The Health and Wellness Research Core Manager will play a foundational role in establishing and developing a new clinical research core facility within the university. This is an exciting opportunity to shape the operations, strategy, and vision of a core facility that will provide essential support for clinical and translational research and innovation. By collaborating with researchers, clinicians, and administrative teams, the Health and Wellness Research Core Manager will ensure the facility becomes a cornerstone for advancing patient care and scientific discovery. The program works collaboratively with researchers, scientific staff, and users to make shared resources broadly available under a sustainable fee structure. This position involves not only managing day-to-day operations but also building the infrastructure, processes, and team needed to launch and sustain the core’s success. This collaborative but leadership-driven role, the position helps ensure the Core’s financial sustainability and readiness to support an R1 research enterprise. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in research administration, excellent communication skills, and attention to detail.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in any related field

Experience:

• 3+ years of experience in laboratory management, research operations, or related technical environments
• Experience with ICH/GCP regulations
• Experience with human subjects research
• Experience and/or ability to complete basic lab processing of blood, urine, and saliva samples

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Excellent attention to detail.

• Excellent problem-solving skills.

• Ability to read and proof documents for accuracy.

• Ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively and proactively.

• Ability to analyze information critically to make informed decisions.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment, with adherence to strict deadlines.

• Knowledge and understanding of HIPAA regulations; maintains strict confidentiality of participant/patient information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education:
  • Master’s Degree in any related field
• Experience:
  • Phlebotomy certification
  • 1 year of phlebotomy collection experience
  • 5+ years of experience in laboratory management, research operations, or related technical environments
  • HIPAA training
  • Experience collecting data
  • Experience with REDCap highly preferred
  • Experience working in or managing a core research facility highly preferred
  • Supervisory experience preferred

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Knowledge of medical terminology

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: 12
• Anticipated hiring range: 12
• 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
• List of 3 Professional References

About The College/Department/Division

Here at the University of Tennessee, thousands of world-class faculty, staff, students and postdoctoral fellows are engaged in research, scholarship and creative work on a daily basis. With a shared commitment to creating a more just, prosperous, and sustainable world for the citizens of Tennessee and communities far beyond, the UT community is creating new knowledge and generating solutions to some of the most challenging issues of our time.

The Office of Research, Innovation & Economic Development is here to support you, our community of researchers, scholars and creatives, from ideation to impact. Our dedicated team is here to help you develop competitive proposals and sources of support for your work, seed investments in promising new areas, nurture new and established multidisciplinary communities of scholars and support and sustain a strong culture of research integrity.

The university’s strategic relationships with corporate, venture, community, non-profit and government partners help extend the impact of our community’s work across the state and around the world. In collaboration with these partners, we are working to establish Tennessee as a go-to destination for cutting-edge research, innovation and a skilled workforce.

We understand that a creative, productive, and empowered community of researchers, scholars, and creatives is critical to the university’s future as a world-renowned research institution.

Operational and Financial Management

- Manages and coordinates the daily activities and operational functions of the clinical research laboratory.

- Exercises a high degree of independence in decision-making related to lab and facility management.

- Responsible for making day-to-day and strategic decisions related to laboratory operations, equipment utilization, scheduling, maintenance, and workflow optimization to ensure reliable, compliant, and efficient facility performance.

- Independently evaluates operational priorities, resolves technical and logistical issues, and implements process improvements that directly impact service delivery, cost recovery, and researcher productivity

- Makes independent recommendations to the CFP Director regarding equipment upgrades, service expansion, vendor selection, and staffing needs, using data, faculty input, and benchmarking against peer R1 institutions.

- Autonomously maintains a responsive, sustainable, and high-performing research facility that supports externally funded, time-sensitive research activities.

- Conducts and oversees all quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) processes to meet regulatory and institutional standards.

- Schedules, allocates, and oversees use of laboratory space, shared resources, and specialized equipment.

- Instructs and trains faculty, staff, and students on proper and safe operation of laboratory equipment and materials.

- Responsible for preparing and maintaining annual rate sheets, ensuring rates are accurate, defensible, and aligned with cost-recovery requirements and institutional policies, to include independently evaluating usage data, supply costs, service demand, and staffing effort to support sustainable operations

- Supervises laboratory personnel, including training, performance management, and workflow oversight.

- Manages operational budgets for facility supplies, service contracts, and personnel, making informed decisions to balance service quality, fiscal responsibility, and research needs

- Manages financial transactions, including preparing, monitoring, and reconciling budgets.

- Develops and maintains costing structures for billable services and recharge operations.

- Works in close consultation with the CFP business manager to ensure compliance with institutional, sponsor, and audit requirements, while also providing data-driven input for forecasting, capital planning, and staffing adjustments.

Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Engagement

- Provides strategic leadership for a complex, multi-user research environment, ensuring that facility operations, technologies, and services align with current and emerging priorities of a high-impact, externally funded research enterprise.

- Participates in long-range and strategic planning for laboratory growth, equipment acquisition, and service development.

- Responsible for aligning facility capabilities with current and emerging research priorities across the institution.

- Directly to forward-looking planning by evaluating national research trends, benchmarking against peer R1 institutions, and identifying opportunities for new or expanded capabilities that strengthen institutional competitiveness for major grants and interdisciplinary initiatives.

- Through faculty engagement, analysis of utilization and cost-recovery data, the Lab Manager helps ensure the Core remains sustainable, innovative, and positioned to support large-scale, collaborative research programs.

- Provides expert recommendations that enhance research quality, operational efficiency, and strategic utilization of lab resources.

- Builds strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to strengthen the core lab’s reputation and service model.

Compliance and equipment assurance

-Develops, updates, and enforces standard operating procedures (SOPs), safety protocols, and compliance documentation.

- Conducts and supports compliance activities to ensure alignment with institutional and regulatory requirements.

- Ensures adherence to safety procedures, protocols, proper documentation, and mandated record-keeping standards.

- Oversees proper storage, handling, and disposal of laboratory materials and hazardous waste.

- Ensures compliance with relevant regulatory and confidentiality requirements, including but not limited to ICH GCP, RCR, HIPAA,

IRB, and related guidelines.

- Manages the acquisition, repair, and maintenance of highly specialized equipment.

- Manages facility security systems, access control, and authorization protocols.

Other Duties as Assigned

- As required