Business Manager (Biosciences Area)

Berkeley Lab’s (LBNL) Biosciences Area (BSA) has an opening for a Business Manager to join their Operations Leadership Team. In this role, you will oversee day-to-day operations of the Biosciences Operations Center at Berkeley (BSBK) and serve as the primary operational contact. Reporting to the Biosciences Area Operations Deputy, you will coordinate administrative functions, space planning/allocation, and operational needs while supervising teams supporting travel, safety, property, procurement, timekeeping, onboarding, and executive functions. As part of the Operations Area Deputy’s leadership team, this role drives process improvements, promotes collaboration, and serves as a key liaison to internal Lab Finance, Facilities, Safety, and HR teams, as well as UC Berkeley campus partners. You will also partner with leadership in the Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division (EGSB) and the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (MBIB), and support large, dispersed teams across 12 facilities at Berkeley Lab and the UC Berkeley campus.

What You Will Do

• Oversee day-to-day administrative and business operations, including procurement, travel, conferences, timekeeping, calendars, and events.
• Establish and maintain Ops Center policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with Berkeley Lab and the Department of Energy (DOE) requirements.
• Serve as the primary contact for operational, space, resource, and business issues.
• Troubleshoot operational challenges and lead process improvements to enhance efficiency and customer service.
• Partner with internal Lab Facilities and Finance teams to manage BSBK space, budgets, funding, and resource allocation across Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley campus locations.
• Analyze complex financial and business issues, monitor divisional funding, and advise Division Directors on research and management budgets.
• Directly supervise four staff and provide overall management direction to seven staff supporting travel, safety, property, procurement, timekeeping, onboarding, and executive support.
• Recruit, hire, develop, and manage administrative staff, including supervisors, assigning work, balancing workloads, and ensuring compliance with Lab policies.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and customer-focused environment across staff, colleagues, and vendors.
• Partner with HR and leadership on workforce planning, recruiting, performance management, succession planning, promotions, and workforce development.
• Coordinate performance management for the Biosciences Area Office, ensuring timely, consistent, and Lab-aligned execution.
• Establish and maintain strategic working relationships with Laboratory and UC Berkeley campus partners across diverse functional and organizational lines and serve as an advocate for the Division's interests and needs to Operations departments.
• Serve as backup to the Area Deputy for Operations during periods of leave and provide support for mission-critical activities.
• Oversee and coordinate select data calls with division staff, leadership, and other Lab contacts to ensure transparency and timely, accurate responses.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent knowledge/training) in Business Administration or a related field and a minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible business or financial management experience, including at least 4 years in a people management or supervisory role, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Extensive supervisory experience, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, promotions, and terminations, as well as experience supervising staff with supervisory responsibilities.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing complex, rapidly evolving operations, with initiative and follow-through.
• Substantial experience coordinating and delivering a broad range of operations and programmatic support services in a research, academic, or technical environment.
• Advanced proficiency with business software, including Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and Smartsheet.
• Demonstrated project management skills, including extensive experience with budgeting, scheduling, and program planning principles.
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to simultaneously manage and prioritize multiple operational demands, proactively identify issues, and develop creative solutions while minimizing adverse impacts.
• Proven interpersonal skills, including experience maintaining a high level of professionalism, diplomacy, discretion, and confidentiality while interfacing with personnel at all organizational levels, internally and externally.
• Excellent communication skills, with a history of producing professional, error-free documents, reports, and presentations.

Desired Qualifications

• Knowledge of Berkeley Lab, the University of California (UC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and/or local, state, and federal policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Extensive knowledge of processes and procedures for overseeing business functions, including procurement, travel, property management, foreign visitor authorizations, and HR actions such as recruitment, hiring, promotions, performance management, and terminations.
• Demonstrated ability to build a supportive, professional, and inclusive team environment with appropriately distributed workloads.

Benefits

• Exceptional health and retirement benefits.
• Opportunities to grow in your career, including a Tuition Assistance Program.
• A culture where you’ll belong and feel invested in as part of a team.
• Accrual of vacation and sick time, plus a Winter Holiday Shutdown every year.
• Parental bonding leave (for both mothers and fathers).
• Pet insurance.

Pay

This position has a budgeted salary range of $133,068 - $182,952 annually for job code A90.2. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range. Salary will be commensurate with the final candidate’s qualifications and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications, and alignment with the internal peer group.

Schedule

• Full-time career appointment, exempt (monthly paid) from overtime pay.
• Eligible for a hybrid work schedule (combination of teleworking and on-site work at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720). Work schedules depend on business needs. Individuals working a hybrid schedule must reside within 150 miles of Berkeley Lab.
• Anticipated start date: November 1, 2026.