Department Manager, Laboratory

About

Penda Health seeks a Department Manager, Laboratory to provide technical leadership for laboratory services and lead quality, compliance, operations, team development, and laboratory growth initiatives across its medical centres. Applicants need a Diploma in Laboratory Technology, a valid KMLTTB practising licence, and relevant laboratory leadership experience; internal and external experience thresholds are stated separately.

How to apply

Apply online through the official Penda Health advert page. Attach a resume and upload one merged PDF version of academic certificates, professional certificates, and active practising licence.

Hiring at Penda Health? Post your jobs free on Cazini

Responsibilities

• Model and champion the Penda Way — accountability, integrity, collaboration, and excellence — across the laboratory cadre.
• Coach and mentor Laboratory In-Charges, strengthening leadership capability, ownership, and operational discipline.
• Promote cross-departmental collaboration with Branch and Regional Managers through clear communication and timely follow-through.
• Lead regular lab forums and meetings that foster connection, alignment, and knowledge sharing across sites.
• Create a positive, empowering environment where lab teams feel valued, motivated, and aligned with Penda’s mission and values.
• Own delivery of laboratory KPIs across all medical centers — including quality control, turnaround time, utilization, and efficiency metrics.
• Standardize and improve workflows, SOPs, and reporting tools to ensure compliance, scalability, and effective service delivery.
• Drive adoption and optimal use of EMR and digital tools for accurate results management, traceability, and performance monitoring.
• Identify and resolve operational gaps promptly in collaboration with RMs, BMs, and support teams.
• Champion exceptional patient experience by upholding the Penda Patient Journey and using feedback data to drive improvement.
• Partner with HR and RMs to recruit, onboard, and retain skilled and values-aligned laboratory professionals.
• Ensure structured onboarding and ongoing coaching for In-Charges to meet operational, leadership, and quality expectations.
• Identify skill gaps through audits, data, and feedback, and coordinate targeted learning, mentorship, and refresher sessions.
• Monitor completion of mandatory and role-specific training through Talent LMS and support continuous professional growth.
• Build a strong leadership pipeline by nurturing In-Charges as future department leaders and quality ambassadors.

Qualifications

• Diploma in Laboratory Technology from a recognized institution.
• Registration with the Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board (KMLTTB) with a valid practicing license.
• Internally: A minimum of 2 years’ experience in laboratory technology practice at Penda, with at least 1 year of experience as a laboratory in-charge.
• Experience as a branch manager is an added advantage.
• Externally: Minimum of 3–4 years’ experience in laboratory technology practice, with at least 2 years in a supervisory or technical leadership role with responsibility for laboratory service oversight, quality assurance, and team leadership.
• Proven experience managing lab operations, quality systems, and compliance in a busy healthcare environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, implement SOPs, and drive performance improvement.
• Strong leadership and coaching ability with a focus on empowerment and accountability.
• Excellent knowledge of laboratory quality systems, biosafety, and diagnostic workflows.
• Strong planning, coordination, and analytical skills.
• Effective communication and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams.
• High integrity, accountability, and alignment with the Penda Way.