Description

The Senior Administrator for Pathology oversees and manages the operational, financial, and strategic functions of the department across all missions delivered by Emory Healthcare and Emory University School of Medicine and plays a key leadership role in advancing departmental goals, optimizing resources, and ensuring operational excellence, including financial performance, regulatory compliance, and staff development.

This critical role serves as the administrative partner to the Department Chair, providing strategic, financial, and operational leadership across the department’s clinical, research, and educational missions. This individual is accountable for both academic administration and clinical enterprise management, including oversight of physician practice operations within The Emory Clinic (TEC) and Emory Specialty Associates (ESA). The Senior Administrator ensures operational excellence, fiscal sustainability, and alignment with institutional goals, while guiding the department through continued growth in research and clinical innovation. This leader has responsibility for:

• Overseeing the business functions of all three missions of academic medicine (clinical care, research and discovery, education and training), serving as an autonomous leader with departmental decision-making authority, oversight of research portfolio management, teaching program execution, as well as overall budget development and leadership presentation and responsibility.
• Critical accountability for research compliance including, but not limited to effort certification, lab related certifications and other funding source driven policies and requirements.
• Oversight of the alignment and adherence to SOM and accrediting body requirements on teaching activities including LCME, ACGME and others as needed.
• This position reports directly to the Chair of Pathology, with additional direct reporting to the President, Physician Division Emory Healthcare and Chief Business Officer of the School of Medicine.
• Accountability for clinical business functions for Emory Healthcare is through the Chief Financial Officer for budgeting and Senior VP for Physician Services for all clinical operations.
• The Senior Administrator for Pathology develops long-term and short-term strategic goals and objectives and ensures that the department operates effectively and efficiently.  This individual works closely with the Chair to plan and develop comprehensive Emory Healthcare and Emory University School of Medicine budgets; direct financial planning and analysis; oversee compensation and deployment; prepare and submit capital requests; and direct overall operations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Plans, coordinates, and is responsible for major administrative and clinical activities including grants and contracts, budget planning, financial analysis, data processing operations, and human resources management for at least one department or major division with multiple locations and at least one health system partner (Ex. Emory Healthcare, Pediatric Institute, Grady Health System, or Atlanta VA Medical Center).
• Has responsibility for both the academic and clinical missions of the unit.
• Serves as an autonomous leader with departmental decision-making authority, including overall budget development and leadership presentation and responsibility, including grant funding.
• Works with Department Chair to develop, administer and monitor the capital equipment, operations, and personnel budgets.
• Develops plans to ensure that generated clinical revenues increase each year while limiting expenses.
• Works with Department Chair to establish goals and objectives for the department(s); monitors progress towards their achievement.
• Develops and implements various clinical and administrative programs to enhance employees' skills and to improve the effectiveness of existing clinical services.
• Develops new programs to ensure the growth of the department and to meet the changing demands for new services.
• Acts as a liaison between management and other schools/departments concerning clinical activities and issues.
• Ensures required record-keeping is maintained.
• Develops and implements formal training and development programs for staff.
• Performs related responsibilities as required.

ADDITIONAL JOB DETAILS:

Strategic Leadership and Departmental Planning

• Acts as a liaison between clinical, academic, and administrative entities to facilitate coordination and communication.
• Lead implementation of the department’s multi-year strategic plan encompassing clinical, research, and education missions.
• Collaborate with the Chair, Vice Chairs, and faculty leaders to align departmental goals with the School of Medicine’s vision and Emory Healthcare priorities.
• Establish metrics and accountability mechanisms for departmental initiatives, including belonging, engagement, innovation, and mentorship programs.
• Facilitate annual reviews of progress toward strategic milestones and resource alignment.

