Senior Histotechnologist / Laboratory Manager

Senior Histotechnologist / Laboratory Manager

Location: Skokie, IL
Job Type: Full-Time
Compensation: $90,000–$125,000 + potential equity

Lighthouse Lab Services is conducting a confidential search for an experienced Senior Histotechnologist / Laboratory Manager to join a new pathology laboratory in Skokie, Illinois.

About the Opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to join a new, AI-assisted pathology laboratory focused on cancer biomarker assessment for pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients.

The laboratory is being built from the ground up, and the Senior Histotechnologist / Laboratory Manager will play a critical role in establishing the laboratory's operations, workflows, quality systems, and technical processes.

This is a hands-on leadership position that will be approximately 50% bench work and 50% laboratory operations and management. The ideal candidate will have strong histology and IHC experience, previous supervisory or management experience, and the ability to thrive in a startup environment.

Key Responsibilities

Laboratory Operations & Management

• Take ownership of day-to-day laboratory operations during the startup and launch phase.

• Help establish laboratory workflows, processes, procedures, and quality systems from the ground up.

• Develop, implement, and maintain laboratory SOPs and documentation.

• Support CLIA laboratory setup and ongoing compliance requirements.

• Establish and maintain quality control and quality assurance processes.

• Assist with laboratory equipment selection, installation, validation, and implementation.

• Troubleshoot laboratory equipment, processes, and technical issues.

• Manage laboratory supplies, inventory, reagents, and equipment needs.

• Monitor laboratory performance and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and quality.

• Work closely with leadership to establish and scale laboratory operations.

Hands-On Histology

• Perform hands-on histology testing and technical procedures.

• Perform tissue processing, embedding, microtomy, and routine staining.

• Perform and troubleshoot immunohistochemistry (IHC) procedures.

• Participate in method and assay validations.

• Assist with implementation and validation of new laboratory processes and instrumentation.

• Troubleshoot technical issues and ensure high-quality results.

• Maintain accurate laboratory records and documentation.

Team Leadership

• Participate in recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and training laboratory personnel as the organization grows.

• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to laboratory staff.

• Establish a culture focused on quality, accountability, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

• Help build and eventually lead a growing laboratory team as testing volume increases.

Digital & Computational Pathology

• Support the laboratory's transition to a fully digitized workflow.

• Work with digital pathology scanning and image management systems.

• Collaborate with scientific and technical teams utilizing AI-assisted pathology and image analysis platforms.

• Help integrate digital pathology into laboratory workflows and processes.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Medical Technology, Clinical Laboratory Science, Biology, Histotechnology, or a related field.

• Significant hands-on experience in histology/histotechnology.

• Strong experience with IHC and core histology techniques.

• Previous laboratory management, supervisory, or lead experience.

• Experience developing or implementing laboratory SOPs and processes.

• Strong understanding of laboratory quality systems and CLIA requirements.

• Strong technical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.

• Excellent communication and organizational abilities.

• Ability to work independently and take ownership in an environment where processes are still being developed.

Preferred

• Experience working in a startup, new laboratory, or laboratory build-out environment.

• Experience with laboratory setup, validation, and implementation.

• Experience with digital pathology, whole-slide imaging, or computational pathology.

• Familiarity with digital pathology scanners and image analysis platforms.

• Experience supporting pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical research, or clinical trial laboratory testing.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for someone with a builder's mentality who is excited about the opportunity to help create a laboratory from the ground up.

The ideal candidate is ambitious, adaptable, hands-on, and comfortable operating in an environment where processes and priorities are still evolving.

You should be equally comfortable at the bench and in an operational leadership role. This could mean performing an IHC validation one day and developing SOPs, establishing workflows, evaluating equipment, or helping build the laboratory team the next.

This is an opportunity for an experienced histology professional to have significant ownership and visibility while helping build a new pathology operation from the beginning.

Compensation & Growth

• $90,000–$125,000 base salary, depending on experience.

• Potential equity opportunity for the right candidate.

• Opportunity to help build and eventually lead a growing laboratory team.

• Significant ownership and visibility within an early-stage organization.

• Opportunity to work at the intersection of histopathology, digital pathology, and AI-assisted cancer biomarker assessment.

Location

This position is based in Skokie, Illinois. Local candidates are preferred, although relocation may be considered for an exceptional candidate.

Lighthouse Lab Services is managing the recruitment process for this confidential search.

About Lighthouse Lab Services

At Lighthouse Lab Services, we offer solutions to help start, grow, and run clinical laboratories. Our recruiting team has over 21 years of proven success placing job seekers in positions ranging from entry-level Medical Technologists to seasoned Laboratory Directors. We recruit nationwide for permanent and travel positions with clients ranging from small hospitals to large reference laboratories.

It is the policy of Lighthouse Lab Services to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual

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