Senior Lab Manager
NC State Wilson College of Textiles
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
NC State University, through the Wilson College of Textiles, seeks a Senior Lab Manager to lead Zeis Textile Extension’s pilot-scale labs and drive strategic modernization, safety, and operational excellence. This role reports to the Zeis Director and partners with faculty, industry, and students.
Responsibilities include supervising lab managers, advancing workflow efficiency, and expanding external funding and technical service offerings.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering or related fields preferred.
- 10+ years in manufacturing or operations leadership roles.
- Experience managing multiple laboratories and cross-functional teams.
Responsibilities
- Supervise all laboratory managers across knitting, weaving, physical testing, dying/finishing, and prototyping labs.
- Lead, coach and develop the site leadership team to foster accountability and continuous improvement.
- Drive safety, Lean/Kaizen/5S to improve operational efficiency and ensure compliance.
- Identify opportunities to expand technical services and industry engagement.
- Oversee equipment strategy, maintenance, and asset management; manage budget and resources.
- Collaborate with academic and industry partners to align lab capabilities with strategic goals.
Skills
Education
Job description
Posting Number PG194777EP
Internal Recruitment
No Working Title Senior Lab Manager
Anticipated Hiring Range Commensurate based on experience
Work Schedule Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm, however hour may vary based on laboratory needs.
Job Location Raleigh, NC
Over the past 125 years, the Wilson College of Textiles has developed a reputation for exceptional education, innovative research and productive industry partnerships. While we take pride in that legacy, we continue to set higher standards and new goals.
That means establishing sustainability as the foundation of everything we do. It means updating the cutting edge technology used in our state-of-the-art labs and studios. It means a commitment to a welcoming and supportive culture. Put simply, it means using our textiles expertise to improve quality of life for everyone.
We produce leaders who make a difference both at home in North Carolina and across the world. Students land top jobs in manufacturing, fashion, athletics, research, medicine, academia and more. Our faculty count the CDC, DOD and NSF as regular research partners.
The Wilson College provides both the community feel of a small college and the resources of NC State University, a leading land-grant public research institution and recognized as one of the best employers in the state. Not to mention, it’s located in the heart of Raleigh, North Carolina, which is consistently listed in U.S. News and World Report’s best American cities to live in.
At NC State, our employee value proposition aims to create an ecosystem of meaningful work opportunities that align with Wolfpack 2030: Powering the Extraordinary, NC State’s strategic plan. We strive to provide an accepting and dynamic culture, opportunities for personal growth and professional development, and programs to support your busy life. Simply put, we want you to achieve your highest potential at work.
If you’re a world-class applicant with a passion for higher education and a commitment to affecting positive change locally and globally, apply to become a part of our hyper-collaborative Wolfpack where everyone belongs.
As a Pack member, you belong here, and can enjoy exclusive perks designed to enhance your personal and professional well-being. As you consider this opportunity, we encourage you to review our Employee Value Proposition and learn more about what makes NC State the best place to learn and work for everyone.
- Medical, Dental, and Vision
- Flexible Spending Account
- Retirement Programs
- Disability Plans
- Life Insurance
- Accident Plan
- Paid Time Off and Other Leave Programs
- 12 Holidays Each Year
- Tuition and Academic Assistance
- And so much more!
Attain Work-life balance with our Childcare benefits, Wellness & Recreation Membership, and Wellness Programs that aim to build a thriving wolfpack community.
The Senior Lab Manager provides strategic and operational leadership across Zeis Textile Extension’s pilot-scale textile manufacturing, testing and prototyping laboratories. This role oversees laboratory managers and supports the continued growth, modernization, and utilization of ZTE’s facilities to serve industry, research, workforce development and innovation needs.
Working closely with the Zeis Director, Wilson faculty and staff as well as industry partners, the Senior Lab Manager helps position ZTE as a nationally recognized resource for applied textile innovation, technical problem solving, pilot-scale manufacturing, and workforce training. The role is responsible for advancing operational excellence, equipment strategy, laboratory safety, client engagement and business development across the organization’s technical service portfolio.
- Supervise all laboratory managers within ZTE (knitting lab, weaving lab, physical testing lab, dying and finishing lab, and testing and fabrication services, prototyping lab).
- Lead, coach, and develop the site leadership team, building a culture of accountability, responsiveness, collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Foster a collaborative and service-oriented culture that supports technical excellence, workforce development, and continuous learning.
- Manage, develop, and provide training for employees.
- Determine and manage staff assignments, and provide leadership and daily direction of other laboratory personnel.
- Represent the facility to employees, customers, partners and executives.
- Lead ZTE technical operations, including production, maintenance, safety, production quality, delivery and financial performance.
- Champion a Safety-First culture and ensure all labs maintain a clean and safe work environment. Update the laboratory safety plan with Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S). Serve on the Wilson College Safety Committee.
