Lab Operations & Safety Coordinator - Engineering

Penn State University; University Park (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition discount (75%)

Comprehensive benefits

Paid time off

Job summary

Penn State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering seeks a Lab Coordinator - Engineering to manage and coordinate the operation of teaching and research laboratories in University Park. You will ensure safety, readiness, and compliance while supporting faculty, researchers, staff, and students with equipment and procedural guidance.

This role also leads purchasing for lab needs, tracks inventories, coordinates safety inspections, and oversees facility-related requests.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 6+ years of relevant experience in lab coordination.
• Experience with safety programs, inventories, incident documentation, or EH&S practices.
• Experience with purchasing, invoicing, vendor coordination, and budgeting.
• Experience supporting laboratories, classrooms, or research facilities.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate lab scheduling, setup, teardown, and readiness for teaching and research.
• Support faculty, researchers, staff, and students in planning experiments and procedures.
• Act as lab safety officer and coordinate safety activities.
• Ensure compliance with Penn State policies and regulations.
• Coordinate annual inspections and maintain safety plans and records.
• Assist with accidents documentation and corrective actions.
• Promote safe practices and waste reduction.
• Serve as facilities representative for labs, classrooms, and offices.
• Coordinate facility repairs, maintenance, and upgrades; communicate status.

Skills

Lab operations

Safety programs

Purchasing management

Budget monitoring

Vendor coordination

Facilities coordination

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Equivalent combination of education and experience

Tools

Procurement software

Inventory management systems

Regulatory compliance tools

Job description

Penn State University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering seeks a Lab Coordinator - Engineering to manage and coordinate the operation of teaching and research laboratories in University Park. You will ensure safety, readiness, and compliance while supporting faculty, researchers, staff, and students with equipment and procedural guidance.

This role also leads purchasing for lab needs, tracks inventories, coordinates safety inspections, and oversees facility-related requests.