preventive action program administration
  • Organizational quality-improvement initiatives, or Laboratory information management or quality-management software. 
  • Licensed Veterinary Technician credential. 
  • Certified Quality Auditor. 
  • Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence. 
  • Comparable quality-management, laboratory-quality, or auditing certification. 
  • Formal training in quality-management systems, accreditation, auditing, or regulatory compliance.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 
  • Knowledge of veterinary diagnostic laboratory operations and accreditation requirements.
  • Knowledge of medical and veterinary terminology.
  • Knowledge of laboratory biosafety and biosecurity principles.
  • Skill in using laboratory information management systems, quality-management software, and electronic records systems.
  • Ability to apply continuous-improvement methodologies in a regulated laboratory environment.

Work Location:

• Knoxville, Tennessee       
• On-Site

Compensation and Benefits: 

• UT market range: 09
• Anticipated hiring range: $63K-$73K
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions: 

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

• Resume
• Cover Letter

About The College:

The UT College of Veterinary Medicine (UTCVM), located in Knoxville, was established by an act of the Tennessee Legislature in 1974 and is part of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture.

UTCVM is one of 33 veterinary colleges in the United States and provides opportunities for Tennessee students while serving pet owners and the livestock industry as well as protecting public health, enhancing medical knowledge and generating economic benefits to the state and nation.