Lab Manager

Chapman University; Orange (CA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Chapman University’s Emotion Regulation and Health Lab seeks a Lab Manager to oversee daily operations, supervise staff, ensure SOP compliance, and maintain study documentation for IRB and NIH standards.

The role includes coordinating participant recruitment, data collection (including lung function tests), hiring, scheduling, and liaising with collaborators. A bachelor’s degree and 2–4+ years of lab experience are required; a master’s is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology or related field required.
• 2–4+ years of lab experience in behavioral/medical research.
• Ability to manage and prioritize projects effectively.
• Strong interpersonal and conflict-resolution skills.
• Experience with medical records and patient information safety.
• Flexibility to work a variable schedule.

Responsibilities

• Directs daily lab activities and workflow with research staff and students.
• Plans short- and long-term projects; troubleshoots as needed.
• Supervises staff on compliance and SOPs; manages schedules and timesheets.
• Participates in hiring; leads interviews and onboarding.
• Upholds lab safety and regulatory compliance; conducts participant interviews.
• Leads data collection (including lung function) and home assessment coaching.
• Manages study protocols, IRB/NIH documentation, and databases.
• Serves as liaison with partner institutions and collaborators.

Skills

Lab management

Project planning

Interpersonal skills

Decision making

Data handling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in psychology, applied sciences, or related field

Job description

Posting Details

Position Information

Position Title

Lab Manager

Position Type

Regular

Job Number

SA90524

Full or Part Time

full-time 40 hours weekly

Fair Labor Standard Act Classification

Exempt

Anticipated Pay Range

$72,000 - $75,000

Pay Range Information

Chapman University is required to provide a reasonable estimate ofthe compensation range for this position. This range takes intoaccount a variety of factors that are considered in makingcompensation decisions, including experience, skills, knowledge,abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and otherbusiness and organizational needs. Salary offers are determinedbased on the final candidate’s qualifications and experience, aswell as internal equity and other internal factors. The anticipatedpay range is not a promise of a particular wage.

Position Summary Information

Job Description Summary

The Lab Manager, under general supervision of the principalinvestigator (PI), coordinates the daily activities and workflow ofthe Emotion Regulation and Health ( ERH ) Lab, which is amulti-project research laboratory examining emotion and healthcomprised of grant funded research studies. The incumbent isresponsible for overall ERH Lab oversight, supervising and traininglaboratory personnel including students and other staff members oncompliance and lab standard operating procedures (SOPs), advisingthe PI on personnel decisions, and creating procedures to ensurestudy protocols are followed and appropriate documentation is keptfor lab safety and IRB and National Institutes of Health ( NIH )regulation compliance. The Lab Manager serves as the primarypoint-of-contact for the laboratory and is responsible for buildingand maintaining participant partnerships for recruitment andfollow-up in addition to serving as primary lab liaison withsubsite and industry collaborators. The incumbent will beresponsible for lab-wide database management and perform dataanalysis as needed. Additionally, the Lab Manager will participatein study data collection, including interviews of adolescent andadult participants and lung function assessments.

Responsibilities

Lab Operations/Management

• Directs daily lab activities and workflow of the team ofresearch staff and student research assistants under broaddirection of PI.
• Provides long and short-term project planning, troubleshooting,and execution of research projects.
• Supervises and trains lab personnel on compliance and labSOPs.
• Manages lab personnel schedules, approves time sheets,etc.
• Engages in hiring processes (creating the job description,reviewing applications, interviewing candidates).
• Serves as a role model and provides leadership regarding labsafety to lab personnel. Interviews
• Conducts interviews of adolescent and adult participants(including medical histories).
• Leads lung function assessment data collection, and coachesadolescent patients on home lung function assessment.

Administration of Research Protocols

• Creates and deploys research protocols with human subjects toensure compliance with regulatory standards.
• Provides human subjects research administration expertise.
• Responsible for implementation of study protocols followinghuman research ethical guidelines and maintenance of study-widedatabases.
• Maintains appropriate records for compliance with IRB, NIH, andother necessary regulatory committees.
• Ensures all deadlines for submission are met.

Customer Service Agent

• Serves as the primary point-of-contact for the laboratory andas lab liaison with the University of Rochester, NorthwesternUniversity, the University of California Irvine, andCognitaLabs.
• Conducts data analysis (for lab operations [e.g., participantretention, cold call recruitment rates; for research products[e.g., publications, conference presentations]), creatingpresentations related to research studies/findings for meetings andevents, and any other duties as assigned by PI.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, applied sciences, or relatedfield.
• Extensive lab experience of 2-4+ years in behavioral,psychological and/or medical research protocols.
• Ability to manage and prioritize projects effectively. Abilityto exercise judgment, initiative, and resourcefulness in makingdecisions; ability to recognize when to consult with PI.
• Effective and professional interpersonal andconflict-resolution skills, ability to build and maintain rapportwith research participants, student and staff members, andcollaborators.
• Proficient in medical record navigation and patient healthinformation safety.
• Willing to work on a flexible schedule to accommodate researchparticipants scheduling needs.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in related field desired but not required.

Special Instructions to Applicants

At Chapman University, we believe collaboration thrives throughin-person engagement. This position is fully on campus, andemployees work alongside colleagues, faculty, students, and staffeach day to support our vibrant university community.

Chapman University is an equal opportunity employer that providesequal employment opportunities to all individuals, regardless oftheir protected characteristics. All qualified applicants andemployees are encouraged to apply and will receive considerationfor employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex,sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, nationalorigin, ancestry, citizenship status, physical disability, mentaldisability, medical condition, military and veteran status, maritalstatus, pregnancy, genetic information or any other characteristicprotected by state or federal law.

Applicants for Staff and Administrator positions must be currentlyauthorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

The offer of employment is contingent upon satisfactory completionand outcomes of a criminal background screening and returning tothe Office of Human Resources a signed original acceptance of theChapman University Agreement to Arbitrate.

Minimum Number of References

2

Maximum Number of References

3

Pre-screening Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Resume

Optional Documents

1. Cover Letter
2. Letter of Recommendation 1
3. Curriculum Vitae
4. Other Document