National Laboratory Manager

Job Advert Summary

Eduvos is seeking to employ a National Laboratory Manager to oversee and manage Applied Science Laboratories across multiple campuses. The successful candidate will be based at our Eduvos Midrand Campus

Employment Type

Permanent

Purpose of the role

This strategic role ensures efficient laboratory operations, compliance with safety regulations, and the seamless delivery of practicals to enhance student learning.

Minimum Requirements

Qualifications / Education / Certification

• A PhD in laboratory sciences

Experience

• At least five years’ experience in a laboratory managerial role

Duties and Responsibilities

Accountable for the overall performance of all campus laboratories :

Quality of practicals / content

• Evaluations and satisfaction ratings from stakeholders
• Throughput and pass rates
• Strategy development for practical content and logistics
• Development of laboratory guidelines and input in academic guidelines and module guides

Efficiency of laboratories/ Process compliance

• Timeous / turnaround times for example timeous start and end times of practicals
• Full delivery according to scheduled and timetables
• Availability of laboratory assets / equipment and consumables

Compliance to:

• Academic support and laboratory housekeeping roles
• Relevant laboratory procedures and regulations.
• Waste management
• Safety / OHS
• Relevant national and internationally regulatory guidelines for example OHSA

Community of practice member

• Quality of contribution
• Level of participation

Management

• Laboratory Budget and Equipment Oversight by planning and overseeing the laboratories budget, including equipment purchases and supplies, and module specific budgets.
• Operational planning for the laboratories
• Planning for the laboratories associated with academic content, practical and budget planning, timetabling, new structural developments
• Monitoring and control against plans and objectives
• Operational policy design and strategy for implementation and execution – review of control, corrective action
• Supplier management - Onboarding of new suppliers, obtaining quotes, procurement processing.
• Escalations and issue resolution
• Problem solving and decision quality, including escalations, queries and complaints
• Policies, procedures and systems / SOP’s
• Develop and implement policies and procedures for laboratory operations.
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and protocols by creating policies for upholding health and safety protocols within the laboratory and associated areas, including waste management, and ensuring H&S audit issues are addressed.
• Approval of work flow processes, policies and procedures (SOP’s), methodologies, performance standards
• Capacity and resourcing
• Financial Planning and Inventory Management by decisions on new acquisitions, replacement, maintenance and repairs.
• Resource and capacity management for the campuses (people, equipment, consumables, workload and workflow monitoring between teams)

Leadership

• National Laboratory Strategy / Input into Applied Science Strategy
• Communicate Eduvos values, strategy, culture
• Talent acquisition and onboarding processes – appoint the lab team
• Individual performance enhancement - role clarity and objectives; reviews; feedback; corrective actions
• Skill levels - training & development / coaching & mentoring
• Culture and climate (motivation; energy; retention; support; communication and information sharing; engagement; discipline; recognition; empowered; care) – establish and maintain and engaged and high performing team

Functional and Behavioural Competencies

Functional competencies

• Strong background in scientific research or relevant sciences to understand and manage laboratory operations.
• Excellent management and supervisory skills
• Project Management: in setting timeframes, communicating goals and successful delivery.
• Budget Management
• Equipment and Safety: Familiarity with lab equipment, safety protocols, and proficiency testing; analyze data, solve problems, and report results
• Regulatory Knowledge: Understanding regulations (such as OHSA, BSL levels)
• Strategic Thinking: for better collaboration, organization and problem solving

Behavioral competencies

• Action orientation
• Leadership
• Collaborative relations and teamwork
• Effective communication
• Analysing and problem solving
• Planning and organising and time management
• Resilience and coping with pressure and setbacks