Laboratory Manager - Environmental Science

Pace; Lenexa (KS); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical

Dental & vision

401K with employer match

PTO & holidays

HSA

Job summary

Pace in Lenexa, Kansas is seeking a Laboratory Manager to lead a team of laboratory professionals supporting environmental testing operations. You will combine a strong scientific foundation with exceptional people leadership to drive quality, safety, and reliability.

Responsibilities include hiring, coaching, performance management, and career development; overseeing day-to-day lab activities; managing resources and budgets; and partnering with technical staff to resolve issues.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant laboratory or scientific experience.
• Demonstrated experience supervising laboratory professionals.
• Track record of coaching employees, building teams, and developing talent.
• Strong understanding of laboratory operations, quality, safety, workflow, and scientific principles.
• Ability to balance scientific, operational, customer, and people priorities.
• Strong communication, judgment, and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of laboratory professionals, including hiring, training, and performance management.
• Oversee day-to-day laboratory operations to ensure quality, safety, productivity, turnaround time, and customer satisfaction.
• Establish clear priorities and ensure staffing, equipment, training, and resources needed for success.
• Partner with technical staff to resolve scientific, operational, quality, and customer issues.
• Use lab performance data to identify opportunities and drive continuous improvement.
• Support compliance with laboratory methods, quality systems, regulations, safety requirements, and procedures.
• Lead equipment discussions and prioritize instrument and resource needs.
• Manage departmental resources and budgets responsibly.
• Build a collaborative, accountable culture focused on quality and teamwork.

Skills

Laboratory leadership

Team management

Coaching and talent development

Quality and safety awareness

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, environmental science, or related field

Job description

Shift

Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Are you ready to work making the world a safer, healthier place? Join our mission to continuously move science forward; to innovate and advance all aspects of our business to improve the health and safety of our communities and lives.

Laboratory Manager - Environmental Science

Lenexa, Kansas | Full-Time | Monday-Friday

Lead the people behind the science.

We're looking for a Laboratory Manager who brings together two things that don't always come in the same package: a strong scientific foundation and exceptional people leadership. In this role, you'll lead a team of laboratory professionals supporting environmental testing operations at our Lenexa laboratory. You do not need to be the laboratory's foremost expert in every analytical method. You do need enough scientific and laboratory experience to understand the work, ask the right questions, make sound decisions, and earn the trust of a technical team.

Just as importantly, we're looking for a manager who knows how to develop people, build accountability, improve performance, and create an environment where scientists and laboratory professionals can do their best work.

What You’ll Lead

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of laboratory professionals, including hiring, training, performance management, engagement, and career development.
• Oversee day‑to‑day laboratory operations to ensure quality, productivity, turnaround time, safety, and customer expectations are met.
• Establish clear priorities and expectations while ensuring the team has the staffing, equipment, training, and resources needed to succeed.
• Partner with technical staff and laboratory leadership to resolve scientific, operational, quality, and customer issues.
• Use laboratory performance data and metrics to identify opportunities and drive continuous improvement.
• Support compliance with applicable laboratory methods, quality systems, regulations, safety requirements, and company procedures.
• Lead operational and instrumentation discussions and help prioritize equipment and resource needs.
• Manage departmental resources and budgets responsibly.
• Build a collaborative, accountable culture focused on quality, service, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

What We’re Looking For

We're especially interested in candidates who are strong laboratory leaders first and foremost.

You may have built your career in environmental testing, analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, metals, wet chemistry, pharmaceutical testing, food testing, industrial laboratories, or another scientific laboratory environment.

The Strongest Candidates Will Bring

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biology, environmental science, or a related scientific field.
• 5+ years of relevant laboratory or scientific experience.
• Demonstrated experience supervising or managing laboratory professionals.
• A track record of coaching employees, building effective teams, managing performance, and developing talent.
• Strong understanding of laboratory operations, quality, safety, workflow, and scientific principles.
• Ability to balance scientific, operational, customer, and people priorities.
• Strong communication, judgment, and problem‑solving skills.

Especially Valuable, But Not Required

Experience with environmental testing, inorganic chemistry, metals, ICP/ICP‑MS, or wet chemistry is valuable, but we are equally interested in accomplished laboratory leaders who can learn the technical specifics of the department while bringing strong leadership from day one.

Find Your Place at Pace - We need you - your curiosity, your talents, and your drive - to help us advance this important work.

Benefits

• competitive salaries
• medical
• dental vision
• 401K retirement savings plan (100% vested immediately in the employer match)
• life
• disability and voluntary benefits
• paid time off for holiday
• sick and vacation days
• HSA
• wellness program
• flexible spending accounts
• tuition reimbursement
• Employee Assistance program
• par­ental leave
• optional legal coverage and ID theft

Equal Opportunity Employer

Pace® provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, creed, color, religion, genetics, protected veteran status, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.