Laboratory Manager - Lab of Peter Laird

Laboratory Manager Position at Van Andel Institute

Van Andel Institute (VAI), a world-class biomedical research institute, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is dedicated to improving human health. We are pioneers in the fight against cancer, Parkinson's, and other diseases. We are committed to inspiring the next generation of scientists and educators.

The Van Andel Institute has a position available for a full-time Laboratory Manager under the direction of Peter W. Laird, Ph.D.

The Laird Laboratory focuses on the role of epigenetics in cancer, inflammation, and aging, combining mechanistic studies in model systems, analysis of human cancer tissues, advanced technology development, and epigenomic data analysis.

Position Summary

The Laboratory Manager serves as a key operational and scientific partner to the Principal Investigator, providing day-to-day leadership for laboratory operations while contributing directly to research programs. The successful candidate will coordinate personnel, resources, research projects, external collaborations, purchasing, equipment, and laboratory workflows while maintaining a hands-on approach to scientific problem-solving.

In this role, you would be Dr. Laird's right-hand person in the laboratory and tasked to:

• Lead and coordinate the day-to-day operational activities of the laboratory, ensuring efficient workflows, appropriate resource allocation, and a well-organized research environment.
• Participate in and facilitate laboratory research projects, including experimental planning, execution, troubleshooting, and interpretation of results.
• Initiate improvements to laboratory organization, sample tracking and storage.
• Successfully execute independent research projects and contribute to the development and optimization of laboratory methods and workflows.
• Supervise, train, mentor, and support laboratory personnel, students, and trainees while fostering a collaborative, high-performing team culture.
• Coordinate complex research initiatives involving internal departments, clinical and hospital partners, biobanks, vendors, and external collaborators.
• Coordinate and draft complex regulatory documents for research compliance.
• Manage purchasing, laboratory inventory, equipment acquisition and maintenance, vendor relationships, and other operational resources.
• Contribute to managing grants, laboratory budgets, project timelines, and funding-related requirements.
• Develop and implement standardized procedures and operational systems that improve efficiency, consistency, communication, and research quality.
• Ensure laboratory activities are conducted in accordance with institutional, regulatory, safety, and funding requirements.

You should have curiosity about science and research and be self-driven, efficient, motivated, organized, and comfortable balancing multiple priorities in a fast-paced research environment.

The position will require you to possess the following skills:

• Strong hands-on experience in biological science research, with the ability to independently design, execute, troubleshoot, and interpret experiments.
• Experience supporting cancer, epigenetics, molecular biology, cellular biology, human tissue, or related biomedical research programs.
• Ability to learn, perform, and troubleshoot a range of laboratory techniques and adapt to new technologies and methodologies.
• Strong project and operational management skills, including the ability to coordinate complex initiatives across multiple teams and competing timelines.
• Experience supervising, training, mentoring, or coordinating laboratory personnel, students, and trainees.
• Experience with laboratory purchasing, budgeting, inventory management, equipment acquisition, and vendor coordination.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate scientific and operational information to audiences with varying technical backgrounds.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; experience with additional project management, data analysis, or laboratory information systems is desirable.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences or a related field; a Master's…