Lab Manager - Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here.

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

Position Summary: 

The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at Virginia Commonwealth University is in search of a Research Lab Manager to work in a behavioral pharmacology laboratory. The primary research goal of this NIH-funded research is to test novel medications to treat substance use disorders. Deliverables include technical reports, progress summary reports, and peer-reviewed publications.

Job Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Plan and coordinate laboratory activities for scientific projects
• Perform all components of behavioral experiments, including animal handling, surgical procedures, preparation and administration of drug treatments, and recording data
• Develop and maintain lab procedures, experimental protocols and work instructions
• Aggregate, analyze, and graph experimental data and prepare research reports and for Principal Investigator (PI) to review
• Inventory, stock, audit and organize supplies and chemicals
• Perform routine laboratory maintenance and cleaning
• Ensure that lab procedures comply with high quality standards
• Provide assistance and conduct trainings to team members as needed
• Provide regular progress updates in a timely manner to PI

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Design, coordinate, and perform experiments with little or no supervision from PI
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, time management and communication skills
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks
• Expertise in utilizing the following software: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel), GraphPad Prism, and Med-PC
• Demonstrate knowledge of sterile technique

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific discipline closely related to the position (e.g., biology, chemistry, psychology)
• 2 years of work experience in a laboratory or similar setting closely related to the position
• Demonstrated history of reliability and ability to work a flexible schedule in a diverse environment
• Clear and effective communication with PI and other laboratory personnel
• Must have a demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in past experiences or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a scientific discipline closely related to the position (e.g., pharmacology, biology, chemistry, psychology)
• 10 or more years of work experience in a laboratory or similar setting closely related to the position
• Experience with wide range of behavioral procedures used to assess drug abuse and physical dependence liability in rodents, including, but not limited to, intracranial self-stimulation, intravenous drug self-administration, and physical dependence testing

The School of Medicine continuously strives for our workplace and learning environment to reflect the demographic and social milieu of the communities we serve. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.

University Job Code: 32301

ORP Eligible: No

VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will include a veteran's period(s) of military service in the calculation of their annual leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual!

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