Research Operations Manager

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University; Greensboro (NC); Hybrid; USD 58,000 - 69,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Accrued Vacation and Sick Leave

12 Paid Holidays

TSERS retirement system

Vision, Dental, FSA

Job summary

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University seeks a Research Operations Manager to oversee daily operations and long-term planning of Mechanical Engineering laboratories. You will maintain equipment, ensure safety, manage schedules, and support faculty and students in lab classes and research activities, coordinating with external vendors as needed.

The role reports to the department chair and requires collaboration across educational and research units, with a focus on

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and two years of general research experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversees daily operations and long-term planning of Mechanical Engineering laboratories.
• Maintains lab equipment and safety protocols; manages lab schedules.
• Coordinates with vendors and supports faculty and students in class and research activities.
• Plans work operations and priorities to meet educational and research objectives.
• Ensures compliance with safety/environmental regulations and handles data management for reports.

Skills

Lab management

Research lab experience

Safety protocols

Budget management

Education

BS or MS in Mechanical or Aerospace

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Posting Details

Position/Classification Title: Research Operations Mgr

Classification Type: SHRA

Position required to work during periods of adverse weather or other emergencies: N - Not Mandatory

Minimum Experience/Education: Bachelor's degree and two years of general research experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Preferred Years Experience, Skills, Training, Education:

• BS or MS in Mechanical or Aerospace
• 2-5 years of experience managing research labs

Position Overview

Primary Purpose of Position: The Lab Manager for Mechanical Engineering oversees the daily operations and long-term planning of the Mechanical Engineering laboratories within the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering. This role includes maintaining lab equipment, ensuring safety protocols, managing lab schedules, supporting faculty and students in lab classes and research activities, and coordinating with external vendors. The Lab Manager will play a crucial role in fostering a productive and safe learning environment for Mechanical Engineering students. The position reports to the department chair.

Primary Function of Organizational Unit: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is a public land-grant, high research activity university enrolling approximately 13,560 students. The College of Engineering, with over 2,800 students, offers EAC ABET-accredited undergraduate programs, 9 Master's programs, and 6 Doctoral programs. The COE's 5 core research clusters are Autonomous Systems, Cybersecurity and Resilience, Energy and Sustainability, Healthcare Applications, and Complex Systems and Networks. Additional information about the College and the University can be found at www.ncat.edu/coe. The Mechanical Engineering (MEEN) department produces graduates at the BS, MS, and PhD degree levels. The department enrolls over 300 undergraduate students and nearly 50 graduate students at the masters and doctoral levels. The faculty members are engaged in teaching, research, and services to the University as well as the community. The department's quality educational programs, excellent faculty, and world class research attract students from all over the nation and the world.

Work Hours: 8AM-5PM, Monday-Friday; Occasional weekend work, as needed.

Is this position eligible for a remote or hybrid work arrangement, consistent with university and state policies: On-site (Employees are primarily in the office and/or have a critical job requirement that requires dedicated office space on-site)

Key Responsibilities and Related Competencies

Knowledge - Professional/Scientific

• Responsible for a number of professional/scientific activities including but not limited to calibrating and reading instruments, conducting preventive and corrective maintenance on equipment, and operating associated instrumentation.
• Provides engineering knowledge to direct, research, and develop innovative approaches to mechanical engineering laboratories.

Planning and Organizing Work

• In consultation with Principal Investigator (PI), organizes and plans experiments ensuring project objectives are attained.
• Also responsible for environmental, health and safety regulations, standards, and guidelines related to research and teaching laboratories, as well as the functionality and appearance of lab and teaching spaces.
• Coordinate and conduct safety- and health-related awareness activities for faculty, staff, and students.
• Oversees and manages collection, maintenance, analysis, evaluation, and management of data that will be used in grant submissions, presentations and publications.
• Ensures that information is entered correctly into databases.
• Assists PI in reviewing, analyzing, interpreting, summarizing, formatting, editing, and preparing tables, charts, graphs, progress and final reports, etc.
• Coordinates between sponsoring agencies, collaboration organizations and/or other research and/or educational institutions.
• Plans work operations and priorities daily and weekly to meet educational and research objectives.
• Sets short-range deadlines.
• Operates within assigned budget.
• Identifies potential cost savings.

Laboratory Management

• Assists the department chair with developing long-term strategic plans for laboratory and facility development in alignment with the College of Engineering's vision.
• Collaborates with and supports the activities of the College of Engineering facility staff.
• Provides comprehensive management for mechanical engineering laboratories to support faculty and students in lab classes and research activities.
• Establishes priorities in the use of resources including space, field, equipment and/or facilities.
• Manages and improves quality assurance programs in the laboratories.
• Oversees safety and environmental compliance.
• Ensures strict compliance with procedures and work standards, suggesting improvements as needed.
• Provides instruction and training to others.

Position Information

Working Title: Research Operations Manager

Competency Level: Contributing

Position Number: 002215

Recruitment Range: $58,496 - $68,819

FLSA: Non-Exempt

Appointment Type: Permanent - Full-time

FTE: 40 hours/week, 12 months

Organizational Division: Mechanical Engineering

Organizational Location: College of Engineering

Organizational Unit: Mechanical Engineering

Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits available to NC A & T permanent employees include the following and more;

• Accrued Vacation and Sick Leave for Eligible Employees
• Community Service Leave
• Aetna - State Health Benefits of North Carolina
• NCFlex - Vision, Dental, Flexible Spending Account, Life Insurance and more
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Teachers and State Employees Retirement System (TSERS)
• Optional Supplemental Plans - 401k, 403b, 457b and 457
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Campus Recreation Center Discount
• University Bookstore Discount
• and more

This position may be eligible for a remote or hybrid work arrangement, consistent with university and state policies. N.C. A&T employees are generally required to reside in North Carolina, within a 2-hour commuting distance of their assigned duty station.

North Carolina A&T State University is an Equal Opportunity and ... No one who applies or seeks employment will be denied admission to or employment at North Carolina A&T State University on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, disabling condition, veteran status, political affiliation, genetic information or sexual orientation and sexual identity.

Final candidates are subject to criminal and sex offender background checks. North Carolina A&T State University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.