Lab Manager

Loyola University Chicago's ( LUC) School of Environmental Sustainability ( SES) invites applications for a full-time Laboratory Manager staff position beginning in February 2025. The SES seeks to diversify its staff and is particularly encouraging historically marginalized minorities, women, and people with disabilities to apply. We are seeking candidates brimming with initiative to manage laboratory safety and compliance in two shared research labs and two shared teaching labs; support lab course maintenance, inventories, preparation, and clean up; and run, maintain, coordinate, and train others on the analytical instruments in these labs. Technical expertise in maintaining a chemical hygiene plan, chemical inventory management, laboratory safety training, and the use and maintenance of analytical instrumentation are required. Experiential expertise in measurements of air, water, and soil chemistry including nutrients and pollutants all desirable. Preferred applicants will be motivated to advance the SES mission.

Loyola University Chicago is committed to environmental sustainability, having recently attained carbon neutrality and otherwise transformed its campuses to meet energy, water, and waste efficiencies that have consistently ranked the University in the top 10% of green campuses nationally. The School of Environmental Sustainability ( SES) is the newest School at Loyola University Chicago and is focused on education, research, and the practice of environmental sustainability. The new SES currently serves over 400 undergraduate and 105 graduate students and is housed within a state-of-the-art geothermally heated/cooled building complex containing a 3,100 sq ft greenhouse, two aquaponics facilities, a biodiesel production facility, teaching & research labs, an environmental analytical lab, and a green dormitory. The campus prioritizes sustainability with energy-efficient LEED-certified buildings, permeable pavement, green roof installations, and student-run urban gardens supplying area farmers markets, local businesses, and food pantries. The Loyola University Retreat & Ecology Campus ( LUREC) has a 20-acre wetland restoration project and is a venue for three-week summer field courses and for faculty and student research in sustainable agriculture, ecology, and wetland restoration. For more information about SES, please see our website.

Duties and Responsibilities

The School of Environmental Sustainability seeks an engaged and experienced Laboratory Manager to coordinate laboratory teaching activities and research in our shared teaching and research facilities including laboratory safety and compliance, maintaining analytical instrumentation, and training faculty and students on the use of analytical instruments. The position will report directly to the Dean and will work closely with research and teaching faculty. Specific duties of the position include:

* Lab Safety and Compliance - Working directly with the office of the VP for Research to follow all laboratory safety protocols. Enrolling all PIs and student researchers in annual lab safety training and refresher courses, monitoring laboratory activities for safety compliance, maintaining chemical and biohazardous materials inventories, managing hazmat waste inventories, and scheduling waste pick-ups. Reporting any problems or concerns to the Dean.

* Analytical Instrumentation Maintenance - Maintenance, repair, calibration, and training on over $2.5M of analytical instruments shared by SES researchers for measuring nutrients, and organic contaminants in water, soil, and plant samples. Analytical instrumentation includes a Thermo Scientific HPLC-MS/MS, Agilent GC/MS, Metrohm Ion Chromatograph, Thermo Scientific Carbon Nitrogen Analyzer, Shimadzu TOC analyzer, various scales, incubators, drying ovens, and muffle furnaces. The Laboratory Manager will manage the schedule and the use of shared instruments for classes and research.

* Managing Shared Laboratory Space - managing shared research and shared teaching labs, keeping track of space utilization, facilitating the use of shared space most efficiently and effectively, implementing standard operating procedures for the use of shared space and instruments, organizing the flow of work in sample processing, maintaining order, cleanliness and safety in all laboratories.

* Managing Teaching Labs - Collaborating with faculty to keep teaching labs clean and well organized, managing the refilling of consumable materials and supplies, keeping lab and field instruments in good working order with extra batteries, reagents, and glassware. Conducting the ordering of supplies for all faculty using the teaching labs, keeping extra supplies inventoried and stored, and assisting faculty and their undergraduate lab assistants in lab prep and clean up.

* Instrumentation-Use Training - Training of faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students on the proper use of instruments in research and how to interpret results. Conducting analysis of samples for SES faculty PIs and conducting demonstration laboratory analyses for some classes.

* Managing Central Inventory - Establishing and maintaining a central inventory of chemicals, glassware, consumable supplies, commonly used equipment, and safety equipment. Coordinating with other department lab managers to share equipment and supplies where appropriate and cost-effective.

* Formal Teaching - An option for this position, depending on the candidate's qualifications, includes teaching an environmental chemistry course with a lab component for advanced undergraduate and graduate students.

We will begin reviewing applications mid-January 2025 and will accept applications until the position is filled

Advanced degree with 3+ years' experience or a BS degree with 5+ years' experience

The successful candidate will be self-directed and hold an advanced degree with 3+ years' experience or a BS degree with 5+ years' experience. The degree will be in Analytical Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Chemistry, or a related field. The experience will encompass candidates who have occupied jobs with titles such as laboratory analytical chemist, environmental chemist, environmental chemistry research technician, teaching lab management, or similar. Importantly, the experience will have prepared the successful candidate to manage multiple spaces, multiple instruments, multiple people, and multiple timelines. In addition, the successful candidate must have demonstrated experience with laboratory safety and compliance. The following soft skills are important for success in this position. The successful candidate will have excellent organizational skills, record-keeping and labeling skills, and written & spoken communication skills. They will be able to coordinate laboratory safety practices among multiple faculty and students who are using shared laboratory spaces. Additional soft skills possessed by the successful candidate include developing a service-oriented, helpful, professional, and collaborative generosity in working relationships with people from across the SES's and the University's organizational structures (both vertically and horizontally) including students, faculty, staff, and University administrators. In addition, the candidate will be a strong team player for SES, which requires both taking the lead in certain situations and following the lead in others. They will demonstrate reliability, professional conduct, a strong work ethic, and a genuine enthusiasm for high quality, safe research and teaching in environmental sustainability.

None

Microsoft Office and proprietary software for analytical instruments

Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit University founded in 1870 by the Society of Jesus. One of the largest Catholic Universities in the United States, Loyola's professional schools include programs in medicine, nursing, and health sciences anchored by the Loyola University Medical Center, and the Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Comprised of thirteen colleges and schools, Loyola University Chicago offers more than 80 undergraduate and 140 graduate/professional programs while enrolling approximately 17,000 students. In addition to offering a world class educational experience, Loyola University Chicago strives to be an employer of choice by offering its staff and faculty a wide array of affordable, comprehensive, and competitive benefits. Our benefits are centered on health and wellness, financial security, equity, and work-life balance. We offer medical, dental, vision, 403(b), HSA, FSAs, tuition benefit, pre-tax transit benefits, EAP, and more. To view our benefits in detail, click here.

As one of the nation's largest Jesuit, Catholic Universities, Loyola University Chicago fosters a transformative cultural experience that honors Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We are committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse, mission driven workforce that enables a culture of inclusivity. We act with the heart of a nonprofit organization and an academic enterprise with ethical practices that advance the Jesuit Mission. Loyola actively seeks to build a community of diverse opinions, perspectives, and backgrounds that support our Jesuit tradition, while helping Ramblers foster a sense of belonging and affinity for all.

Loyola University Chicago is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion (except where religion is a bona fide occupational qualification for the job), national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by law.