The Laboratory manager will be primarily responsible for laboratory and field research (including data collection, analysis, and report writing) associated with projects assessing the evolutionary and ecological role of disturbance and global change in plant-soil interactions and feedbacks. The successful candidate will also conduct plant and soil research associated with a wide array of manuscripts, as well as be responsible for the management of the laboratory under the direction of the Department Head. The Laboratory Manager will coordinate and perform complex technical and skilled work involved in research areas for Principal Investigators, post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduate researches, including field work in remote locations. This position will facilitate laboratory logistics, purchasing, and auditing. Additionally, the Laboratory Manager will provide training, create work assignments, and review the work of designated personnel while maintaining compliance with proper safety protocols and record-keeping requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology (or related field)

• Experience: At least 2 years of experience in a scientific laboratory setting and with knowledge of scientific research methods

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Knowledge of ecological and evolutionary principles, techniques, procedures, equipment and terminology

  • Knowledge of laboratory operations and safety procedures

  • Knowledge of planting, growing, measuring experimental plants in the greenhouse

  • Working knowledge of computers and software (Microsoft Office Suite, Excel) required for data management, maintenance of protocols and ordering

  • Strong data management, organizational skills

  • Strong communication (written and oral) and time management skills

  • Ability to predict potential problems encountered during experiments and quickly, and accurately correct issues/errors

  • Knowledge of basic analytical chemistry and good laboratory etiquette

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience:

  • Field experience, plant identification

  • Experience managing experiments

  • Collecting and recording data, image analysis/graph making, statistical analyses in R

  • Manuscript Preparation

  • Collaboration and/or Management experience

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR08

• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here

• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

• Resume

• Cover Letter

About The Department

EEB is in the top 10% of ecology programs in North America based on research impact (Keville et al., 2017), ahead of peer institutions such as UCLA and UC San Diego. Our faculty and students come from around the globe. Our faculty is a mix of internationally known senior researchers and an energetic group of junior faculty at the cutting edges of their fields. We train graduate and undergraduate students with research interests in ecology, evolutionary biology, animal behavior, conservation biology, behavioral and population genetics, computational biology, development of theory for evolution and ecology, ecosystem and community ecology, global change biology, diverse areas of organismal biology, and biology education.

RESEARCH

This position will collect, analyze, manage and communicate a wide variety of short and long-term ecological and evolutionary data. This role will plan, organize and manage the logistics of month-long field campaigns to collect data at remote field sites. The Laboratory Manager will also manage undergraduate researcher time allocation and oversee project performance. They will also assist Principal Investigators and graduate students with field and greenhouse work by managing and maintaining the large greenhouse project, which will include plant care and liaising with the UT Greenhouse Manager. The management will also include a range of plant, soil, microbial procedures; including DNA extraction. The scientific results gathered and analyzed will be communicated via reports and manuscripts.

OPERATIONS

The role will oversee laboratory logistics and organization, including: purchasing, auditing, shipment processing, work order requests, and general laboratory maintenance. The Laboratory Manager will need to utilize efficient and clear communication among lab members as well as collaborate with the Principal Investigators and students on project logistics. This position will work with the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department as well as UT Facilities (OIT, Biology Service Facility, etc.) staff to ensure ideal conditions to achieve logistical goals.

PERSONNEL AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT

This position will require pursuit of increasing applicable knowledge of necessary skills and areas of interest to further promote the further development of performance of responsibilities. This Manager will be responsible for hiring, training, and supervising new and current members of the laboratory staff. This role will be instructing and training members on the safe and proper use of specialized scientific equipment and materials as well as developing standard operating procedures and safety protocols. The Laboratory Manager will also ensure compliance with proper safety procedures, protocols and record-keeping as well as ensuring proper disposal of laboratory materials and hazardous waste.

EQUIPMENT AND INFORMATION MAINTENANCE

To ensure optimal operations, the Laboratory Manager will curate chemical and equipment inventories by utilizing best practices. This role will manage the acquisition, repair and maintenance of highly specialized equipment. Responsibilities will also include organizing and formatting large databases.