Laboratory Director – Embryology & Andrology

Newfoundland and Labrador | Senior Leadership Opportunity

An exceptional opportunity is available for an established Laboratory Director / Senior Clinical Embryologist to take a highly influential leadership position within a growing fertility centre in Newfoundland and Labrador. This is not simply a bench-level supervisory role. We are looking for a recognised scientific and operational leader within embryology and andrology who can combine technical excellence with regulatory rigour, quality leadership and a clear vision for the continued development of the laboratory. The successful candidate will hold real accountability for the scientific direction of the laboratory, working with the Medical Director under the centre's own governance, Health Canada's donor-safety regulations and any laboratory accreditation the centre holds.

The Role

Reporting to the Medical Director / Clinical Director and working closely with the clinical and management teams, the Laboratory Director will provide senior scientific leadership for the embryology and andrology laboratory while contributing directly to the centre's wider development.

The role will include:

• Providing scientific and day-to-day direction of the laboratory, its team and its workflow
• Planning the laboratory schedule around egg collections, embryo transfers, cryostorage work and andrology, and managing the rota including weekend and on-call cover
• Ensuring laboratory practice meets the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, Health Canada's donor-safety regulations and applicable provincial requirements
• Ensuring every laboratory activity is covered by valid, current patient consent, including the storage, use and disposal of gametes and embryos
• Owning laboratory quality systems, incident investigation, risk management and accreditation (e.g. ISO 15189 or Accreditation Canada)
• Monitoring key performance indicators such as fertilisation, embryo development and cryosurvival rates, and acting on adverse trends
• Approving the validation of new equipment, methods and consumables, and signing off laboratory SOPs
• Line managing, training and signing off the competence of embryology staff
• Overseeing equipment, consumables, cryostorage integrity and the import, export and transport of gametes and embryos
• Advising clinicians on complex cases and speaking with patients about the laboratory side of their treatment
• Maintaining personal competence in core procedures including ICSI, vitrification and embryo biopsy
• Supporting the Medical Director in meeting the centre's regulatory and donor-safety obligations

Scientific & Quality Leadership

Scientific rigour and continuous improvement will remain central to this position.

We are particularly interested in candidates who have led or deputised for a laboratory, who understand regulated environments, and who want to keep advancing laboratory practice alongside their leadership responsibilities.

The successful candidate will bring:

• A CFAS ART Laboratory Professional Certification or equivalent recognised embryology qualification
• A postgraduate degree (MSc or PhD) in a biological or life science, or a degree with substantial senior laboratory experience
• Substantial senior clinical embryology experience, including ICSI, vitrification and witnessing systems
• Experience leading a laboratory, or deputising for its director
• Line management experience, including training embryologists and assessing their competence
• Experience writing SOPs, running audits and investigating incidents within a laboratory quality system
• Demonstrable knowledge of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act, Health Canada's Safety of Sperm and Ova Regulations and Newfoundland and Labrador requirements
• The ability to lead calmly, make clear decisions under pressure and explain sensitive results to clinicians, patients and staff

Candidates with a PhD in reproductive science, embryo biopsy experience, or experience commissioning a laboratory or implementing an electronic witnessing system will be of particular interest.

Leading the introduction of new techniques, keeping practice aligned with current evidence and guidance, and leading laboratory research, audit and service improvement projects will be encouraged as part of the role.

Location

The position is based in Newfoundland and Labrador. The laboratory works to the patient's treatment cycle, so the role is full-time and includes a share of the weekend, public holiday and on-call rota.