Research Laboratory Specialist, Dick Lab

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan seeks a full-time Laboratory Research Specialist to manage the Geomicrobiology Laboratory and the Great Lakes Center for Fresh waters and Human Health. The successful candidate will work with a team of graduate students, postdocs, and staff to train and mentor students and conduct laboratory and field research on microbiomes, with a focus on harmful cyanobacterial blooms in the Great Lakes.

The position requires regular, onsite presence in the laboratory to support research operations and train users.

Senior:

Research Leadership & Experimentation

• Lead, develop, design, and conduct research on multiple projects, including both wet lab and field work in the Dick lab.
• Independently create new methods and work to improve existing laboratory and research techniques.
• Collect and conduct samples for research and data analysis.
• Prepare research reports and write content for final submission into peer-reviewed journals.
• Present research work at conferences.
• Collect data and contribute to the preparation of research reports and peer-review papers.

Lab Operations & Safety

• Provide oversight for the day-to-day operation of the laboratory.
• Train users and staff on laboratory techniques, equipment usage, and protocol standards.
• Maintain laboratory records and ensure compliance with protocol standards.
• Serve as back-up supervisor when the Principal Investigator (PI) is unavailable in the lab.
• Maintain laboratory safety by enforcing protocols, procedures, and university/departmental policies.

Supervision & Training

• Supervise Research Fellows, graduate, and undergraduate students.
• Coach and mentor staff and students on various research techniques.
• Train all staff in the lab.
• Interact and collaborate with research partners, both internally and externally.
• Present research findings at conferences.

Data Management & Reporting

• Enter data into databases; design and update datasets as needed.
• Develop and implement data management protocols.

Intermediate:

Geomicrobiology Lab Research

• Develop, design, and conduct research in the Geomicrobiology Lab.
• Create new methodologies and independently improve existing methods.
• Collect samples and data for research reports and peer-reviewed papers.
• Prepare reports and write content for submission to peer-reviewed journals.
• Conduct both wet lab and field work.

Laboratory Operations & Supervision

• Oversee daily operation of the laboratory.
• Train users on laboratory techniques and equipment usage.
• Supervise undergraduate students, providing coaching and mentoring on research techniques.
• Maintain laboratory cultures, records, and protocols.
• Coordinate laboratory usage, sample management, and supply ordering/inventory.

Safety and Compliance

• Enforce laboratory safety protocols and procedures.
• Ensure compliance with departmental and University policies and procedures.
• Coordinate collaborative research, outreach, and engagement at the Great Lakes Center for Fresh waters and Human Health.
• Design and update websites using graphical web-based software.
• Plan and coordinate monthly and annual meetings.
• Participate in and coordinate public outreach and engagement with stakeholders.
• Assist in the preparation of reports.

Data Management

• Manage research data, including entry into databases.
• Design and update datasets.
• Develop and implement data management protocols.

Senior:

• BS/BA degree in a recognized field of science or learning directly related to laboratory duties
• 5-6 years of relevant laboratory or research experience
• Experience in a laboratory setting with all of the following:
  • Managing budgets or financial resources
  • Lab management
  • Preparation of microbiological media and reagents, sterile technique, cultivation of bacteria
  • Chemical and molecular methods such as gel electrophoresis, UV-VIS spectrophotometer, polymerase chain reaction, and extraction and quantification of nucleic acids.planning and executing field work with minimal supervision, including coordination and collection of environmental water samples on research vessels on the Great Lakes

Intermediate:

• BS/BA degree plus 4-5 years…