MBS Shared Facility Director

University of South Florida•Tampa, FL

10d

About The Position

The MBS Shared Facility Director conducts and supports laboratory research in cell biology, molecular biology, microbiology, biophysics, and related disciplines in support of research by Department of Molecular Bioscience faculty and principal investigators. The position has broad latitude to design research under the direction of MBS principal investigators and reports to the MBS Shared Facility faculty, advisory committee, or faculty director. The role oversees shared research instrumentation, laboratory equipment, and supporting infrastructure; develops and implements experimental approaches and emerging technologies; and trains and advises faculty, students, and research personnel. It also coordinates facility administration, procurement, user access, scheduling, billing, budgeting, and financial records. In collaboration with the faculty director and advisory committee, the director evaluates and develops research capabilities aligned with faculty priorities and coordinates with other USF core facilities.

Requirements

Master's degree in a natural science related to the specific area of research.
Two years of research experience; doctoral study in a directly related field may substitute for the required experience.
Extensive research laboratory experience is required.
A bachelor's degree may be substituted for by four years of direct experience under the stated degree equivalency clause, subject to employment eligibility requirements.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with confocal and immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy.
Experience maintaining FPLC systems, cryo-EM grid-preparation platforms, and cell-culture platforms.
Experience with general molecular biology techniques.

Responsibilities

Conduct and support advanced laboratory research in cell biology, molecular biology, microbiology, biophysics, and related disciplines.
Design, conduct, analyze, and interpret experiments using Shared Facility instrumentation, technologies, and resources.
Develop, evaluate, optimize, and implement experimental approaches, methodologies, and emerging technologies.
Troubleshoot experimental designs, methodologies, instrumentation, and technical problems.
Collaborate with faculty, students, and research staff on experimental planning, research implementation, data interpretation, and specialized techniques.
Contribute expertise, data, and scientific interpretation to publications, technical reports, grant applications, and other scholarly work, including co-authorship when appropriate.
Oversee the operation, maintenance, performance, and development of shared research instrumentation, equipment, and supporting infrastructure.
Operate and maintain shared instruments including confocal microscopes, flow cytometers, ultracentrifuges, tissue culture equipment, FPLC systems, and cryo-EM sample-preparation and data-processing platforms.
Coordinate implementation and operational readiness of newly acquired equipment, software, and technologies.
Coordinate equipment servicing, repairs, software updates, and upgrades; assess equipment condition and communicate maintenance, replacement, and resource needs.
Develop and update SOPs, equipment-use guidelines, and procedures for malfunctions, downtime, and service interruptions.
Maintain auxiliary equipment and common equipment rooms; prepare chemical solutions and other materials for sample preparation and facility operations.
Coordinate procurement and availability of supplies, chemicals, accessories, and other materials.
Develop and deliver equipment-specific training and guide users on instrument operation, laboratory procedures, sample preparation, and SOPs.
Assist users with experimental design, methodology selection, research implementation, and interpretation of results; diagnose and resolve user technical challenges.
Advise faculty and research teams on applying facility technologies to research objectives and facilitate appropriate access to shared resources.
Administer equipment scheduling, user authorization, service requests, utilization tracking, and facility records through applicable USF-approved systems.
Coordinate development and review of user fees and service rates in accordance with USF policies and federal cost-accounting requirements.
Collaborate with fiscal and administrative personnel on billing, invoicing, revenue tracking, and reconciliation of facility charges.
Assist with annual operating budgets and financial forecasts; monitor expenditures, revenue, operating costs, utilization, and cost recovery.
Maintain records of equipment utilization, maintenance, service requests, purchases, inventory, billing, and other facility transactions.
Provide equipment specifications, technical justifications, utilization data, and cost estimates for funding requests, grant proposals, and facility-development initiatives.
Monitor emerging technologies, instrumentation, and methodologies relevant to MBS research areas.
Work with the faculty director and advisory committee to evaluate, prioritize, and implement technologies and capabilities that meet faculty needs.
Assess facility resources and coordinate with other USF core facilities to identify complementary capabilities, avoid unnecessary duplication, and expand access.
Identify opportunities for facility enhancement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and expanded research support aligned with MBS research clusters and institutional priorities.