The posting
Job Description
Position Summary: The Research Lab Operations Assistant is part of the Bowden Biomedical Optics Laboratory team at Vanderbilt University and is an individual contributor responsible for coordinating routine laboratory operations, administrative workflows, shared-space organization, and research support activities. This position centralizes recurring operational work so that students and research staff can focus more of their time on research and training. The Research Lab Operations Assistant will maintain organized laboratory spaces and supplies; coordinate routine equipment, safety, documentation, and scheduling activities; maintain shared electronic resources; and provide administrative support for lab meetings and research studies. The role will review meeting notes, identify and distribute action items, follow up on routine operational tasks, and help keep lab processes moving. The position is part-time, anticipated at approximately 10-20 hours per week and fewer than 30 hours per week, with a hybrid schedule requiring at least one day per week on site and additional on-site presence when duties require physical access to the laboratory. Responsibilities may evolve based on laboratory and operational needs.
About the Work Unit: The laboratory is a collaborative biomedical engineering research group that uses shared laboratory, cell-culture, equipment, and digital workspaces. Students and research staff currently share many recurring operational and administrative responsibilities. This role consolidates those activities into a single point of coordination, working closely with the faculty principal investigator, students, research staff, and shared-space partners. Success requires organization, dependable follow-through, clear communication, and willingness to learn laboratory-specific procedures and Vanderbilt systems.
Key Functions and Expected Performance:
- Coordinate routine laboratory organization and shared-space upkeep, including cleanup schedules, supply checks, waste/trash handling, freezer upkeep, and follow-up with lab members on established laboratory practices.
- Support laboratory safety administration by maintaining chemical inventory and SDS documentation; helping keep fire, biological, chemical, emergency, and laser-safety materials current; coordinating inspections and certifications; and reminding lab members of established safety procedures. Perform only activities for which required training has been completed.
- Coordinate routine equipment administration, including monitoring repair needs, maintaining access to manuals and warranties, arranging calibrations and certifications, and helping identify appropriate locations for new equipment.
- Perform or coordinate routine upkeep of shared cell-culture and laboratory support areas, including checking LN2 and CO2 supplies, arranging gas orders, cleaning water pans/water baths/incubators, preparing autoclaved water, managing biohazard waste, and coordinating freezer defrosting, biosafety cabinet certification, filter changes, and pipette calibration, consistent with training and safety requirements.
- Maintain the PDMS work area and supplies; help keep the station clean and usable; replenish routine materials; and, after appropriate training, orient new users to established procedures and scheduling practices.
- Maintain shared laboratory records and knowledge resources, including the lab wiki/OSF pages, onboarding and offboarding instructions, software and facility-access guidance, project links, presentation archives, and other routine operational documentation.
- Provide meeting and workflow coordination: review lab/group meeting notes, capture decisions and action items, distribute follow-up summaries, maintain shared trackers and calendars, and follow up with responsible lab members on open operational items.
- Support presentation and research-output administration by ensuring presentations and relevant links are archived in designated locations and by periodically collecting presentation information from lab members.
- Provide administrative support for human-participant research as assigned, including monitoring participant communications, maintaining scheduling pipelines and study calendars, responding to routine inquiries using approved materials, assisting with scheduling and documentation, and routing adverse-event information promptly to the appropriate research personnel. Activities requiring specialized authorization will be performed only after required training and under appropriate supervision.
- Order and restock routine laboratory and office supplies within established procedures; maintain simple inventory information; and prepare purchasing or service documentation for supervisory review as needed.
- Provide other administrative and operational support that improves laboratory efficiency, documentation, communication, and continuity, as assigned.
Supervisory Relationships: This position does not have supervisory responsibility; this position reports administratively and functionally to the faculty Principal Investigator/Lab Director
Education and Certifications
- High school diploma or GED is necessary; an equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience is acceptable consistent with Vanderbilt policy.
- Completion of Vanderbilt-required safety, compliance, and role-specific training is required before independently performing applicable laboratory or human-research support activities.
- Associate degree in biology, animal science, biomedical science, engineering, or a related field is preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree in biology, animal science, biomedical science, engineering, or a related field is strongly preferred.
Experience and Skills:
- Demonstrated organization, attention to detail, time management, and clear written and verbal communication are necessary.
- Ability to work reliably and independently on recurring tasks, follow written procedures, maintain accurate records, communicate professionally with students/staff/participants, and work on site at least one day per week is required.
- Experience in customer service, administrative support, inventory/restocking, scheduling, training or orienting others, or another role requiring dependable follow-through is preferred.
- Experience in a research laboratory, university setting, laboratory operations, research administration, cell culture, equipment coordination, or human-participant research is preferred but not required; willingness and ability to learn laboratory-specific systems and procedures is strongly preferred.
About Us
At Vanderbilt University , our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of “America’s Best Large Employers” as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice.
We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.
Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
