Manager of Chemical-Environmental Engineering Laboratories, College of Engineering and Computer Science - UT Chattanooga

University of Tennessee•Chattanooga, TN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The College of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is seeking a Manager of Chemical/Environmental Engineering Laboratories. This role involves managing the daily operations of assigned instructional and research laboratories, ensuring they are safe, clean, organized, and functional. The Manager will oversee chemical hygiene, laboratory safety, chemical inventories, and equipment maintenance and troubleshooting. They will also train users on safe operation, support faculty research and instruction, and develop documentation for laboratory improvements. The scope includes Chemical Engineering labs (process controls, makerspace, unit operations, research labs for bioprocesses, catalysis, materials science) and shared oversight of Environmental Engineering and Geomaterials labs with Civil Engineering. Coordination with other CECS programs for shared equipment and safety is also part of the role.

Requirements

Minimum Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or a closely related field.
Two years of relevant experience in academia or industry.
Experience working with hazardous chemicals and operating chemical process equipment.
Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
General computer skills and competency in using Microsoft Office suite.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering or a closely related field.
Two or more years of experience in chemical process safety and operations.
Experience with process controls software (e.g., LabVIEW, Siemens PCS) and/or process simulation software (e.g., CHEMCAD, Aspen).

Responsibilities

Serve as CECS Chemical Hygiene Officer and operational coordinator for assigned chemical hygiene functions.
Act as the primary day-to-day contact for chemical hygiene, laboratory safety, hygienic conditions, and technical housekeeping.
Develop, maintain, and revise chemical hygiene materials, safety procedures, hazard assessments, emergency procedures, and user training records.
Coordinate the approval, procurement, receipt, labeling, storage, access, inventory, and disposal of hazardous chemicals and related materials.
Complete or coordinate departmental inspections, route hazards, maintain response documentation, and support compliance with university policies.
Coordinate access, scheduling, laboratory setup, work orders, shutdowns, service interruptions, utilities, compressed gases, and consumables.
Maintain assigned laboratories in a safe, hygienic, clean, orderly, labeled, functional, instruction-ready, and visitor-ready condition.
Perform between-term inventory reconciliation, preventive maintenance, laboratory reset, research support, procurement, documentation, and modernization work.
Operate, inspect, test, troubleshoot, and maintain assigned process equipment and analytical instruments.
Develop and maintain preventive maintenance schedules, service histories, equipment status records, and calibration records.
Support equipment specification, quotation review, procurement, installation, acceptance testing, commissioning, and retirement.
Maintain current inventories of chemicals, equipment, supplies, spare parts, materials, and compressed gases.
Develop and administer systems for access to safety data sheets, hazard information, equipment information, and inventory records.
Prepare or recommend requisitions, obtain quotations, coordinate receiving and storage, and maintain an organized repository of SOPs, guides, and records.
Train faculty, staff, and students in safe equipment, process, software, and facility use.
Coordinate user onboarding and maintain training and access records.
Provide technical and operational support for faculty-led laboratory classes and research.
Support approved student projects, faculty research, sponsored work, and contract testing.
Plan and implement continuous improvement and modernization projects for laboratories.
Coordinate laboratory tours, recruitment events, accreditation visits, sponsor visits, workshops, and demonstrations.
Support relationships with industry, agencies, and university partners for laboratory capabilities, applied research, and contract-testing activities.