Research Assistant - Part Time

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.