What does a research laboratory manager do?
Research laboratory managers are management professionals who are responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of laboratories by implementing safety lab procedures. These managers are required to coordinate the repair and maintenance of lab equipment while training lab technicians and assistants on the correct use of equipment. They must perform experimental studies and analyze the research data collected for research projects. Research laboratory managers must also manage the inventory of laboratory equipment while coordinating the purchase of lab supplies.
Research laboratory manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real research laboratory manager resumes:
- Manage and order equipment and materials for lab usage with NIH grant and write monthly credit card reports.
- Manage laboratory team activities v. assist set up and revision of project plans under the guidance of NIH vi.
- Design, development and validation of cell-base assays; infrare EMSA analysis, western blotting, ELISA.
- Prepare, perform RT-PCR and Q-PCR and analyze the results.
- Write grant proposal, project reports, IRB applications, and documentation.
- Compose and maintain all lab IRB protocols in accordance with HIPAA guidelines.
- Perform RNA extraction of activate macrophages and utilize RT-PCR to synthesize cDNA.
- Develop and perform troubleshooting of in-house bead-base and plate-base ELISA's and evaluate and select commercial ELISA's.
- Perform routine hematology, urinalysis, and serology testing on pediatric patients.
- Interface with research patients and provide appropriate referrals for short or long-term treatment and rehabilitation.
- Audit and qualify a contract testing laboratory for microbiological analyses of a high purity water system used by process chemistry.
- Solution-Orient general research assistant using SAS programming.
- Develop collaborative program that utilize panel of clinically relevant veterinary pathogens.
Research laboratory manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Research Laboratory Managers are proficient in Lab Equipment, Research Projects, and Lab Safety. They’re also known for soft skills such as Observation skills, Communication skills, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Research Laboratory Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Lab Equipment, 9%
Managed laboratory inventory, coordinated purchasing of lab equipment & experiment reagents.
- Research Projects, 8%
Created standard operating procedures and independently managed daily lab operations in addition to actively participating in scientific research projects.
- Lab Safety, 6%
Educated lab personnel in current lab safety requirements and protocols, as well as maintained laboratory equipment and supplies
- Cell Culture, 5%
Perform a variety of laboratory procedures including sterile cell culture techniques, mouse handling/harvesting and generating single cell solutions.
- Patients, 5%
Co-investigated the efficacy of lymphocyte immunization in women with recurrent spontaneous abortion as well as AIDS patients.
- Research Lab, 5%
Manage laboratory operations of one of the Division of Hematology/Oncology's Cancer Research Laboratories.
"lab equipment," "research projects," and "lab safety" are among the most common skills that research laboratory managers use at work. You can find even more research laboratory manager responsibilities below, including:
Observation skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a research laboratory manager to have is observation skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "medical scientists conduct experiments that require monitoring samples and other health-related data." Research laboratory managers often use observation skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "make detailed observations, analyze data, and interpret results of snp's across all crops using in house software. "
Communication skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling research laboratory manager duties is communication skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "medical scientists must be able to explain their research in nontechnical ways." According to a research laboratory manager resume, here's how research laboratory managers can utilize communication skills in their job responsibilities: "created and implemented a scheduling system for research assistants and participants strengthened leadership, communication, decision-making, and organizational skills"
The three companies that hire the most research laboratory managers are:
- Stanford University7 research laboratory managers jobs
- Massachusetts General Hospital4 research laboratory managers jobs
- University of Pennsylvania4 research laboratory managers jobs
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Compare different research laboratory managers
Research laboratory manager vs. Microbiologist
Microbiologists are responsible for studying the microscopic organisms causing infections and environmental damage, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Their work focuses on the identification and growth of these microbes to better understand their characteristics that may help in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious and bacterial diseases. They use sophisticated technologies and machinery to study microbes and perform their tasks. These scientists are also responsible for developing best practices and techniques for routine sampling and research. Microbiologists may work in various settings, including laboratories, research institutes, and hospitals.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between research laboratory managers and microbiologist. For instance, research laboratory manager responsibilities require skills such as "research projects," "lab safety," "cell culture," and "patients." Whereas a microbiologist is skilled in "microbiology lab," "environmental monitoring," "test methods," and "gmp." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Microbiologists earn the highest salaries when working in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average yearly salary of $57,911. On the other hand, research laboratory managers are paid more in the health care industry with an average salary of $70,475.On average, microbiologists reach lower levels of education than research laboratory managers. Microbiologists are 6.9% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 6.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Research laboratory manager vs. Staff scientist
The primary role of a Staff Scientist is to develop and manage scientific research projects with minimal supervision. They are also responsible for the technical and budgetary aspects of scientific research projects.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real research laboratory manager resumes. While research laboratory manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "lab equipment," "lab safety," "patients," and "research lab," staff scientists use skills like "molecular biology," "rna," "c++," and "project management."
Staff scientists earn a higher average salary than research laboratory managers. But staff scientists earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $102,260. Additionally, research laboratory managers earn the highest salaries in the health care with average pay of $70,475 annually.In general, staff scientists achieve lower levels of education than research laboratory managers. They're 6.7% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 6.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for research laboratory managers in the next 3-5 years?
Friedbert Ninow Ph.D.
Dean, La Sierra University
- All kinds of digital stuff
- Technology that allows us to have alternatives to the screen; screen technology lets us shrink to two-dimensional beings.
Research laboratory manager vs. Scientist
A scientist is responsible for researching and analyzing the nature and complexities of the physical world to identify discoveries that would improve people's lives and ignite scientific knowledge for society. Scientists' duties differ in their different areas of expertise, but all of them must have a broad comprehension of scientific disciplines and methods to support their experiments and investigations. They collect the sample for their research, record findings, create research proposals, and release publications. A scientist must know how to utilize laboratory equipment to support the study and drive results efficiently and accurately.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a research laboratory manager is likely to be skilled in "lab equipment," "lab safety," "research lab," and "pi," while a typical scientist is skilled in "chemistry," "molecular biology," "java," and "product development."
Scientists earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $134,486. Comparatively, research laboratory managers have the highest earning potential in the health care industry, with an average salary of $70,475.When it comes to education, scientists tend to earn similar degree levels compared to research laboratory managers. In fact, they're 0.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 8.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Research laboratory manager vs. Chemist
Chemists are generally responsible for observing and investigating chemical substances to create new and safe compounds essential for practical applications. They are often grouped depending on a particular area of specialization to focus and understand the complexities of the matter. A chemist usually takes time performing research and conducting experiments to test and further improve the quality and usage of a specific chemical substance. Chemists are expected to write on their observations and findings to establish scientific results.
Types of research laboratory manager
Updated January 8, 2025
