Laboratory Manager

Garvan Institute of Medical Research brings together world leading scientists and clinicians, collaborating locally and globally, to advance our understanding of disease, particularly cancer, autoimmunity and genetic disorders. Garvan is a global leader in fundamental biomedical research and its translation. Our mission is to make discoveries that will improve health for all.

The Biologics Platform is a translational research and development hub that supports the discovery, engineering, and production of therapeutic proteins and antibodies. This position supports both the operational coordination of the laboratory and the management of project timelines and reporting across internal and collaborative therapeutic efforts.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Lab Manager is the technical lead responsible for the "engine room" of the Biologics Platform. This is a high-impact, hands-on role where you own the laboratory’s operational readiness and contribute directly to the wet lab workflow. You don't just manage schedules; you prep reagents, run assays, and troubleshoot equipment to ensure the team meets preclinical milestones. You are expected to master technical activity in the lab to provide a fail-safe for the team, anticipate bottlenecks before they happen, and lead independent optimization projects. This role is the technical backbone that allows our scientists to focus on discovery without operational friction.

Salary: Up to $125,000 (depending on experience) + 14% super + salary packaging

Employment Type: 2 year fixed-term contract with possibility to extend

SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS

• Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses + $2,650 meals/accom)

• Ample opportunities for on-going training and development

• Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment

• Flexible work arrangements e.g. start / finish times

• 18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation

• A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave

• Discounted Health Insurance

• Lifestyle discounts with our community partners

WHAT YOU WILL DO

Key responsibilities include:

Laboratory Operations

• Wet Lab Execution: Perform core molecular biology tasks, including agarose gels, purification strategies, and routine assays to support the R&D team.

• Reagent & Buffer Production: Own the preparation and QC of all key reagents and buffers required for platform workflows.

• Technical Cross-Coverage: Master platform protocols to provide surge capacity and backfill for team members as needed.

• Anticipatory Logistics: Proactively monitor inventory and reorder supplies based on upcoming experimental plans to ensure uninterrupted functionality.

• Independent Optimization Projects: Lead specific technical projects to improve lab workflows, implement new technologies (e.g., LIMS), or upgrade data integrity systems.

• Instrumentation Management: Manage the full lifecycle of laboratory equipment, including maintenance, calibration (IQ/OQ/PQ), and on-site installations.

• Safety & Compliance Ownership: Serve as the Lab Safety Officer; manage biohazard/chemical waste and lead all technical inductions and safety training.

• SOP & Documentation: Maintain a rigorous library of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and ensure all lab activities comply with LIMS requirements.

• Vendor & Supply Chain Management: Negotiate with vendors for consistent lot numbers on critical reagents and manage domestic/international shipping of biological materials.

• Supervise and manage select laboratory staff – including recruitment, training programs, project allocation and performance reviews.

• Oversee the operation and administration of the laboratory to ensure service quality is maintained.

• Ensure that standard operating procedures are current and reflective of the work performed, with appropriate change control implemented where necessary.

• Ensure that results of work undertaken within the laboratory are accurately recorded, reviewed and reported.

• Manage and control stock, equipment and services to the laboratory – including purchasing, repair and maintenance.

• Communicate, ensure and review the performance and improvement of the laboratory by monitoring key indicators – including turnaround time, quality metrics and client interactions.

• Contribution to team and Garvan research projects.

• Assist with financial management of the Lab by working closely with the Garvan Finance team to track spending, perform budget forecasting, and creating reports.

• Continuously surveying Lab operations to identify areas of inefficiency or potential risk, and work with Lab Head to address these issues.

ABOUT YOU

The key skills and experience include:

Core Competencies

• Technical Mastery: Deep hands-on experience in molecular biology or biochemistry; you are a "scientist's scientist".

• Anticipatory Thinking: You identify risks (e.g., a low reagent lot or a failing pump) before they impact a project.

• Execution Bias: You have a "get it done" attitude, moving quickly from planning to hands-on implementation.

• Independent Judgment: Ability to troubleshoot complex instrumentation and solve research problems with minimal oversight.

• Systems Fluency: High proficiency in LIMS, Benchling, and data analysis tools like Excel.

• Direct Communication: Clear, verbal and written communication style.

Required Qualifications

• Education: MS in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or a related field.

• Experience: 5+ years in a research or production laboratory, with at least 2 years in a managerial or lead technical role.

• Safety: Demonstrated expertise in laboratory safety protocols and hazardous waste management.

Preferred Qualifications

• Biotech Background: Experience in a high-speed, milestone-driven biotechnology startup or translational hub.

• Process Improvement: Experience in lab build-outs or implementing new digital systems

• Proven ability to cost and budget a process is desired.

• Strong negotiation skills desired.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work in a diverse, multicultural environment required.

ABOUT GARVAN

Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest and most highly regarded MRI’s.

Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome.

We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease.

Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We are always looking for culture ‘add’, not culture ‘fit’ and are building diverse teams with great sets of complementary styles and skills to help deliver our important work effectively.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this position, please submit your application with a CV and cover letter as one document, stating why you are interested in this role. We are reviewing applications as they are received. If you think you’re the right person for this role, we’d love to hear how your capabilities, achievements and experience set you apart. Only applicants with full working rights in Australia are eligible to apply for this role.