Position : Director, Laboratory Medicine and Medical Imaging
Work Type : Permanent, Full-Time
Location : Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) – All Sites
Reporting to : VP, Patient Care Position
Summary : WRHN is seeking an experienced healthcare leader to serve as Director, Laboratory Medicine and Medical Imaging, providing integrated leadership across two critical diagnostic services that underpin clinical decision-making, patient flow, and high-quality care delivery.
Reporting to the Vice President, Patient Care, this role is accountable for the strategic, operational, financial, quality, and people leadership of both Laboratory Medicine and Medical Imaging across multiple hospital sites.
T his is a senior system-level leadership role responsible for enabling high-reliability diagnostic services that support safe, timely, and effective patient care. The Director plays a critical role in advancing diagnostic integration, strengthening standardization, and enabling modern, efficient, and data-informed diagnostic services aligned with WRHN’s strategic priorities. The role requires deep operational understanding of complex diagnostic environments, combined with strong system thinking, financial acumen, and the ability to influence across clinical, physician, and executive stakeholders.
Responsibilities at a Glance:
Integrated Diagnostic Strategy, Leadership & System Design
• Provide unified leadership across Laboratory Medicine and Medical Imaging as a single integrated diagnostic system
• Develop and execute a cohesive diagnostic strategy that aligns laboratory and imaging services with WRHN’s clinical, operational, and system priorities
• Lead the design of integrated diagnostic pathways that improve access, flow, and coordination across inpatient, outpatient, and emergency care
• Strengthen cross-site standardization of diagnostic services, ensuring consistency, reliability, and high-quality performance across both portfolios
• Partner with clinical programs to ensure diagnostics are fully embedded in care pathways and support timely, evidence-based clinical decision-making
Laboratory Medicine Leadership, Modernization & Excellence
• Provide comprehensive leadership for all Laboratory Medicine services, including core lab, specialized testing, and associated diagnostic functions
• Lead modernization of laboratory operations, including automation, workflow optimization, and LIS enablement
• Advance laboratory quality systems, ensuring accuracy, reliability, and compliance across all testing environments
• Optimize test utilization, turnaround times, and pre-analytical/analytical/post-analytical processes
• Strengthen laboratory data integrity and support integration with clinical information systems to improve decision-making
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives focused on laboratory efficiency, capacity, and standardization
Integrated Diagnostic Operations & Imaging Leadership
• Oversee Medical Imaging operations as part of a coordinated diagnostic system supporting Laboratory Medicine
• Ensure seamless integration of imaging and laboratory workflows to support efficient patient flow and diagnostic coordination
• Lead optimization of imaging access, scheduling, and modality utilization across sites
• Support implementation and optimization of imaging technologies, PACS/RIS systems, and digital workflows
• Establish integrated performance measures across diagnostics, including quality, safety, access, and turnaround time
Quality, Safety & Diagnostic Excellence
• Ensure compliance with all regulatory, accreditation, and quality standards (e.g., IQMH, Accreditation Canada)
• Lead enterprise-wide quality assurance and quality control programs across Laboratory Medicine and Medical Imaging
• Strengthen a high-reliability culture focused on diagnostic accuracy, patient safety, and continuous improvement
• Lead proactive identification and mitigation of clinical, operational, and system risks
• Ensure laboratory quality systems remain robust, standardized, and audit-ready
Financial Stewardship & Resource Optimization
• Provide oversight for significant operating and capital budgets across both diagnostic portfolios
• Lead laboratory instrumentation lifecycle planning, automation investments, and infrastructure renewal
• Support imaging equipment lifecycle planning and capital prioritization
• Optimize workforce deployment across laboratory and imaging services to ensure sustainable operations
• Identify opportunities for efficiency, standardization, and cost optimization while maintaining quality and access
P rogram Development & Innovation
• Lead modernization of Laboratory Medicine through automation, LIS optimization, and digital integration
• Advance integration of laboratory and imaging systems (LIS/RIS, middleware, analytics platforms)
• Support adoption of diagnostic technologies that improve accuracy, turnaround time, and service efficiency
• Enable data-driven diagnostic performance monitoring and reporting
• Contribute to broader WRHN transformation initiatives impacting diagnostic services
People Leadership & Team Development
• Lead multidisciplinary teams across Laboratory Medicine and Medical Imaging
• Strengthen leadership capability within laboratory operations and broader diagnostic teams
• Build succession pipelines and support talent development across both portfolios
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, quality, and continuous improvement
• Lead workforce planning, labour relations, and engagement strategies
Stakeholder & Clinical Partnership
• Partner closely with Medical Directors, physicians, Pathologists, Radiologists, and clinical leaders to support diagnostic excellence
• Act as a key liaison between diagnostic services and clinical programs across WRHN
• Support regional collaboration and system-level integration of diagnostic services
• Contribute to academic, innovation, and evidence-based practice initiatives where applicable
Qualifications & Experience
• Undergraduate degree in a relevant health discipline (Medical Laboratory Science, Medical Imaging, Health Sciences, or equivalent)
• Master’s degree in Health Administration, Business Administration, or related field (preferred)
• Progressive leadership experience in both Laboratory Medicine and Medical Imaging within a complex hospital environment
• Strong understanding of laboratory operations, including quality systems, instrumentation, and workflow optimization
• Experience leading complex, multi-site clinical diagnostic services
• Demonstrated financial and capital planning expertise across clinical operations
• Proven leadership in quality, safety, and operational performance improvement
• Strong ability to influence across clinical, physician, and executive stakeholders
• Registration with CMLTO or CMRITO, or relevant laboratory regulatory body (strong asset)
• Experience leading laboratory modernization, automation, or LIS implementation
• Deep understanding of IQMH standards and laboratory accreditation frameworks
• Experience optimizing test utilization and laboratory turnaround performance
• Exposure to integrated diagnostics, hospital system transformation, or regional lab networks
• Registration with CAMRT or relevant imaging regulatory body (asset)
• Experience with PACS/RIS optimization and imaging workflow redesign
• Experience supporting multi-site imaging service coordination
Application Instructions:
EMPLOYEES OF LEGACY GRAND RIVER HOSPITAL ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT THEIR APPLICATION ELECTRONICALLY USING EMPATH.
As per the collective agreement, the internal recruitment process will be completed prior to the consideration of external applications.
WRHN is committed to fair and equitable employment and in our recruitment and selection practices. We strongly believe in inclusion and diversity within our organization, and welcome all applicants including, but not limited to racialized communities, all religions and ethnicities, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, Indigenous people, and all others who may contribute to the further diversification of our Hospital community. We are committed to providing and fostering a respectful workplace for all employees, free from violence and harassment.
Accommodations are available during all stages of the recruitment process in accordance with the Human Rights Code. WRHN is committed to complying with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) to provide an inclusive, barrier free workplace. We will accommodate the accessibility needs of individuals with disabilities to support participation in all aspects of the recruitment process. Should you require this accommodation, please contact Human Resources.
If you are seeking employment on a temporary work or study permit we recommend reviewing work permit restrictions as it applies to healthcare organizations in Canada. Individuals holding a work or study permit seeking employment in the healthcare sector may be required to complete additional steps in the process. This may also apply to current employees seeking renewal of their work permits. It is the accountability of the applicant and/or employee to ensure they are adhering to their specific work permit restrictions.
We would like to thank all candidates in advance for their interest and only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Due to the volume of applications, we receive, we are unable to confirm the receipt of individual applications or resumes.
