Laboratory Manager

Job Summary

The McDiarmid Lab is seeking a Laboratory Manager to serve as the operational and scientific backbone of a new, rapidly growing research program at UBC’s School of Biomedical Engineering. The successful candidate will join at the ground floor of the lab and lead the research operations of UBC NEEO—the platform for Neurobiological Enhancer Engineering and Observation.

The McDiarmid Lab develops and applies scalable genome engineering and synthetic biology technologies to study gene regulation in the brain and engineer new cell and gene therapies for disorders of the nervous system. Our research is organized around two complementary arms: multiplex single-cell CRISPR screening to identify enhancers and the genes they regulate across iPSC-derived models of the human brain, and molecular recording—a transformative new class of synthetic biology technology that writes dynamic cellular events as permanent, sequential records directly in genomic DNA. These approaches are being applied to reconstruct the gene regulatory cascades that underlie neurodevelopment, learning, and disease, and are already being leveraged toward precision gene therapies for severe neurodevelopmental disorders. Building and operating this program—at the intersection of stem cell engineering, functional genomics, and synthetic biology—requires someone who is as excited by the science as they are by the challenge of making a complex, high-throughput research platform run with precision and efficiency. The Laboratory Manager will work closely with Dr. McDiarmid to translate scientific vision into experimental reality, taking ownership of the lab’s operational and scientific priorities while contributing creatively to an ambitious and fast-moving research program.

Organizational Status
Reports directly to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Troy McDiarmid. Serves as the primary operational and scientific leader of the laboratory, functioning as a close partner to the PI in both research execution and lab management. Coordinates the administrative and operational needs of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and technical staff. Liaises with UBC core facilities, industry partners, funding agencies, and collaborating labs within Canada and internationally.

Work Performed
1. Establishes and Leads UBC NEEO Laboratory Operations

• Manages research study involving research design, modification and development related to the lab’s human iPSC culture, engineering, and neural differentiation platform— overseeing the lab operations, and ensuring reliable, reproducible operation across all stem cell-based experiments.
• Project planning, implementation and execution to facilitate the lab’s complex genomic library and synthetic genetic circuit construction platform.
• Oversees day-to-day laboratory operations including, supply management.
• Leads compliance with human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) research protocols; manages biosafety applications, ethics submissions, and regulatory documentation; serves as the lab’s primary safety representative and liaison with UBC Safety & Risk Services.
• Leads combined computational and experimental projects supporting core CRISPR screening and molecular recording technology development and application platforms.
• Manages research design, modification and development, including overseeing the development of standard operating procedures and developing onboarding materials and training resources; training and mentoring graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduate researchers in core laboratory competencies.

2. Manages Research Projects, Grants, and Strategic Planning

• Manages the lab’s portfolio of active grants and projects.
• Contributes to the preparation of grant applications, progress reports, and funding proposals to agencies including CIHR, NSERC, CFI, and other Canadian and international funders. Responsibilities include drafting sections of these documents and conducting preliminary analysis.
• Manages preparation and submission of intricate biosafety, ethics, and regulatory documentation for new and ongoing projects, including material transfer agreements. This is considerably complex for stem cell derived organoid work.
• Provides strategic recommendations on new project directions by synthesizing relevant literature and assessing alignment with the lab’s research priorities and funding landscape.
• Drafts sections, manages data, facilitates submission of manuscripts, fellowship applications, and scientific presentations; serves as co-author on research publications.

3. Contributes to Research Execution and Knowledge Mobilization

• Facilitates and attends meetings to define strategy regarding development of technology translation and commercialization strategies for the lab’s novel tools, in collaboration with Innovation UBC and SBME Innovates.
• Acts as a liaison between the lab and industry collaborators and academic partners; manages communications and coordinates collaborative research activities.
• Promotes the lab’s research within the SBME community; participates in relevant committees, working groups, and school-level initiatives.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The Laboratory Manager has primary responsibility for the lab’s operational and administrative integrity. Errors in platform management, compliance, financial oversight, or project coordination could compromise experimental reproducibility, jeopardize grant funding, and delay the lab’s scientific progress. The Laboratory Manager must exercise rigorous operational and scientific judgment at all times.

Supervision Received
Works under the general direction of Dr. Troy McDiarmid within established research priorities and institutional policies. The Laboratory Manager operates with considerable independence and initiative in managing laboratory operations and administrative functions. Work is reviewed periodically against operational and research objectives.

Supervision Given
May assign and check the work of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, undergraduate researchers, and support staff. Provides day-to-day operational direction and mentorship to lab members on laboratory techniques, safety protocols, and administrative tasks.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of two years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• A degree in a life sciences, biomedical engineering, or related discipline strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing or co-managing laboratory operations in an academic or industry research environment, including equipment oversight, supply management, and safety compliance.
• Hands-on experience with human iPSC culture, neural differentiation, or stem cell-derived models, including associated molecular biology and cell engineering workflows an asset.
• Experience with CRISPR-based genome engineering, viral transduction (AAV or lentiviral), or related gene delivery and functional screening approaches preferred.
• Experience with in vitro pharmacology, preclinical study design, or translational neuroscience or rare disease research in an academic or industry setting preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multi-step research programs, coordinating timelines, priorities, and deliverables across concurrent projects.
• Experience with research administration, including grant preparation, budget management, expenditure tracking, and compliance documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to develop operational tools such as financial dashboards, SOPs, and laboratory management systems.
• Basic proficiency with command-line tools or scripting for data organization; experience with R or Python for genomics data processing is an asset.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including demonstrated contributions to grant writing, manuscript preparation, or regulatory documentation.
• Proven ability to train and mentor junior researchers and build a rigorous, collaborative laboratory culture.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with interest in technology translation, commercialization, and academic-industry partnerships.
• Familiarity with UBC or Canadian university research administration systems (e.g. Workday, ResearchNet) is an asset.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic research environment.