Research Laboratory Manager

TPIRC and FAI•Long Beach, CA

9d•$70,000 - $90,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Translational Pulmonary and Immunology Research Center (TPIRC) is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Laboratory Manager / Senior Research Associate to support and advance translational research programs in pulmonary biology, immunology, and related biomedical sciences. This position combines scientific research, laboratory management, biobank operations, regulatory compliance, data coordination, project management, and personnel development. The successful candidate will oversee day-to-day laboratory and biobank operations, maintain biosafety and regulatory compliance, support ongoing research studies, contribute to experimental design and execution, and mentor research staff, interns, and students. The ideal candidate will be an organized scientific professional capable of independently managing laboratory operations while contributing to innovative research initiatives and supporting the growth of the TPIRC research infrastructure.

Requirements

PhD, Master's degree, or Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Immunology, Biotechnology, Biomedical Sciences, or a related field.
Relevant experience in academic, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, healthcare, clinical, or translational research environments.
Experience managing laboratory operations, biobanks, or research support activities.
Hands-on experience with molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, or translational research techniques.
Experience with laboratory biosafety programs and regulatory compliance.
Experience managing laboratory equipment, inventory systems, procurement, and vendor relationships.
Strong organizational, analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in allergy, immunology, or pulmonary research, food allergy
Experience with pediatric research populations
CCRP, CCRC, or equivalent clinical research certification
Experience supporting grant-funded research operations and reporting
Familiarity with Athena EMR or similar clinical data systems
Familiarity with REDCap or comparable clinical research data management systems.
Demonstrated ability to design and execute independent research projects.
Experience supporting IRB protocols and regulatory submissions.
Experience training and mentoring students, interns, and research personnel.
Scientific publication, manuscript preparation, and grant support experience.

Responsibilities

Oversee daily operations of the research laboratory and TPIRC biobank.
Manage sample intake, processing, aliquoting, labeling, storage, and retrieval of biological specimens.
Maintain chain-of-custody and sample tracking systems, ensuring accurate linkage between biological samples and longitudinal clinical and diagnostic data.
Oversee routine laboratory maintenance, organization, and operational readiness.
Monitor and maintain Liquid Nitrogen (LN₂) storage systems, CO₂ incubators and gas supplies, Ultra-low temperature (-80°C) freezers, Biosafety cabinets, Centrifuges, Microscopes, and Additional laboratory instrumentation and equipment.
Manage laboratory equipment maintenance schedules, calibration, troubleshooting, temperature monitoring, and vendor service coordination.
Maintain inventory of laboratory reagents, chemicals, biological specimens, consumables, and research supplies.
Coordinate procurement activities including supply ordering, vendor management, delivery tracking, and follow-up.
Develop, document, implement, and continuously improve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for laboratory and biobank workflows.
Track laboratory operational expenses and support budget management activities.
Ensure laboratory and biobank operations comply with institutional policies and applicable regulatory requirements.
Maintain compliance with IRB-approved protocols, Informed consent requirements, HIPAA regulations, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), and Biosafety and laboratory safety standards.
Maintain audit-ready documentation for regulatory inspections, sponsor audits, and internal quality reviews.
Support IRB submissions, protocol amendments, continuing reviews, and regulatory documentation.
Monitor biosafety, biohazard handling, chemical safety, and laboratory safety programs.
Maintain Safety Data Sheets (SDS/MSDS), biosafety records, laboratory documentation, and safety training records.
Assist investigators with study planning, experimental design, protocol development, execution, troubleshooting, and data analysis.
Coordinate with diagnostic laboratories regarding collection and processing of blood, serum, plasma, and other biological specimens.
Support multiple ongoing translational and biomedical research projects.
Perform and supervise laboratory procedures including: SDS-PAGE, Western Blotting (Immunoblotting), Quantitative PCR (qPCR), ELISA, Histology and H&E Staining, Cell Culture, Microscopy and Image Analysis, Mean Linear Intercept (MLI) Analysis, Tissue Processing and Sample Preparation, and Other molecular, cellular, and immunological techniques as required.
Design, develop, and execute independent research projects.
Collaborate with Principal Investigators on study design, grant development, and research implementation.
Analyze, interpret, and present scientific findings.
Maintain accurate laboratory notebooks, databases, and research documentation.
Contribute to manuscripts, scientific reports, publications, and presentations.
Ensure scientific rigor, reproducibility, and data quality standards.
Coordinate with clinical and research staff to ensure accurate and timely research data capture across study systems.
Support collection and management of research data using platforms such as REDCap, EMR-derived research reports, and study documentation systems.
Perform data quality control and identify discrepancies among clinical records, consent status, sample inventories, and study databases.
Assist with implementation of new and ongoing research protocols.
Translate study requirements into laboratory and biobank operational procedures.
Generate operational, compliance, and study progress reports for Principal Investigators, leadership teams, and grant reporting requirements.
Train, mentor, and supervise research interns, students, research assistants, coordinators, technicians, and laboratory support staff.
Develop laboratory training materials, SOPs, and competency programs.
Schedule staff and coordinate workload assignments.
Onboard new personnel on laboratory operations, biosafety procedures, compliance requirements, and research protocols.
Foster a collaborative, productive, and safe laboratory environment.
Promote best practices in laboratory operations, scientific conduct, safety, and data management.
Serve as the primary point of contact for day-to-day laboratory operational issues and escalate concerns to research leadership as needed.
Track laboratory and biobank operational budgets and expenditures.
Assist with purchasing forecasts and resource allocation.
Contribute operational input to grant proposals, budgets, renewals, and research planning activities.
Assist leadership with strategic planning related to laboratory growth, equipment acquisition, and research infrastructure development.