Business Manager (Biosciences Area)

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Berkeley (CA); Hybrid; USD 133,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Tuition assistance program

Vacation and sick time

Winter holiday shutdown

Parental leave

Pet insurance

Job summary

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Biosciences Area seeks a Business Manager to lead the Biosciences Operations Center (BSBK), overseeing daily operations, procurement, travel, timekeeping, calendars, and events, while supervising a team of administrative staff.

Reporting to the Biosciences Area Operations Deputy, you will partner with Lab Facilities, Finance, HR, and UC Berkeley campus partners to manage space, budgets, and resources across Berkeley Lab and campus locations, driving

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Business Administration or related field.
• At least 8 years of progressively responsible business/financial management experience, including 4+ years in a supervisory role.
• Experience leading complex, evolving operations in a research/academic/technical environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day administrative and business operations, including procurement, travel, calendars, timekeeping, and events.
• Establish and maintain center policies and procedures, ensuring DOE and Lab compliance.
• Serve as primary operational contact for space, resources, and business issues.
• Supervise staff and drive performance management, recruitment, and onboarding.
• Partner with HR, Facilities, Finance and leadership to manage space, budgets, and resource allocation across Berkeley Lab and campus.
• Drive process improvements to enhance efficiency and customer service.

Skills

Leadership experience

Project management

Budgeting

Scheduling

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related field

Tools

Google Workspace

Microsoft Office

Smartsheet

Job description

Berkeley Lab's (LBNL) Biosciences Area (BSA) has an opening for a Business Manager to join their Operations Leadership Team.

In this exciting role, you will oversee day-to-day operations of the Biosciences Operations Center at Berkeley (BSBK) and serve as the primary operational contact. Reporting to the Biosciences Area Operations Deputy, this role will be responsible for coordinating administrative functions, space planning/allocation, and operational needs while supervising teams supporting travel, safety, property, procurement, timekeeping, onboarding, and executive functions. As part of the Operations Area Deputy's leadership team, this role drives process improvements, promotes collaboration, and serves as a key liaison to internal Lab Finance, Facilities, Safety, and HR teams, as well as our UC Berkeley campus partners. Additionally, will have the opportunity to partner with leadership in the Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology Division (EGSB) and the Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division (MBIB), and to support large, dispersed teams across 12 facilities at Berkeley Lab and the UC Berkeley campus.

This position has an anticipated start date of November 1, 2026.

Why join Berkeley Lab?

We invest in our employees by offering a total rewards package you can count on:

• Exceptional health and retirement benefits.
• Opportunities to grow in your career - check out our Tuition Assistance Program.
• A culture where you'll belong - we are invested in our teams!
• In addition to accruing vacation and sick time, we also have a Winter Holiday Shutdown every year.
• Parental bonding leave (for both mothers and fathers).
• Pet insurance.

What You Will Do:

• Oversee day-to-day administrative and business operations, including procurement, travel, conferences, timekeeping, calendars, and events.
• Establish and maintain Ops Center policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with Berkeley Lab and the Department of Energy (DOE) requirements.
• Serve as the primary contact for operational, space, resource, and business issues.
• Troubleshoot operational challenges and lead process improvements to enhance efficiency and customer service.
• Partner with internal Lab Facilities and Finance teams to manage BSBK space, budgets, funding, and resource allocation across Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley campus locations.
• Analyze complex financial and business issues, monitor divisional funding, and advise Division Directors on research and management budgets.
• Directly supervise four staff and provide overall management direction to seven staff supporting travel, safety, property, procurement, timekeeping, onboarding, and executive support.
• Recruit, hire, develop, and manage administrative staff, including supervisors, assigning work, balancing workloads, and ensuring compliance with Lab policies.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and customer-focused environment across staff, colleagues, and vendors.
• Partner with HR and leadership on workforce planning, recruiting, performance management, succession planning, promotions, and workforce development.
• Coordinate performance management for the Biosciences Area Office, ensuring timely, consistent, and Lab-aligned execution.
• Establish and maintain strategic working relationships with Laboratory and UC Berkeley campus partners across diverse functional and organizational lines and serve as an advocacy for the Division's interests and needs to Operations departments.

• Serve as backup to the Area Deputy for Operations during periods of leave and provide support for mission-critical activities.
• Oversee and coordinate select data calls with division staff, leadership, and other Lab contacts to ensure transparency and timely, accurate responses.

What We Are Looking For:

• A Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent knowledge/training) in Business Administration or a related field and a minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible business or financial management experience, including at least 4 years in a people management or supervisory role, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Extensive supervisory experience, including recruitment, hiring, onboarding, training, performance management, promotions, and terminations, as well as experience supervising staff with supervisory responsibilities.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing complex, rapidly evolving operations, with initiative and follow-through.
• Substantial experience coordinating and delivering a broad range of operations and programmatic support services in a research, academic, or technical environment.
• Advanced proficiency with business software, including Google Workspace, Microsoft Office, and Smartsheet.
• Demonstrated project management skills, including extensive experience with budgeting, scheduling, and program planning principles.
• Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to simultaneously manage and prioritize multiple operational demands, proactively identify issues, and develop creative solutions while minimizing adverse impacts.
• Proven interpersonal skills, including experience maintaining a high level of professionalism, diplomacy, discretion, and confidentiality while interfacing with personnel at all organizational levels, internally and externally.
• Excellent communication skills, with a history of producing professional, error-free documents, reports, and presentations.

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge of Berkeley Lab, the University of California (UC), the Department of Energy (DOE), and/or local, state, and federal policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Extensive knowledge of processes and procedures for overseeing business functions, including procurement, travel, property management, foreign visitor authorizations, and HR actions such as recruitment, hiring, promotions, performance management, and terminations.
• Demonstrated ability to build a supportive, professional, and inclusive team environment with appropriately distributed workloads.

Additional Information:

• Application Date: Priority consideration will be given to candidates who apply with a resume and cover letter describing their interest in the position by Monday, September 14, 2026. Applications will be accepted until the job posting is removed.
• Appointment Type: This is a full-time career appointment, exempt (monthly paid) from overtime pay.
• Salary Range: This position has a budgeted salary range of $133,068 - $182,952 annually for job code A90.2. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualifications and experience, including skills, knowledge, relevant education, certifications, and alignment with the internal peer group.
• Background Check: This position is subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Work Modality: This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule - a combination of teleworking and performing work on site at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, located at 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA 94720. Work schedules are dependent on business needs. Individuals working a hybrid schedule must reside within 150 miles of Berkeley Lab. A REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification is required to access Berkeley Lab sites (for more information,).
• Relocation: This position is not eligible for relocation assistance.
• Work authorization: Candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S. at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Want to learn more about working at Berkeley Lab? Please visit: careers.lbl.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer. For additional information, .