Research and Facilities Program Director

Research and Facilities Program Director

• Full-time
• Job Subfamily:
  Research - Natural/Physical Sciences - RE006
• Job Family:
  Research

The University of Notre Dame, founded in 1842 in Notre Dame, Indiana, is a premier American research university. As a Catholic institution, it uniquely blends faith with intellectual inquiry, striving for excellence in teaching, research, and serving the common good. Notre Dame offers a dynamic and rewarding environment for its diverse community of students, faculty, and staff, who are all dedicated to fostering an inclusive campus and being a force for good in the world.

With world-class facilities, acclaimed academic programs, and a strong commitment to innovation and ethical leadership, Notre Dame is an ideal place to make a meaningful impact.

The University of Notre Dame seeks a highly qualified scientist or engineer to serve as the full-time, on-site Research and Facilities Program Director (RFPD) of its newly established Biofabrication Core Facility. The RFPD is a member of the Notre Dame Bioengineering & Life Sciences (BELS) Initiative, a key priority of the University’s Strategic Framework within the Office of the Provost, and reports to the BELS Director.

It is also part of the University’s broader investment of over $250M into biomedical research on campus.

About the Facility

The Biofabrication Facility is housed in McCourtney Hall East, a newly completed 200,000-square-foot, LEED Platinum-certified building at the heart of Notre Dame's advanced biomedical research infrastructure. Its centralized location gives researchers access to biofabrication equipment, high-resolution cryo-transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM), and modern flow cytometry in the same complex. Researchers use these spaces for tissue biomodeling, cardiovascular tissue engineering, microscale hydrogel development, and bioprinting techniques that grow complex, functional human tissue models.

The facility engages collaborative labs throughout the Notre Dame community.

About the Role

The Research and Facilities Program Director will take a leadership role in facility operations, providing technical expertise at the interface of biomaterials, 3D printing, and cell biology. The facility’s overarching goal is to understand the interactions between cells and their microenvironment, and to harness them for therapeutic outcomes. Projects are supported by the BELS Initiative and individual research grants, drawing on a multidisciplinary team of postdocs, students, and support staff spanning biology, engineering, chemistry, and medicine.

Specific Duties

• Establish and outfit the new biofabrication laboratory
• Support a broad range of biofabrication equipment (3D printers, bioprinters) for a diverse user base
• Work with cell-based constructs and characterize them using state-of-the-art molecular biology techniques
• Assist with project design and execution
• Manage lab training, safety, and compliance
• Manage ordering, budgeting, and inventory
• Coordinate lab meetings and events

Training is available to all candidates, and skill development is encouraged. Depending on performance, opportunities may open up in proposal development, manuscript publication, or independent projects.

What We Offer

A renewable contract with opportunities for continual training and formal career advancement, including increasingly senior titles

Career development through individual development plans, workshops, and social events

Competitive compensation, commensurate with experience, plus a generous Notre Dame benefits package

Degree: MS or PhD in bioengineering or a related field. Candidates with a BS and significant / outstanding relevant experience are also encouraged to apply.

Skills:

3D bioprinting & CAD; cell culture &…