Lab/Operations Manager

Regular, full-time position (35 hours per week).

About the role

The Lab & Operations Manager provides strategic, technical, and administrative leadership for the laboratory operations. This position is responsible for overseeing all aspects of laboratory management, research operations, safety, compliance, and staff supervision. The role also requires administrative support for the principal investigator and the laboratory members. The position demands a highly organized and proactive individual capable of ensuring the efficiency, compliance, and long-term sustainability of research and operational activities.

Responsibilities

• Establish, implement, and maintain comprehensive safety and compliance programs, including laboratory safety, radiation safety, biosafety, and chemical hygiene.
• Supervise laboratory personnel to ensure adherence to institutional and federal regulations.
• Maintain up-to-date safety documentation, incident reports, and training certifications for all personnel.
• Serve as the primary contact for Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) inspections and compliance audits.
• Oversee and coordinate all research activities within the PI’s laboratory.
• Ensure compliance with optimized experimental protocols.
• Manage the histology facilities, including equipment, reagents, and training of new users.
• Provide scientific and technical support to postdoctoral researchers, students, and staff.
• Manage all data sharing in accordance with NIH guidelines.
• Ensure that laboratory personnel maintain accurate and detailed lab notebooks and contribute to publications, reports, and grant applications.
• Ensure smooth daily operations of the lab, including scheduling, equipment maintenance, and shared resource management.
• Manage laboratory inventories, ordering of supplies, and vendor relations.
• Arrange equipment service contracts and schedule preventive maintenance visits.
• Oversee P-card purchases and reconciliation of expenses in compliance with university policies.
• Responsible for spending allocations on grants in collaboration with the post-award core.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement, sustainability initiatives, and technological innovation in laboratory operations.
• Partner with the Department Administrator and finance team to monitor research budgets.
• Assist in preparing quarterly financial reports and forecasting models for lab and discretionary funds.
• Track grant expenditures and ensure compliance with funding agency guidelines.
• Coordinate procurement, service agreements, and cost-sharing arrangements for shared departmental equipment.
• Supervise lab personnel including research assistants, students, support staff, and staff associates.
• Coordinate onboarding and offboarding processes, including account setup, lab access, and safety training.
• Foster a collaborative lab culture.
• Manage timesheets for biweekly staff, monthly officers, and federal work study students, and ensure timely submission to HR.
• Disseminate critical updates on institutional policies, safety procedures, and operational changes to all lab members.
• Serve as liaison between the laboratory, department, and university entities.
• Ensure clarity and compliance with evolving institutional procedures (e.g., during pandemic-related transitions).
• Organize meetings, special seminars, and conferences.
• Arrange travel for the PI and laboratory members.
• Assist in preparation of grant applications.
• Process human resources requisitions, travel expense reports.
• Receive and review correspondence coming into the office and respond to general inquiries, drafting correspondence.
• Assist with preparation of reports and presentations.
• Collaborate with the PI on strategic initiatives to enhance research infrastructure, operational efficiency, and safety culture.
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by the PI or Department Administrator to support the mission of the laboratory.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus three years of related experience.
• Knowledge of how to interpret and forecast for quarterly budget reports.
• Knowledge of general molecular/cell biology techniques.
• Experience managing a biology laboratory.
• Ability to manage staff and students.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD or Master’s degree strongly preferred.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel) and Adobe Acrobat.
• Excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to write in a clear, concise, informative, and professional manner.
• Proven ability to take initiative and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and multi-task.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and highly proactive.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact well with a broad spectrum of people, including students, faculty, and administrators.

Pay

Salary range: $80,000–$90,000. The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training.