Laboratory Manager

Updated: 11 months ago
Location: Pasadena, CALIFORNIA
Deadline: The position may have been removed or expired!

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Job Summary

This Laboratory Manager position in Gözde Demirer's lab in the Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Caltech will manage all aspects of the lab operation in the field of plant biotechnology and nanotechnology. The position is available as full-time, regular (40 hours/week).

Essential Job Duties

  • Manages order requests for lab equipment and supplies for all members of the lab; interacts and negotiates with vendors for their procurement. Initiates and maintains contact with vendors and conducts product searches to recommend cost/benefit options to the researcher.
  • Trains and assists postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and technicians in scientific protocols. Consults and advises researchers and/or students with experimental design, set-up, execution, analyzing and interpreting results. Oversees research projects of junior lab staff.
  • Develops, communicates, and implements laboratory procedures.
  • Manages laboratory human resources including hiring, determining work schedules and lab space of facility personnel.
  • Manages inventory of lab equipment, consumables and organization and maintenance of communal access of specific reagents and molecular biology kits.
  • Manages modifications of lab space, including equipment repair and general maintenance.
  • Interacts and works with other labs and departments in equipment utilization, research operations, strategies and concepts.
  • Interacts with PI and grants manager to address lab and personnel budgeting and accounting issues, monitoring fund accounts.
  • Develops and implements laboratory general budget, including overseeing financial accounts; advises management on analyzing financial impact of new initiatives.
  • Oversees and implements CAL/OSHA and BUA guidelines for safe handling of hazardous chemicals and biological materials. Responsible for the exchange of safety slips and badges each month. The Manager also trains lab members and attends safety meetings. Supervises and implements safety procedures for the disposal of hazardous and biological waste generated in lab.
  • Maintains common lab consumable stocks of competent bacteria cells, autoclaved water, media, and supplies such as pipette tips, tubes, and beads.
  • Grows and maintains common lab research plants, including Arabidopsis and tobacco.
  • Helps organize lab social events, meeting room reservations, conference-related organizations, and other meeting scheduling of the lab and the PI.

Basic Qualifications

  • BS in a STEM field with 2 or more years of research or lab management experience. 

Preferred Qualifications

  • Plant growth, DNA RNA protein isolation, cDNA cloning, PCR, qPCR, cloning, preparing electrocompetent and heat shock-competent bacteria cells, DNA sequencing, genotyping.
  • Previous research experience with molecular biology techniques and/or plant research and/or nanotechnology is strongly preferred.
  • Computer skills in Microsoft Office.

Required Documents

  • Resume


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