Senior Lab Manager

North Carolina State University; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Flexible Spending Account

Retirement Programs

Disability Plans

Life Insurance

Accident Plan

Paid Time Off & Other Leave Programs

12 Holidays Each Year

Tuition & Academic Assistance

Childcare benefits

Wellness Membership

Wellness Programs

Job summary

The Senior Lab Manager at North Carolina State University’s Zeis Textile Extension leads pilot-scale textile laboratories, overseeing multiple lab groups and driving safety, quality and operational excellence.

You will collaborate with the Zeis Director, Wilson College faculty, and industry partners to position ZTE as a national resource for applied textile innovation, workforce development, and client engagement, while championing Lean, 5S, and continual process improvements.

Qualifications

• Experience leading multiple laboratory teams and coordinating cross-functional groups.
• Strong emphasis on safety culture and EH&S alignment.
• Knowledge of Lean principles and continuous improvement in a lab setting.

Responsibilities

• Lead Zeis Textile Extension technical operations, including production, maintenance, safety, and quality.
• Drive safety, cleanliness, and laboratory risk management across all labs.
• Collaborate with the Zeis Director, Wilson College faculty, and industry partners to grow external funding and partnerships.
• Provide strategic direction for staffing, capacity planning, and workflow improvements.

Skills

Leadership & People Mgmt

Safety & Compliance

Lean / Kaizen / 5S

Project Coordination

Job description

Posting Details

Posting Information

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

Department: Wilson College of Textiles

About The Department

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 .

Wolfpack Perks And Benefits

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.

Disclaimer: Perks and Benefit eligibility is based on Part-Time or Full-Time Employment status. Eligibility and Employer Sponsored Plans can be found within each of the links offered.

Essential Job Duties

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.

Key responsibilities include:

Leadership and Personnel Management

• 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.

Operations and Process Excellence

• 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.

Business Development and Client Engagement

• 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.