Pathology Team Lead

About Neuralink:

Team Description:

Job Description and Responsibilities:

• Manage a dynamic team with varying levels of experience, providing mentorship, setting ambitious goals, and fostering professional growth.
• Oversee the pathology pipeline, ensuring speed, efficiency, and quality in tissue analysis processes across all cores (necropsy, histology, imaging, operations) to support study objectives and high-fidelity experiments for safety and biocompatibility data collection.
• Synthesize findings across preclinical studies, urgently communicating results both verbally and through formal contributing scientist reports in consultation with study pathologists and Study Directors, to support regulatory submissions and inform product development.
• Develop novel analytical techniques to provide additional semi-quantitative and quantitative study outcomes, enhancing the depth and impact of pathology data for Neuralink's systems.
• Identify, scope, and guide the implementation of solutions to pipeline or process optimization challenges, improving efficiency, quality, and consistency in tissue processing workflows with a focus on reducing turnaround time.
• Participate in study initiation and development, maintaining oversight of pathology outcomes delineated in study protocols, providing feedback to refine study designs, and coordinating with other departments (e.g., Preclinical, Veterinary Medicine, Animal Care) participating in shared study protocols.
• Develop or introduce new tissue interrogation strategies to enable rapid iteration of device refinements, focusing on improving safety and longevity of Neuralink's technologies.
• Lead investigations into tissue abnormalities, identifying root causes and documenting findings for dissemination and future reference, ensuring actionable outcomes to support product safety.
• Perform all necessary procedures within a regulated GLP environment, ensuring compliance with Good Documentation Practices (GDP), SOPs, and regulatory standards, and participate in audits conducted by QA or inspections by the FDA or equivalent agencies.
• Exercise budgetary oversight, approvals, and decisions, particularly for capital equipment and non-routine items, aligning with strategic goals.
• Monitor and improve key performance indicators (KPIs) and key quality indicators (KQIs), including turnaround time (TAT) and error rates, to maintain high standards of quality and efficiency.
• Facilitate workload management discussions and lead quality initiatives, ensuring team capacity is balanced and process efficiency is enhanced through collaborative input from all Pathology Specialists.
• Develop high-throughput processes for slice preparation, feature detection, data curation, and data analysis to support scalable preclinical research for Neuralink's systems.
• Evaluate and report study results in consultation with study pathologists and Study Directors, ensuring data integrity for regulatory and developmental purposes.
• Actively participate in and foster a culture of challenge and continuous growth by encouraging feedback, promoting learning opportunities, and driving the team to push boundaries for personal and collective improvement.
• Share resources and information with preclinical scientists and pathology team members in an egoless manner, prioritizing team-over-individual stewardship of R&D projects and openly contributing knowledge to ensure collective success.

Required Qualifications: 

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in anatomic pathology, histology, or a related discipline, with at least 2 years in a leadership or supervisory role managing technical teams.
• Deep expertise in histopathology processes, including necropsy, grossing, embedding, microtomy, staining, and imaging.
• Proven track record of driving process improvements and implementing innovative solutions in a regulated laboratory environment.
• Strong understanding of regulatory compliance (e.g., GDP, SOPs, FDA guidelines) and experience participating in audits or inspections.
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills, with the ability to manage diverse teams and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, or equivalent) in Pathology, Biology, Neuroscience, or a related field.
• Board certification as a Pathologist, Histotechnologist (HTL), or Pathologists’ Assistant (PA), or equivalent certification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP).
• Experience with digital pathology platforms, advanced imaging analysis, and novel modalities such as lightsheet microscopy.
• History of leading cross-functional initiatives or projects that resulted in significant pipeline or operational improvements.
• Recognized by peers as a subject matter expert in pathology, with a reputation for inspiring excellence and urgency in team performance.

Additional Requirements and Competencies: 

• Ability to work flexible hours, including off-hours and weekends, to meet project deadlines and support team needs.
• Willingness to travel to and from other facilities as required, with travel not expected to exceed 6 weeks per year.
• Comfortable working in a controlled laboratory environment with potential exposure to extreme temperatures, fumes, biohazardous materials, and chemicals, including formalin.
• Ability to lift and maneuver up to 45 pounds to manage chemical waste, reposition large animals, or perform other physically demanding tasks as needed.

Expected Compensation:

What We Offer:

• An opportunity to change the world and work with some of the smartest and most talented experts from different fields
• Growth potential; we rapidly advance team members who have an outsized impact
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance through a PPO plan
• Paid holidays
• Commuter benefits
• Meals provided
• Equity (RSUs) *Temporary Employees & Interns excluded
• 401(k) plan *Interns initially excluded until they work 1,000 hours
• Parental leave *Temporary Employees & Interns excluded
• Flexible time off *Temporary Employees & Interns excluded