Research Operations Manager

North Carolina A&T 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

State health benefits (NCHSB)

Job summary

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University seeks a Lab Manager for Mechanical Engineering to oversee daily operations and long-term planning of ME labs. You will maintain equipment, ensure safety, manage schedules, and support faculty and students in labs and research.

Responsibilities include coordinating with vendors, managing budgets, and providing training. A bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering plus relevant lab management experience is required.

Qualifications

• 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.

Responsibilities

• Oversees daily operations and long-term planning of the Mechanical Engineering laboratories.
• Maintains lab equipment, ensures safety protocols, manages lab schedules, supports faculty and students in lab classes and research activities.
• Coordinates with external vendors and manages budgets.
• Provides instruction and training to others.

Skills

Lab management

Safety compliance

Vendor coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical or Aerospace

Job description

Position/Classification Title

Position/Classification Title Research Operations Mgr

Classification Type

Classification Type SHRA

Position required to work during periods of adverse weather or other emergencies:

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

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

Required License or Certification

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

Is this position eligible for a remote or hybrid work arrangement, consistent with university and state policies.

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

Required Competency

Required Competency Knowledge - Professional/Scientific

Duties

• 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.

Required Competency

Required Competency Planning and Organizing Work

Duties

• 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.
• Operates within assigned budget.
• Identifies potential cost savings.

Required Competency

Required Competency Laboratory Management

Duties

• 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

Working Title Research Operations Manager

Competency Level Contributing

Position Number

Position Number 002215

Recruitment Range

Recruitment Range $58,496 - $68,819

FLSA

FLSA Non-Exempt

Appointment Type

Appointment Type Permanent - Full-time

FTE

FTE 40 hours/week, 12 months

Organizational Division

Organizational Division Mechanical Engineering

Organizational Location

Organizational Location College of Engineering

Organizational Unit

Organizational Unit Mechanical Engineering

Posting Number

Posting Number SHRA3260

Open Date

Open Date 09/03/2026

Close Date

Close Date 09/17/2026

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.

Works under the policies of the university and generally requires residence in NC within a 2-hour commute.

Contact Division of Human Resources

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]