Fiscal and Operational Oversight

• Oversee the department’s budget encompassing grant, clinical, and philanthropic funds.
  • SOM FY26B=$30.3M Expenditure base Grants, Grady, operating support, strategic support
  • TEC FY26B==$22M net revenue, $27.5M expense budget
• Lead financial planning and management for The Emory Clinic (TEC) and Emory Specialty Associates (ESA), including clinical budget preparation, variance reporting, and forecasting.
• Provide oversight of physician compensation planning and administration in collaboration with SOM and Emory Healthcare leadership.
• Oversee revenue cycle management for all clinical operations, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and optimization of reimbursement processes.
• Develop sustainable financial models that reinvest in faculty support, research infrastructure, and clinical modernization.
• Work with EHML and SOM Finance to ensure transparent resource allocation to support consultation and research workflows, indirect cost sharing, and research reinvestment mechanisms.
• Support EHML and faculty leadership in the modernization of laboratory technology, faculty footprint, and operations to enhance quality, safety, and efficiency across clinical sites.
• Identify and implement process improvements to streamline administrative workflows, reporting, and compliance.

Faculty, Staff and Human Resources Leadership

• Direct all human resources activities for faculty and staff, including recruitment, onboarding, compensation, performance management, and employee relations.
  • 147 Faculty FTEs of which 64.29 are budgeted Provider FTEs
  • 90 staff FTEs22 Post Docs
• Partner with Faculty Affairs and HR to advance formal mentoring programs, faculty career pathways, and leadership development initiatives.
• Support and risk mitigation faculty issues as needed.
• Manage faculty affairs processes including appointment, promotion, tenure, and faculty data maintenance in alignment with institutional policy.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, transparency, and professional growth across all divisions.
• Ensure compliance with employment law, institutional policy, and equity standards in hiring and promotion.

Research and Innovation Support

• Enable growth of experimental pathology and translational research through strategic administrative support and grant management.
• Coordinate partnerships with Emory Primate Center, SOM, and EHML to optimize indirect funds flow and joint grant strategies.
• Promote innovation in digital pathology, AI, and molecular diagnostics through resource alignment and pilot program support.
• Support the development of research cores and shared facilities aligned with the department’s long-term vision.
• Partnership with Chair, comply with all SOM space policies and guidelines including research density.
• Provide strong leadership and partnership around all research administration issues including effort certification and adherence to all SOM and Emory University research compliance requirements.

Educational Administration

• Ensure programmatic and financial oversight for residency, fellowship, and graduate education programs.
• Collaborate with education leadership to enhance program evaluation, accreditation, and trainee satisfaction.
• Support improvement in systems for evaluations, rotations, and trainee development.

Organizational Culture and Engagement

• Advance initiatives that strengthen departmental cohesion, communication, and morale.
• Maintain transparent communication during s and departmental planning processes.
• Promote initiatives consistent with Emory’s values of inclusive excellence.
• Leads a high-performing, largely remote administrative team characterized by autonomy, professionalism, and strong cross-functional collaboration.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: 

• Master's degree, preferably in business, finance, or related science field, and eight years of professional business or management experience which includes experience in a clinical or healthcare environment, OR an equivalent combination of experience, education, and training.
• Previous supervisory experience

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree (MBA, MHA, MPH, or related field) and 8 years of progressively responsible management experience in academic medicine, clinical administration, or research operations.
• Extensive experience managing physician practice operations, including budgeting, compensation, and revenue cycle management.
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic planning, complex financial management, and faculty affairs.
• Proven ability to lead through organizational change and align diverse stakeholders across academic and clinical domains.
• Exceptional interpersonal, analytical, and communication skills.
• Experience with academic health systems, laboratory medicine operations, or large multi-mission departments.
• Understanding of NIH funding structures, indirect cost management, and clinical–academic partnerships.
• Strategic thinker who balances operational rigor with innovation and relationship-building.
• Demonstrated success in mentoring teams and advancing equity and inclusion.

LEADERSHIP MINDSET:

• Commitment to transparency and accountability.
• Strategic agility in the face of institutional change.
• Collaborative and partnership-oriented approach to solving cross-mission challenges.
• Dedication to academic, clinical, and research excellence.