Research Lab Manager

University of Colorado Boulder; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 34,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid sick leave

Job summary

The Gil Lab in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado Boulder is seeking a highly organized, technically capable, and collaborative Research Lab Manager to serve as the central coordinator for an active, interdisciplinary research group studying animal behavior, movement ecology, and coral reef ecosystems.

Our lab focuses on quantitative behavioral ecology and aims to understand how animals make decisions in the wild, integrating this empirical view into

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in ecology, biology, computer science, environmental science, or a related field.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects.
• Comfort engaging with technical material (e.g., code, datapipelines, quantitative methods).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• High level of independence, initiative, and reliability.

Responsibilities

• Lab Coordination & Project Management: central project coordinator for a multi-project lab; track timelines, personnel, and deliverables; maintain lab docs and systems; follow up on action items.
• Support onboarding, training, and coordination of undergraduate researchers.
• Technical & Research Support: develop data-processing workflows; troubleshoot and improve Python-based code; manage HPC workflows; support data organization and reproducibility.
• Mentorship, Communication & Lab Culture: mentor undergraduates; provide feedback on workflows; foster inclusive lab culture; facilitate clear communication.
• Operations & Administration: assist with lab finances and day-to-day operations; act as a point of contact for lab logistics; ensure smooth function during faculty travel.

Skills

Strong organizational skills

Excellent written and verbal

Independence and initiative

Comfort with technical material

Education

Bachelor’s degree or higher in ecology, biology, computer science, environmental science, or related field

MS/MSc or PhD in a relevant field

Tools

Python

HPC environments

Version control

Job description

Job Summary

The Gil Lab in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biologyat the University of Colorado Boulder is seeking a highlyorganized, technically capable, and collaborative Research LabManager to serve as the central coordinator for an active,interdisciplinary research group studying animal behavior, movementecology, and coral reef ecosystems.

Our lab focuses on quantitative behavioral ecology. We aim torigorously and mechanistically understand how animals makedecisions in the wild—such as where to move, forage, or seekrefuge—and to integrate this empirical understanding intolarger-scale and longer-term theoretical models. Ultimately, ourgoal is to improve predictions of how ecosystems may change andrespond to environmental disturbances in unexpected ways driven bybehavior. We use coral reef fishes as a model system to linkfine-scale behavior in the field to population-, and community-,and ecosystem-level dynamics.

The lab’s core team includes a Principal Investigator (Dr. MikeGil), three PhD students, and one postdoctoral researcher, andtypically 30–50 undergraduate research assistants working insmaller, project-based groups. The Lab Manager plays a key role inhelping this structure function smoothly by coordinating projects,supporting workflows, and maintaining clear communication acrossthe lab.

This role is designed to be substantive, flexible, andprofessionally meaningful for applicants at a range of careerstages. Ideal candidates may include individuals with bachelor’s,master’s, or doctoral degrees who enjoy research coordination,computational problem-solving, mentorship, and being deeplyembedded in an active academic lab environment. The position isparticularly well-suited for candidates seeking intellectuallyengaging research work with flexible hours and without the need forbenefits.

Applicants who already hold an MS/MSc or PhD and are seeking along-term, research-embedded role are especially encouraged toapply.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with allapplicable federal, state, and local laws governingnondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating aworkplace where all individuals are treated with respect anddignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds toapply, including protected veterans and individuals withdisabilities.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Lab Coordination & Project Management: Serve as the centralproject coordinator for a large, multi-project research lab; Tracktimelines, personnel, and deliverables across diverse researchefforts; Maintain lab documentation, shared resources,spreadsheets, and organizational systems; Take notes during lab andproject meetings and follow up on action items

Support onboarding, training, and coordination of undergraduateresearchers.

Technical & Research Support: Develop, streamline, and maintaincustom data-processing and analysis workflows; Troubleshoot, debug,and improve existing code (primarily Python-based, often focused oncomputer vision); Implement and manage computational workflows onhigh-performance computing (HPC) systems (e.g., CU’s Alpine HPCcluster); Support data organization, quality control, andreproducibility across projects; Coordinate with freelanceprogrammers and external collaborators to implement and refinetools.

Mentorship, Communication & Lab Culture: Mentor and supportundergraduate researchers and project leads; Provide thoughtfulfeedback on research workflows and protocols; Help maintain apositive, inclusive, and well-functioning lab culture; Facilitateclear communication within the lab and with collaborators; Assistwith reflection, evaluation, and improvement of labpractices.

Operations & Administration: Assist with lab finances andday-to-day operations (ordering, tracking expenses, etc.); Serve asa point person for logistical questions related to lab workflowsand expectations; Help ensure smooth lab function during periods offaculty travel

What We Can Offer

$25-$30.00/hr

Benefits

Temporary positions at the University of Colorado are notbenefits-eligible, however, all positions are eligible for paid sick leave.

Be Statements

Be creative. Be impactful. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in ecology, biology, computerscience, environmental science, or a related field
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multipleprojects simultaneously
• Comfort engaging with technical material (e.g., code, datapipelines, quantitative methods), with willingness to learn newtools as needed
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• High level of independence, initiative, andreliability

What We Would Like You to Have

• Advanced degree (MS/MSc or PhD) in a relevant field;
• Experience with Python or scientific computing workflows;Familiarity with HPC environments, version control, or reproducibleresearch practices.