Lab Operations & Mouse Model Specialist

University of Michigan; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Michigan is seeking a Lab Manager/Mouse Technician within the Division of Surgical Oncology to oversee day-to-day lab operations and maintain mouse colonies, performing translational and basic research in sarcoma and melanoma.

You will mentor graduate students and staff while coordinating with internal and external collaborators to support ongoing research and ensure ethical, compliant practices in all activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science degree or equivalent professional degree.
• Minimum 5 years of mouse handling/colony management experience and basic science research experience.
• Demonstrated experience in lab management or administrative oversight of a research lab (e.g., ordering, regulatory compliance, protocol management).
• Strong understanding of and demonstrated commitment to ethical animal research practices and humane animal care standards.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and GraphPad Prism.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team-based research environment, including with trainees at multiple levels (undergraduate, graduate, and senior researchers).
• Strong commitment to excellence and ethical integrity in both research execution and lab operations.

Responsibilities

• Oversee general lab management, including ordering of supplies and reagents.
• Coordinate submission of ULAM protocols for approval; serve as a resource and point of contact for active protocols.
• Manage IACUC and IBC protocol compliance and renewals, ensuring all research activities adhere to institutional and federal ethical standards.
• Create and maintain source documents for accurate, honest, and reproducible tracking, collection, and recording of experimental data.
• Maintain a comprehensive database of mouse colonies, tissues, and tumors – including database creation, data entry, and retrieval of specimen details.
• Serve as a liaison between the lab and regulatory/administrative bodies (e.g., ULAM, IACUC, IBC), promoting a culture of compliance and ethical accountability.
• Coordinate research activities and communications with collaborators at U-M and external institutions, ensuring timely sharing of data, materials, and protocols as needed.
• Train and support graduate students, senior researchers, and undergraduates in laboratory procedures, mouse handling techniques, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Maintain mouse colonies, including genotyping (ear tag/tail sampling, DNA extraction, PCR), gender determination, and proper handling/restraint for routine procedures – always in accordance with the principles of humane animal care (the 3Rs).
• Monitor mice for normal and abnormal physical/behavioral changes and tumor growth, promptly reporting any welfare concerns to the appropriate oversight bodies.
• Administer appropriate methods of anesthesia and euthanasia in strict accordance with IACUC guidelines and ethical standards for minimizing animal distress.
• Assist with animal surgeries, including orthotopic tumor transplantation, tumor monitoring, and medication administration (oral, subcutaneous, or intraperitoneal), ensuring adherence to approved protocols.
• Assist with animal tissue dissection, tissue fixation, sectioning, and immunohistochemical/immunofluorescent staining.
• Perform tissue processing and storage.
• Perform cell culture, single-cell extraction from tissue, RNA/DNA isolation, and qRT-PCR.

Skills

Mouse handling

Lab management

Data management

Regulatory compliance

Genotyping

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

GraphPad Prism

Microsoft Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

The University of Michigan is seeking a Lab Manager/Mouse Technician within the Division of Surgical Oncology to oversee day-to-day lab operations and maintain mouse colonies, performing translational and basic research in sarcoma and melanoma.

You will mentor graduate students and staff while coordinating with internal and external collaborators to support ongoing research and ensure ethical, compliant practices in all activities.