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Job Category:
Academic Staff
Employment Type:
Regular
Job Profile:
Laboratory Manager
Job Summary:
The Handelsman Lab is seeking a Lab Manager to direct, coordinate, and manage laboratory operations and play a central role in the Lucida Project, a large, complex, collaborative research effort involving internal and external partners, including international collaborators. This position requires a highly organized, communicative, and detail‑oriented individual who can manage complex logistics, ensure regulatory compliance, and facilitate coordination across multidisciplinary teams.
As part of the Lucida Project coordination, this position will create, manage, and execute large‑scale human sample collection efforts, as well as manage the expansive digital dataset associated with the project. This position will serve as a key communication liaison between the Principal Investigator and project‑associated lab members, team at the Center for Healthy Minds, and external collaborators and international partners and is responsible for coordinating meetings and ensuring participation of appropriate personnel. This position is responsible for tracking and supporting compliance with Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements and biosafety protocols.
The Laboratory Manager will oversee the day-to-day operations of the lab, including but not limited to maintaining laboratory supply inventory, tracking and organizing laboratory equipment, managing vendor relationships, and sending and receiving materials using the Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs). In addition, the Laboratory Manager is responsible for onboarding and offboarding lab members.
The Laboratory Manager is required to maintain the Hazardous Materials (HazMat) shipping certification through UW Environmental Health & Safety (EHS). This position will ensure compliance with safety, chemical hygiene, OSHA, and UW-Madison standards by developing and maintaining required safety documentation, overseeing chemical storage, and facilitating required training for the lab members. This position will also develop and facilitate trainings on scientific experimentation, technical procedures, equipment operations, and laboratory best practices for various audiences.
Key Job Responsibilities:
10% - May exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees
Department:
Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research – Wisconsin Institute for Discovery
The Wisconsin Institute for Discovery is a research institute on the campus of the University of Wisconsin - Madison that was built to develop a new approach to science driven by unlikely collaborations among outstanding research minds. Strengths in AI and Health, Engineering for Life, and Systems Optimization enable WID to advance basic research and rise to grand challenges.
Compensation:
The starting salary for this position is $67,500 but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.
This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. Please review the summary of benefits for more information.
Required Qualifications:
Laboratory techniques in microbiology, molecular biology
Knowledge of aseptic technique
Strong organizational, coordination, and time‑management skills.
Ability to work with diverse members of the laboratory from many scientific disciplines with various levels of training.
Ability to supervise others with respect, compassion, and kindness.
Preferred Qualifications:
Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and professionally with diverse stakeholders.
Ability to manage and prioritize multiple complex projects independently.
Commitment to laboratory safety, compliance, and ethical research practices.
Ability to be flexible, resourceful, and independent when research requirements change.
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree: Required degree in microbiology or a closely related field
How to Apply:
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Required documents:
• Cover letter
• CV or Resume
Your cover letter should address how your training and experience align with the required and preferred qualifications listed above. Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected.
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.
Contact Information:
Johnny Wertz, johnny.wertz@wisc.edu, 608-316-4496
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
Institutional Statement on Diversity:
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.
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