Manager, Bioscience Incubator

Austin Community College•Austin, TX

9d•$90,974 - $116,361•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager of the Bioscience Incubator provides strategic, operational, and scientific leadership for Austin Community College’s (ACC) wet lab facility. Partnering with the Director, this role oversees day-to-day laboratory operations, guides facility growth, manages company admissions, and integrates tenant activities with ACC’s educational mission. The ideal candidate pairs hands-on wet lab expertise with strong administrative judgment to lead people, programs, and partnerships in a dynamic biotech ecosystem.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree. Four (4) years of related work experience or Associate’s degree plus two (2) years of related work experience can be substituted for the required education (plus the required experience noted below).
Three (3) years related work experience including one (1) year supervisory experience.
Understand and apply principles and practices associated with Servant-Leadership.
Familiarity with statistical and analytical methodologies.
Knowledge of current change management theories.
Understanding of student services processes and procedures, enrollment trends, ACC culture and academic curricula.
Stay updated on emerging technologies and communication systems to promote programs, activities, and services.
Utilize project management techniques.
Apply student development best practices.
Robust knowledge of wet lab practices, laboratory safety protocols, and chemical handling, storage, and disposal.
Working knowledge of common life science equipment, including biotechnology instrumentation, standard maintenance, calibration procedures, and quality assurance expectations.
Understanding of life science commercialization pathways, startup incubator business model and relevant regulatory landscapes.
Apply strengths-based coaching principles in employee and student development.
Utilize effective interpersonal and communications skills, including tact and diplomacy.
Exhibit effective organizational and planning skills.
Demonstrate supervisory and management skills founded in servant leadership principles.
Work collaboratively and effectively as part of a team.
Maintain confidentiality of work-related information and materials.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
Ability to effectively manage change.
Prioritize multiple projects.
Create, compose, and edit written materials.
Develop, write, plan and implement short and long-range goals.
Maintain an established work schedule, including some evenings and weekends.
Familiarity and proficiency in utilizing Workday as an HRM system.
Managers are expected to be familiar with job requisition processes, performance evaluations, and maintaining consistent, high-quality personnel data.
Demonstrated ability to balance scientific rigor with operational efficiency in a shared and multi-tenant laboratory environment.
Strong leadership, planning, organizational, and decision-making skills, with acute attention to detail and diligent follow through.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, paired with a customer-oriented mindset.
Demonstrated ability to facilitate collaboration effectively across students, faculty, support staff, administrators, entrepreneurs, and community partners.
High level of professionalism, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality.
Ability to use laboratory equipment software and related operational systems.
Proficiency with spreadsheet, word processing, database, and presentation software.

Nice To Haves

Degree in a science, biotechnology, or related field.
Professional experience in life sciences, biotechnology, or a related discipline.
Experience in a startup, incubator, or entrepreneurial environment.
Prior leadership or supervisory experience in a laboratory setting.
Experience supporting both research and applied/industry lab activities.
Completion of the ACC Supervisor Certificate Series Program will satisfy the supervisory experience required for this position.

Responsibilities

Provide comprehensive oversight of Bioscience Incubator laboratory operations, including shared equipment, instrumentation, consumables, and tenant company usage.
Ensure compliance with institutional, local, state, and federal health, safety, and environmental regulations.
Develop and implement lab policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), training programs, and preventive maintenance schedules to support reliable, industry-standard lab operations.
Serve as the primary liaison to ACC support services (Environmental Health & Sciences, Facilities, Procurement, Information Technology, etc.) to ensure smooth and compliant facility operations.
Serve as the primary point of contact for instrumentation vendors to coordinate the purchasing, repair and maintenance of resources.
Supervise, mentor, and support laboratory staff and student workers, fostering a culture of professionalism, safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Provide leadership for lab maintenance activities while also supporting internships, undergraduate research projects, and workforce training initiatives.
Act as a trusted operational resource and advisor for tenant companies and student workers.
Design and implement programming such as workshops, seminars, and networking events that connect ACC students, faculty, and life science entrepreneurs.
Create and manage experiential learning opportunities, including internships, research collaborations, and industry partnerships.
Represent the Bioscience Incubator at regional startup, biotech, and community events to promote the incubator and build strategic relationships.
Partner with the Director to shape the strategic direction, growth plans, and long-term sustainability of the Bioscience Incubator.
Evaluate and support the selection of prospective tenant companies; contribute to admissions strategy, onboarding, and ongoing operational support.
Serve as an operational and scientific advisor to early-stage companies, helping them navigate shared lab environments and scale responsibly.
Track and analyze incubator outcomes, including economic impact, company progress, workforce development outcomes, and program effectiveness.
Develop and refine metrics to evaluate incubator success and inform future strategy and streamline institutional reporting.