Job Title: Executive Director of Molecular Pathology

About the Opportunity

Our client is a rapidly growing healthcare diagnostics organization focused on advancing innovative molecular testing and improving clinical decision-making for patients with complex cancers.

We are conducting a confidential search for an Executive Director, Molecular Pathology to provide senior clinical and technical leadership across high-complexity molecular testing operations.

This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for a physician with strong molecular pathology expertise who can combine clinical interpretation, laboratory oversight, regulatory knowledge, quality leadership, and scientific collaboration within a fast-moving organization.

Position Overview

The Executive Director will work closely with senior laboratory leadership to provide clinical and technical oversight of high-complexity molecular testing.

This position will have direct responsibility for clinical result review, interpretation, physician consultation, and technical decision-making, while sharing accountability for CLIA/CAP compliance, quality assurance, and laboratory personnel oversight.

The role is based in the Chicago area and requires regular on-site presence within a CLIA-certified laboratory to fulfill technical oversight, sign-out, and regulatory responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide clinical and technical oversight of high-complexity molecular testing in accordance with CLIA and CAP requirements.
• Review, interpret, and sign out molecular diagnostic reports.
• Correlate molecular findings with clinical, radiographic, and histopathologic context for primary and metastatic cancers.
• Apply current disease classifications, clinical guidelines, and relevant evidence to support accurate and clinically meaningful result interpretation.
• Serve as a direct clinical resource for ordering physicians and pathologists regarding test selection, specimen requirements, and complex or discordant molecular findings.
• Support method validation, verification, and ongoing performance monitoring for laboratory-developed tests (LDTs), including sensitivity, specificity, and limit-of-detection studies.
• Oversee quality assurance and quality control programs, including proficiency testing, competency assessment, corrective actions, and CAPA processes.
• Assist in supervising, training, and mentoring laboratory personnel.
• Review and approve standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Support regulatory inspections and provide technical leadership when senior laboratory leadership is unavailable.
• Contribute clinical and scientific expertise to research and development initiatives, including new assay development and expansion of the molecular testing menu.
• Collaborate closely with clinical, laboratory, scientific, operational, and commercial teams.
• Help support the continued growth and evolution of the laboratory in a dynamic, entrepreneurial environment.

Required Qualifications

• M.D. or D.O. with training in pathology, molecular genetic pathology, neuropathology, or a closely related discipline.
• Meets applicable qualification requirements for laboratory director/assistant director oversight of high-complexity testing under CLIA.
• Current, unrestricted medical license.
• Board certification or board eligibility in Molecular Pathology.
• Additional expertise in Clinical Pathology, Anatomic Pathology, or Neuropathology is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with molecular oncology testing, next-generation sequencing (NGS), and clinical genomic report interpretation.
• Working knowledge of CLIA and CAP requirements for high-complexity clinical laboratories.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate complex molecular findings for physicians and internal teams.