Lab Manager
About the role
The Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University houses a state-of-the-art Sensory Science Laboratory, supporting both basic research and applied client projects in human sensory evaluation. The facility includes a 30-booth sensory suite, kitchen, and preparation laboratory, serving industry partners and academic researchers across various food and consumer science disciplines.
Texas A&M University is one of the largest universities in the nation and is committed to excellence in education, research, and service. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Department of Animal Science are recognized leaders in applied and basic sciences, with deep ties to industry and a long tradition of training the next generation of scientists and professionals.
Position Information
We are seeking a full-time Lab Manager to oversee daily operations of the Sensory Science Laboratory at Texas A&M University. The Lab Manager will coordinate industry and academic sensory studies from planning through execution, manage client projects, support graduate student research, and maintain efficient operation of a high-throughput testing facility. This is a salaried position with benefits.
Responsibilities
- Oversee daily laboratory operations, testing schedules, and participant workflow
- Cook up and prepare samples for sensory studies
- Coordinate client sensory studies from planning through reporting, including study logistics, recruitment, sample preparation, and test execution
- Train and lead sensory descriptive panels and focus groups
- Supervise staff conducting sensory sessions and maintain efficient facility operations
- Support graduate student projects through scheduling, recruitment, and study coordination
- Maintain Institutional Review Board (IRB) compliance and human-subjects research procedures
- Manage supplies, purchasing, inventory, and vendor coordination
Required Qualifications
- B.S. in a sensory-related field (e.g., Animal Science, Food Science, Psychology, Neuroscience) or a B.S. in a business-related field (e.g., Business Management, Accounting, Business Analytics)
- 5 years experience with human-subjects research and IRB protocols
- Strong organizational and project-management skills
- Ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously
Preferred Qualifications
- 3+ years of experience in sensory or consumer research
- Graduate-level degree with published research
- Familiarity with survey software (e.g., Qualtrics) or sensory software (e.g., RedJade, Compusense)
- Experience managing staff or participant-based testing environments
- Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
- 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
- Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
- Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
- Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife
- Letter of Interest
- Curriculum Vitae
What You Need to Know
Salary: Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate’s qualifications. This is a salaried position with benefits.
Position Funding: This position is supported by departmental and industry contract funding.
Flexible Work Arrangements: Flexible work schedules and remote work options may be available for this position, depending on the nature of the role and employee eligibility, in accordance with AgriLife Alternate Work Location Procedures.
Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?
In addition to being an established leader in agriculture and life sciences, Texas A&M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit package including:
Applicant Instructions
Applications received by Texas A&M AgriLife must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to prepopulate the online application.