PACS Administrator

Overview / Summary

The PACS Administrator / Imaging Informatics Analyst is responsible for the day-to-day administration, maintenance, optimization, and troubleshooting of the Merge PACS system (and related imaging systems) in a clinical environment. This role bridges IT, radiology, and clinical operations to ensure imaging data is reliably captured, routed, stored, and accessible, while maintaining regulatory compliance, system performance, and workflow efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Administer and maintain the Merge PACS environment, including system configuration, user account management, access controls, storage allocation, and workflows.
• Monitor system performance, capacity, and health; proactively identify and resolve potential bottlenecks or failures.
• Troubleshoot and resolve system, network, and integration issues in partnership with internal IT and vendors (e.g. Merge, modality vendors).
• Manage DICOM interfaces, HL7 messaging, modality integration, and interoperability between PACS, RIS, EHR, and other imaging systems.
• Perform study-level data corrections (split, merge, unmerge, re-assign studies) and fix image mismatches or data integrity issues.
• Lead or assist with system upgrades, patching, validations, and change management for the PACS system.
• Provide training, support, and documentation (SOPs, workflows, user guides) to radiologists, technologists, clinical users, and IT.
• Support after-hours on-call coverage for critical system failures or outages.
• Participate in testing and implementation of new modalities and imaging services, including validating interface workflows, image routing, and end-to-end workflows.
• Engage in quality assurance, system audits, and compliance efforts (HIPAA, regulatory, accreditation) as it pertains to imaging data and access logs.
• Collaborate with radiology, clinical leadership, and IT strategy teams to recommend and implement improvements in imaging workflows or architectures.

Qualifications / Requirements

Education & Certification

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Health Information Systems, Radiologic Technology, Biomedical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Certifications such as CIIP (Certified Imaging Informatics Professional), PARCA, or vendor-specific credentials are a plus.

Experience

• 3+ to 7+ years of experience in PACS administration or imaging informatics in a healthcare environment.
• Demonstrated experience working with Merge PACS (or Merge vendor suite) — configuration, troubleshooting, data fixes, integration.
• Experience with DICOM standards, HL7 messaging, image workflow, modality interface integration.
• Familiarity with network infrastructure, server storage, virtualization, and image archiving strategies.

Technical Skills & Competencies

• Strong troubleshooting skills with ability to diagnose software, network, and system issues.
• Knowledge of database query / scripting to assist with data repair or system reporting.
• Understanding of healthcare IT and regulatory compliance (HIPAA, data retention policies).
• Excellent communication skills to interact with clinical, IT, and vendor stakeholders.
• Ability to document workflows, create training materials, SOPs, and maintain system documentation.

Other Attributes

• Strong sense of ownership and urgency for resolving imaging outages.
• Ability to function in cross-disciplinary teams and work collaboratively.
• Willingness to be on-call and respond to imaging system emergencies outside regular hours.
• Adaptability and attention to detail, especially in clinical imaging environments.