Biobank Operations Lead for Research & Trials

Melanoma Institute Australia; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) is seeking a Biobank Operations Manager to lead the Biobank team at the Charles Perkins Centre and Poche Centre, driving day-to-day operations, quality, and data management for research biospecimens.

You will oversee specimen collection, processing, storage and dissemination, ensuring ethical and regulatory standards are met, while partnering with clinicians, researchers and trials teams to support cutting-edge cancer research.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing day-to-day operations in a laboratory, biobank, research, clinical or similarly regulated environment.
• Demonstrated people-management skills, including work allocation, performance management, conflict resolution and staff development.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trust, influence others and manage difficult or competing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams through change and maintain a positive and collaborative workplace culture.
• Strong organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritise and make sound operational decisions.
• Demonstrated stakeholder-management skills and ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience managing operational risks, resources and competing demands.
• Understanding of relevant quality, regulatory and ethical requirements, including GCP and clinical trial environments.
• Experience in biobanking, biospecimen management or clinical research is desirable.
• Experience with specimen tracking, laboratory information or data-management systems is desirable.
• Commitment to upholding the highest standards of scientific integrity and ethical conduct.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the Biobank team, including workload allocation, staff development, performance support and fostering a positive team culture.
• Oversee day-to-day Biobank operations, including specimen collection, processing, storage, retrieval and dissemination across Biobank sites.
• Ensure quality, compliance and best practice, including adherence to SOPs, ethical and regulatory requirements, specimen handling, quality control and data management standards.
• Coordinate research and clinical trial support, including reviewing protocols, developing workflows and manuals, advising on specimen collection, and coordinating specimen dissemination.
• Plan and coordinate Biobank projects, including developing project plans, timelines, milestones and operational priorities.
• Monitor operational performance and manage risks, including workloads, turnaround times, backlogs, equipment, procurement and escalation of operational issues.
• Build and maintain stakeholder relationships with clinicians, clinical staff, researchers, Clinical Trials teams and external partners.
• Manage competing priorities and stakeholder requirements while ensuring Biobank objectives and service commitments are maintained.
• Drive continuous improvement, identifying and implementing opportunities to improve efficiency, quality, processes and service delivery.
• Lead or oversee operational improvement projects to strengthen Biobank capability and performance.
• Support the Head of Biospecimen Bank as required.

Skills

People management

Communication

Leadership

Problem solving

Stakeholder management

Education

Postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline

Tools

Laboratory information systems

Job description

Melanoma Institute Australia (MIA) is seeking a Biobank Operations Manager to lead the Biobank team at the Charles Perkins Centre and Poche Centre, driving day-to-day operations, quality, and data management for research biospecimens.

You will oversee specimen collection, processing, storage and dissemination, ensuring ethical and regulatory standards are met, while partnering with clinicians, researchers and trials teams to support cutting-edge cancer research.