Research Laboratory Manager

GENERAL SUMMARY/ OVERVIEW STATEMENT: 

Reporting to the Director of Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, will independently supervise the operation of large animal and preclinical human solid organ research functions and spaces. This includes a wide range of primary responsibilities including but not limited to: 1) Oversight of all large animal and human organ research work, including biosafety compliance, interacting with CCM staff, and interacting/liaising with IACUC leadership on work. It should be noted that current projects include federally funded grants involving non-human primates, USDA approved species such as pigs, as well as clinical and pre-clinical work with human donor organs and tissues, and the ideal candidate will have experience in compliance work related to all of the above; 2) financial management of multiple Center, ARPA-H and R01-level grants in collaboration with the senior grant administrator, ensuring compliance with NIH, NSF, DoD and MGB policies for research spending, including annual budgeting, 3) day-to-day management and oversight of research facilities and protocols, 4) carrying out research including design and execution of research studies, and 5) supervision and training of staff. 

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:     

1. Financial management

-        Prepare annual budgets for the relevant research projects for DoD, NIH and other funding agencies

-        Monitors spending, and ensures compliance under the guidance of Core Director and Senior Grant Manager

-        Manages relevant Center operations within the approved budget

2. Supervises all compliance activities according to MGH and Federally mandated regulations.

-        Oversees IACUC protocols relevant to scope of work; prepares and updates protocols and ensures compliance to protocols in the Center activities.

-        Oversees relevant IRB compliance activities, including preparation and amendment of protocols to ensure ongoing compliance, supervision of human tissue and organ acquisition from the organ procurement organizations, shipping human tissue samples to other researchers, and all necessary trainings and certifications by the lab personnel to perform such work.

-        Oversees biosafety protocols including annual renewals and inspections.

-        Oversees controlled substance use in Core research activities.

-        Assists IACUC and CCM during USDA, AAALAC, and DoD inspections.

3. Independent oversight of operations

-        Oversees all large animal studies, including research space and equipment.

-        Oversees all relevant biosafety and IACUC protocols, liaising with CCM staff on care of large animals.

-        Oversees technologists and technicians for Center supply orders.

-        Performs new equipment acquisition, including identification of needs, budgeting, negotiation and arranging purchase or lease agreements.

-        Budgets for, and manages equipment maintenance and replacement. Ensures compliance of anesthesia and similar equipment with relevant Biosafety and IACUC/USDA regulations.

-        Oversees biological lab (BL2) facilities where NHP and human tissue work is performed.

-        Supervises technical staff (technologists, Tech I and Tech IIs) for completion of work according to grant/project experimental plans and ensures adherence to timelines.

4. Carries out research with large research animal subjects, human tissues and organs.

-        Performs highly sophisticated surgical research activities including: i) procurement of tissues and organs, ii) preservation of organs including the liver, heart, kidney, vascular composite allografts (limb, face, abdominal wall) and the like.

-        Performs microsurgical procedures including tissue implantation (skin grafts), transplantation, and burns.

-        Performs or oversees post-operative care of animals under guidance of CCM veterinary staff.

-        Contributes to scientific literature including authorship in scientific meeting abstracts and scholarly articles, and patent applications.

-        Presents data and results in scientific meetings internal meetings, and at national or international conferences.

-        Contributes or leads preparation of progress reports for federally funded grants.

-        Manages projects with industry and academic collaborators.

5. Trains staff in relevant scientific and surgical techniques.

-        Trains junior technical staff in tissue and organ procurement, preservation, transplantation, microsurgery and other relevant techniques.

-        Supervises technical staff daily and conducts performance evaluation.

-        Trains technicians, postdoctoral fellows and medical fellows in surgical procedures and other relevant techniques.

-        Write behavioral procedures for the lab; establish standard operating procedures for new protocols and techniques.

-        Independently manages lab space allocation.

SKILLS/ABILITIES/COMPETENCIES REQUIRED: 

-        Ability to make independent decisions and troubleshoot complex problems.

-        Experience in management of large biomedical engineering labs and facilities.

-        Excellent judgement and ability to interpret information and protocol requirements.

-        Problem solving for a wide variety of technical issues.

-        Effective supervision of junior research staff.

-        Excellent organizational skills to manage the timelines of multiple, interacting projects.

-        Strong budget management skills, and demonstrated ability to prepare annual budgets.

-        Comprehensive understanding of biological wetlab operations.

-        Strong familiarity with use/administration of animal subjects in research.

-        Strong familiarity with surgical models in large animals.

-        Training and expertise in use of human tissues in research.

-        Expertise in variety of common biological assay techniques and BL2 wet lab operations and biosafety.

-        Experience in all effective communications with IACUC, IRB, CCM, biosafety and controlled substance use in research.

EDUCATION: 

Minimum: BS in Biology, medicine or related sciences and technology field.

EXPERIENCE:

       Hands-on experience in surgical and wet-lab procedures, management of personnel and budget in technical fields (7yrs minimum).

       Established experience in surgical work in small and large animal subjects is strictly required.

       A masters or PhD in related fields is desirable and may count as experience, but is not required if 7 years equivalent experience in academic or for-profit organizations can be demonstrated successfully.

       Experience with human blood, tissue and organ research, experience in management of compliance protocols including IRB, IACUC and controlled substances.

    SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY (if applicable): 

       Directly manage 5-10 laboratory technologists, technicians and BFTs.

       Performs hiring, orientation, performance appraisal, corrective action of technical staff.

       Train MD/PhD researchers in surgery and large animal work and other relevant Center research protocols.

       Supervise activity of all users for safety and proper application of protocols.

    FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY (if applicable):

-        Prepare annual budgets for CEMS work encompassing large animal models and directly relevant projects

-        Manages Center operations within the approved budget

-        Works closely with the Center Director and Senior Grant administrator.

    WORKING CONDITIONS: 

A variety of environmental conditions exist:

-        Normal office conditions. May be required to attend meetings outside of regularly scheduled hours.

-        Laboratory conditions: May be exposed to radioactive isotopes, chemicals and animal and human wastes and fluids. Will be the contact person for emergency issues related to lab operations.