Laboratory Manager Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Are you searching for a laboratory manager job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a laboratory manager. Feel free to use our laboratory manager job description template to produce your own laboratory manager job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a laboratory manager.
Who is a Laboratory Manager?
A laboratory is a place where scientific experiments are conducted and research is done for the development of society. A Manager is someone that is saddled with the responsibility of supervising or overseeing an organization.
A Laboratory manager is an individual who oversees the operations of various types of labs to ensure that safety protocols are followed and all equipment is supplied and maintained. They supervise the daily activities in various types of laboratories including medical and technical labs. Laboratory managers also share certain duties across a specific area study site; laboratory managers share certain duties across industries.
Laboratory managers also perform the responsibility of mentoring and training staff, training lab technicians and assistants on the correct use of lab equipment. You have to ensure your staff follows industry standards and safety regulations for handling and disposing of test samples. It is your responsibility to schedule lab or equipment use time for staff. In addition, you also must purchase lab equipment, and supplies and prepare ordering lists. You will often be mandated to handle security documents and ensure that all the information and data gathered is kept safe.
Laboratory Manager Job Description
These are the following duties and responsibilities of a laboratory manager and they are:
- Administrative Tasks
A laboratory manager performs the responsibility of general and laboratory-specific administrative duties. He usually assesses job applicants and organizes or administers training and laboratory orientation. He plans the work schedule, review staff performance and disciplines staff, gives promotion and bonuses, and terminates the appointment of staff. He establishes lab procedures, creates and manages lab-related documentation, and also organizes laboratory daily activities. He also is the first point of contact for clients to the organization, he provides information and takes requests for services.
- Workflow Duties
The duty of a laboratory manager entails overseeing lab work to ensure they are completed at the appropriate time. For instance, a laboratory manager may guide staff and students on how to use the equipment. In the course of staff performing their duties, problems may occur and it is the responsibility of a laboratory manager to assist the staff in resolving the issues. A laboratory manager also trains staff, so he consults with experts in the field of the laboratory to boost the organization.
- Lab Maintenance
A well-maintained laboratory can help improve work efficacy and quality. A laboratory manager aids with the supervision and maintenance of lab equipment. Maintenance usually involves a lot of processes such as cleaning, inspection, calibration, testing, repair of lab equipment; and organization and cleaning of the lab, including preparation and storage rooms. The lab manager sometimes contacts vendors to provide maintenance services. He also checks supply levels and orders, and stores and distributes new supplies.
- Quality Assurance Control
The laboratory manager also functions as a compliance officer, he ensures that all staff complies with laboratory rules and regulations, including health and safety policies to bring about the best results. He may also bring about the issue to the laboratory management book to guide employees. The laboratory manager also establishes a quality standard, oversees quality control, supervises staff work, and reforms lab policies and procedures as they need when standards are not met. More so, he updates himself on the new federal, state, industry, or employer standards around the globe and he also investigates ways to improve procedures such as acquiring new equipment.
- Lab Supervision
The responsibility of supervising a lab is in the hands of a laboratory manager and a well-supervised lab can enhance work efficiency and quality. A laboratory manager assists with and oversees the maintenance of the lab and equipment. Maintenance usually takes a lot of processes and it involves inspection, cleaning, and repairs of faulty equipment.
- Continuing Education
A good laboratory manager should pursue professional development in his field. Continued education will help a laboratory manager to maintain professional licenses or certifications. Some employers look up to the laboratory manager to acquire more knowledge in the field of lab science so it is highly paramount for them to advance in their education and training. Educational services teaching post-secondary classes or participating in conferences and seminars. For instance, a medical laboratory manager might be invited by an organization to a conference to educate doctors, nurses, or students from other labs.
- Facilitate effective communication across internal departments by trending and reporting data
- Manage the disposal of samples
- Maintains specialized software
- Ensures the lab establishes and maintains a calibration program for testing equipment that affects the quality result
Qualifications
- A Bachelor’s degree in science laboratory technology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, or another health-related field
- A minimum of three years of experience as a lab manager
- Excellent managerial skills
- Ability to multitask
- Expert knowledge of laboratory health and safety protocols
- Experience working in a lab will be an added advantage
- Effective data trending, document control, and technical bench skills
- Strong problem-solving, training, team building, and mentoring abilities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- COLA/CLIA regulatory expertise
Essential Skills
There are certain skills and competencies a laboratory manager must possess for him to discharge his responsibilities successfully and they are:
- Leadership: leadership is simply defined as the ability to have foresight, live a life worthy of emulation, and give others instruction. A lab manager should possess a distinct leadership style to carry other employees along. He or she is saddled with the responsibility to make and execute decisions that will bring about positive effects on the company’s culture. A lab manager is solely responsible for maintaining the vigor, motivation, and culture of a laboratory. Good company culture starts at the top-notch, if a lab manager is exhibiting good company culture then the employees will follow suit. The lab manager serves as a role model or an inspiration to other employees.
