Lab Manager

Lab Manager

Texas A&M Agrilife Research

Department: Animal Science

Proposed Minimum Salary: Commensurate

Job Location: College Station, Texas

Job Type: Staff

Job Description

The Department of Animal Science at Texas A&M University is home to a state-of-the-art Sensory Science Laboratory, supporting both basic research and applied client projects in human sensory evaluation. Our facility includes a 30-booth sensory suite, kitchen, and preparation laboratory, serving industry partners and academic researchers across a wide range of food and consumer science disciplines.

Texas A&M University is one of the largest universities in the nation and is committed to excellence in education, research, and service. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Department of Animal Science are recognized leaders in applied and basic sciences, with deep ties to industry and a long tradition of training the next generation of scientists and professionals.

Position Information

We are seeking a full-time Lab Manager to oversee daily operations of the Sensory Science Laboratory at Texas A&M University. The Lab Manager will coordinate industry and academic sensory studies from planning through execution, managing client projects, supporting graduate student research, and maintaining efficient operation of a high-throughput testing facility. This is a salaried position with benefits.

Responsibilities:

• Oversee daily laboratory operations, testing schedules, and participant workflow
• Coordinate client sensory studies from planning through reporting, including study logistics, recruitment, sample preparation, and test execution
• Train and lead sensory descriptive panels and focus groups
• Supervise staff conducting sensory sessions and maintain efficient facility operations
• Support graduate student projects through scheduling, recruitment, and study coordination
• Maintain IRB compliance and human-subjects research procedures
• Manage supplies, purchasing, inventory, and vendor coordination

Required Qualifications:

• B.S. in a sensory-related field (e.g., Animal Science, Food Science, Psychology, Neuroscience) or a B.S. in a business-related field (e.g., Business Management, Accounting, Business Analytics)
• 5 years experience with human-subjects research and IRB protocols
• Strong organizational and project-management skills
• Ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously

Preferred Qualifications:

• 3+ years of experience in sensory or consumer research
• Graduate-level degree with published research
• Familiarity with survey software (e.g., Qualtrics) or sensory software (e.g., RedJade, Compusense)
• Experience managing staff or participant-based testing environments

What You Need to Know

Salary: Compensation for this position is commensurate based on the selected candidate's qualifications. This is a salaried position with benefits.

Position Funding: This position is supported by departmental and industry contract funding.

Flexible Work Arrangements: Flexible work schedules and remote work options may be available for this position, depending on the nature of the role and employee eligibility, in accordance with AgriLife Alternate Work Location Procedures.

Why Work at Texas A&M AgriLife?

When you choose to work for Texas A&M AgriLife, you become part of an organization that is an established leader in agriculture and life sciences with a wide range of capabilities to meet the needs of our statewide, national, and international constituents.

In addition, Texas A&M AgriLife offers a comprehensive benefit package including the following:

• Health, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M AgriLife contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Employee Wellness Initiative for Texas A&M AgriLife

Applicant Instructions

Applications received by Texas A&M AgriLife must either have all job application data entered or a resume attached. Failure to provide all job application data or a complete resume could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application. We encourage all applicants to upload a resume or use a LinkedIn profile to prepopulate the online application.

Required Documents

Letter of Interest

Curriculum Vitae

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution's verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution's procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.