Laboratory Supervisor - Evening

Valley Medical; Burnsville (MN); On-site; USD 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Valley Medical Center in Burnsville, MN seeks an experienced Laboratory Supervisor-Evening to oversee the evening workflow in the Molecular and Toxicology departments. You will manage staff, maintain QA/QC, and support assay development and instrument deployment.

The role requires strong leadership, expertise in molecular methods (RT-qPCR, PCR), and familiarity with LIMS/MediaLab. Evening hours 4:00 pm–1:00 am, with weekend/holiday rotation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree from accredited four-year college or university.
• Background or emphasis in Molecular Biology preferred.
• 2+ years relevant working experience in CLIA certified lab.
• 2+ years management or leadership experience.
• Experienced with high complexity LDT testing is desirable.
• 2+ years of experience in toxicology and ability to demonstrate proficiency in toxicology through analysis and interpretation of chromatography, optimizing assay parameters, and troubleshooting failed assay runs.
• Experience writing and updating SOPs.

Responsibilities

• Oversee evening lab workflow and staff to ensure efficient operations.
• Update and enforce SOPs; supervise Molecular and Toxicology teams.
• Perform assay quality assurance and preventative maintenance checks; escalate issues.
• Mentor staff and manage payroll/files for regulatory and competency purposes.
• Support assay development, project planning, and vendor instrument adoption.
• Participate in continuing education and other duties as assigned.

Skills

RT-qPCR

End-point PCR

TaqMan probe chemistry

SYBR dye chemistry

Primer design

PCR optimization

RNA extraction

Genome sequencing

LIMS

MediaLab

Microsoft Office

Verbal & written communication

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Molecular Biology emphasis preferred

Tools

MediaLab

LIMS

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Overview:

The Laboratory Supervisor-Evening is responsible for the evening oversight, workflow, equipment and test procedure troubleshooting, maintenance, and quality control activities. This position will be the first line of contact for evening technologists and staff for routine workflow and processing questions. This role is also responsible for the technical operations of the interdepartmental testing of Molecular Diagnostics and Toxicology and is essential for the technical oversight and assay development for molecular and gene sequencing assays, lab developed assays, and implementation of commercial/vendor FDA approved instruments and reagents. This position reports to the Laboratory Manager.

Primary Responsibility:

• Maintains skills and competency to perform bench duties as needed.

• Responsible for updating and writing SOPs as needed and for enforcing policies and procedures.
• Supervise, mentor, and develop technical and non-technical staff in the Toxicology and Molecular Department.

• Performs and maintains assay quality assurance and preventative maintenance checks to ensure efficiency and accuracy of laboratory testing, escalating any issues to laboratory manager and director.

• Promote process improvement and ensure following of best practices.
• Evaluates and monitors productivity goals and quality metrics.

• Resolves any production errors to maintain timely and accurate testing or as requested by management.

• Responsible for enforcing and managing policies and procedures.
• Supervises, mentors, and develops technical and non-technical staff in the Molecular Department and evening team.
• Assists the laboratory manager in payroll processing and maintenance of personnel files for regulatory and competency purposes.
• Identifies and promotes process improvements and ensures following of best laboratory practices.
• Train new employees and log/track status in MediaLab.
• Maintains and evaluates inventory control and reagent/instrument utilization to support laboratory operations and molecular method development.

• Fulfills the role of technical consultant and is the primary liaison for the Molecular Department in supporting and advising in assay development, project planning, and business case development or proposals.
• Participates in continuing education and other duties as assigned.

Preferred Skills and Knowledge:

• Experience with RT-qPCR, end-point PCR to include interpreting amplification curves and manually setting thresholds.
• Experience with TaqMan probe chemistry and multiplexing.
• Experience with SYBR dye chemistry and the interpretation of melt curves/peaks
• Experience optimizing PCR assays, designing primers, adjusting thermocycling parameters, and troubleshooting failed assay runs.
• Experience with magnetic bead-based RNA extraction.

• Prior experience with genome sequencing.
• Previous R&D experience or ability to perform future R&D work is desired.
• Understanding of laboratory operations as well as policies and procedures.
• Proficient with Laboratory Information Systems (LIMS) and Microsoft Office.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with coworkers and clients.

• Comfortable making decisions in a fast paced, changing environment.
• Able to handle the physical requirements of the position such as lifting, sitting, standing, and repetitive fine-motor movements.
• Experience using MediaLab.
• Adequate vision required for close, peripheral, depth perception capabilities, and the ability to adjust focus.
• Ability to lift up to 30 pounds

Required Education, Experience and Credentials:

• Bachelor's Degree from Accredited four-year college or university.
• Background or emphasis in Molecular Biology preferred.
• 2+ years relevant working experience in CLIA certified lab.
• 2+ years management or leadership experience.
• Experienced with high complexity LDT testing is desirable.
• 2+ years of experience in toxicology and ability to demonstrate proficiency in toxicology through analysis and interpretation of chromatography, optimizing assay parameters, and troubleshooting failed assay runs.
• Experience writing and updating SOPs.

Additional Position Details:

• Evening operation hours are Monday through Friday from 4:00 pm to 1:00 am but may vary based upon business needs.
• Availability to answer calls from staff or leadership on the weekends and outside of standard business hours.
• Ability to work on a holiday as part of a rotation
• Job location is Corporate Lab located in Burnsville, MN.

FLSA Status: Exempt – Full Time

Compensation range is dependent on verified degrees, certification and number of years in equivalent work experience: $50K-$75K annually.