- Monitor and improve operational performance across laboratory utilization, project execution timelines, quality, customer responsiveness, and resource allocation.
- Drive operational excellence by optimizing staffing, scheduling, capacity and workflow to support production goals.
- Collaborate with teams to implement scalable processes and improve production flow, applying Lean, Kaizen, 5S and visual management to eliminate bottlenecks and raise operational efficiency.
- Identify opportunities to expand technical services, pilot manufacturing capabilities and industry engagement activities.
- Collaborate with the Zeis Director to grow external funding, technical service revenue and strategic partnerships.
- Serve as the primary industry liaison for priority projects.
- Manage multiple laboratory resources and conduct multiple Fabrication Service Agreement (FSA) projects simultaneously, including establishing priorities in the use of laboratory resources.
- Prepare FSA estimates, write FSAs, coordinate and oversee work associated with the FSAs, and invoice for work performed through the business office in partnership with lab managers.
- Oversee the proper and safe use of laboratory equipment and manage preventive equipment maintenance and repairs.
- Lead acquisitions of new equipment to modernize the laboratory and expand capabilities, soliciting quotes for new and used machinery.
- Keep up to date on the latest technology in the field through a strong network of machinery manufacturing contacts and by attending trade shows.
- Manage inventory control.
- Partner with the Zeis Director and the Assistant Dean of Finance and Operations to develop and drive business planning, ensuring continuous evolution to meet customer needs.
- Translate the business plan into measurable KPIs and manage actions to achieve overall budget and margin targets with each associated entity ZTE.
- Ensure lab readiness for new equipment, technologies and capabilities through strong cross-functional alignment and disciplined change management.
- Collaborate with the Zeis Director, academic departments heads and college faculty to provide appropriate support for academic classes.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering or related fields preferred; technical degrees in related areas will be considered.
- 10+ years in manufacturing or operations leadership roles managing teams and project deliverables.
- Deep textiles production and manufacturing operations expertise.
- Proven experience in pilot or full production textile manufacturing environments.
- Demonstrated success in strengthening production systems through strong execution and continuous improvement.
- Experience scaling manufacturing operations, including onboarding new technologies, equipment, and product families.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively across industry, academic, and research stakeholders.
- Strong cross-cultural leadership and stakeholder-management capabilities.
- Specialized knowledge of all lab capabilities within ZTE.
- Ability to manage simultaneous projects while ensuring customer/client satisfaction.
- Proven experience leading or managing an entire manufacturing site or pilot/prototyping facility (Site Director, Plant Manager, or equivalent).
- Experience working in pilot-scale manufacturing, applied research, extension, or technical service environments preferred.
- Experience in regulated environments (e.g. CGMP).
- Knowledge and skills associated with academic instruction.
- Previous experience in collaborating on student and faculty projects.
N/A
Valid NC Driver's License required Yes Commercial Driver's License required No
Job Open Date 07/27/2026
Anticipated Close Date Open Until Filled
Position Number 00105790
Position Type EPS/SAAO Full Time Equivalent (FTE) (1.0 = 40 hours/week) 1.00 Appointment 12 Month Recurring Mandatory Designation - Adverse Weather Mandatory - Adverse Weather Mandatory Designation - Emergency Events Mandatory - Fire/Explosions, Mandatory - Medical Emergencies, Mandatory - Hazardous Material Incidents, Mandatory - Transportation Accidents, Mandatory - Evacuations/Natural Hazards, Mandatory - Utilities/Infrastructure Failure, Mandatory - Threats of Violence/Terrorism/Interpersonal Emergencies Department ID 180401 - Textile Extension EEO
NC State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal opportunities for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. The University encourages all qualified applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities, to apply. Individuals with disabilities requiring disability-related accommodations in the application and interview process are welcome to contact 919-513-0574 to speak with a representative of the Office of Equal Opportunity.
If you have general questions about the application process, you may contact Human Resources at (919) 515-2135 or workatncstate@ncsu.edu.
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Degree(s) must be obtained prior to start date in order to meet qualifications and receive credit.
NC 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.
- * How did you learn of this opportunity?
- NCSU Website
- Job Alert (automated email from our system)
- NCSU Executive Search Services
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- InsideHigherEd.com
- Other Online Job Board
- Carolina Job Finder / Employment Guide
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- The Chronicle of Higher Education
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- Professional Organization
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- If you learned about this vacancy from "other source" or "other website", please provide the source. (Open Ended Question)
- * Do you have experience in laboratory management of graduate and undergraduate students performing research?
- Yes
- No
- * Please describe any experience you had with lab management and project management. (Open Ended Question)
- * Do you have experience in the repair and maintenance of a variety of specialized electronic devices?
- Yes
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- Cover Letter
- Contact Information for References
- Resume/CV
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