- Budget Management: One of the core responsibilities of a laboratory manager is to manage the income and expenditure of an organization. He or she should always be on alert for advertisements for research grants and opportunities to get more funds for lab research or project. A good lab manager manages the finances of the laboratory in such a way that the lab will not go bankrupt but will keep generating a stream of income. A lab manager can balance the finances of the company by setting up a budget company forecast and encouraging staff not to spend above the budget of the company.
In addition, a regular meeting is being conducted to keep track of the budget and come up with solutions on how to save money creatively. This could be done by investing in automation and better methodologies to reduce costs on long-term projects. To reduce costs, they also partner with great suppliers that do delivery quickly, this can help with reduced inventory and more effective use of space.
- Occupational Health and Safety awareness: health and safety of a lab staff is the sole responsibility of the laboratory manager. It is highly paramount that the lab manager maintains and updates the He does that by getting safety manuals and procedures to ensure that all the safety procedures are being taken care of while using equipment and consumables. It is paramount that a laboratory manager adheres to all legal requirements associated with laboratory management and ensures that all researchers and lab staff under his care adhere to such standards.
- Problem-solving Skills; a lab manager should be able to solve problems that will spring up in the lab in a tactical way. The problems can be managerial, a tight budget,or a new strategy that is difficult for staff to adhere to. A good laboratory manager should be able to find creative and innovative solutions to deal with such problems. A laboratory manager should create a platform or institute a committee in the organization to find better solutions to challenges faced by the organization. A lab manager should also give a platform for employees to express themselves on how a challenge can be tackled.
In addition, he should encourage employees to develop their skills in other to meet up with the great demand of the laboratory. He should also assist staff to achieve their goals and build up their career.
- Management of External Research and Development Contracts: There has been a tremendous increase in industrial research and development and this can be accomplished with the help of open innovation where the role of a lab manager is indispensable. He has the responsibility to choose partners for open innovations carefully and clearly outline the terms and conditions in which outside organizations will be permitted to work in laboratories under a well-defined contract.
- Management of Lab Conflicting Priorities: A lab manager may encounter challenges in the face of discharging his duties in the area of managing conflicting priorities such as when there is inadequate staff and financial resources. To resolve this, the laboratory manager must know to debate and manage priorities in which he or she must ensure that the quality of research is not sub-standardized and that efficiency is not reduced simultaneously.
How to Become a Laboratory Manager
- Acquire a Bachelor’s Degree in Science Laboratory Technology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, or any relevant science discipline
To become a laboratory manager, the minimum qualification is a bachelor’s degree in Science Laboratory Technology or Microbiology. This degree may take up to four or five years to complete. In this course of this degree, you will get to study living organisms of diverse kinds and also how to conduct research. This degree usually mandates that students enroll in industrial training to acquire the practical aspect of the course. For individuals that study science laboratory technology, there is usually an induction at their graduation to launch them into the field of laboratory science.
- Enroll for a Master’s Degree
The workload of a laboratory manager is beyond the workload of a laboratory scientist and some employers may require a master’s degree before they hire a candidate as a laboratory manager. Enroll for a master’s degree in microbiology or science laboratory technology to increase your chances of getting the job. A master’s degree usually takes 18 months and four semesters to complete.
- Enroll for an internship
The role of a laboratory manager is more of a practical and tactical role, it is highly requisite for you to enroll in the job training to acquire all the rudiments of a laboratory manager. You can enroll for a voluntary or paid internship in any organization of your choice or a hospital. When you enroll for an internship, you may not be given the role of a laboratory manager because you are inexperienced but you may be given the responsibility of laboratory staff. As a laboratory staff aspiring to be a manager, you can ask the laboratory manager to mentor you in the aspect of laboratory management or you can be very observant of how he handles managerial duties and learn from him.
- Certifications and License
You can acquire more certifications both online and offline. You can also acquire a management certification to boost your knowledge. Advancement of your studies will help you to continue to renew or maintain your license.
- Draft Your Resume
Draft your resume, including your contact information, skills, qualification, and other personal information that might interest your potential employer to increase your chances of getting the job. Apply for open job vacancies both online and offline. You can also contact friends and families to help you get job placements.
Where can a Laboratory Manager Work?
- Individual laboratory or self-employed
- Hospitals
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Museums
- Universities
- Research Institutions or Centers
- Commercial laboratories
- Technical laboratories
Laboratory Manager Salary
- In the United States, a person working as a laboratory manager earns $97,857 to $122,699 with an average salary of $110,395. He approximately earns $70,039 per year. Salary may vary based on the location and experience of the lab manager.
- In Nigeria, a person working as a Laboratory Manager in Nigeria typically earns around 475,000NGN per month. Salaries from 233,000NGN to 741,000NGN. This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits.