Job Title: Lab Supervisor – Clinical Research Support Laboratory

Job Description

The Lab Supervisor serves as the day-to-day leader for a large team supporting clinical research laboratory operations in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. This role oversees laboratory technicians and support staff, manages laboratory resources for the collection and processing of clinical research specimens, and ensures strict adherence to protocol, institutional, and safety requirements. The Lab Supervisor collaborates closely with clinical operations and other stakeholders to support clinical trials, maintain high-quality standards, and continuously improve laboratory processes.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct supervision to research and operational assistants and laboratory technicians, including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, career development, coaching, and performance evaluations.
• Communicate deadlines, priorities, and special circumstances clearly to staff, and manage day-to-day workload distribution to ensure timely completion of all tasks.
• Oversee the daily work schedule for the assigned lab unit, ensuring quality, productivity, efficiency, and adherence to protocol-specific requirements.
• Interpret clinical research protocol instructions and translate them into clear, actionable procedures for staff involved in specimen collection, processing, stabilization, documentation, shipping, and tracking.
• Ensure compliance with all protocol processing and shipping requirements for research biospecimens and enforce adherence to institutional, safety, and regulatory policies within the laboratory.
• Partner with clinical operations staff to participate in feasibility reviews and operational planning of clinical research protocols, providing feedback and recommendations on resourcing, operational needs, limitations, and capabilities.
• Participate in regular meetings with clinical operations teams and, as needed, meet with external study monitors to support clinical trial activities and address operational issues.
• Organize and manage workflow, proactively identify and address operational needs, and effectively manage multiple ongoing priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Investigate complaints or issues arising within the unit, collaborate with relevant stakeholders to resolve problems, and escalate critical information to management to support departmental success.
• Evaluate incoming work requests to determine whether they are appropriate for the unit or should be redirected to another area, ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Assist in long-range planning for unit needs, including staffing, equipment, space, and process improvements.
• Contribute to unit budget planning by providing input on resource requirements, operational needs, and anticipated workload.
• Monitor and generate measurements and metrics of Clinical Research Support Laboratory activities to support performance tracking and continuous improvement.
• Assist in the development, implementation, and refinement of policies and procedures to ensure a safe, efficient, and effective work environment.
• Recommend adjustments to policies and procedures to support quality improvement initiatives and align with organizational objectives and best practices.
• Manage the use of facilities, including office and laboratory space, workstations, equipment, and office supplies, to support efficient operations.
• Ensure that contracted courier services maintain appropriate regulatory and safety documentation and standards related to specimen transport.
• Schedule external couriers for delivery of patient-specific protocol materials to care centers, including arrangements for deliveries outside regularly scheduled courier hours.
• Assist in the maintenance of laboratory equipment and supplies, ensuring that instruments and materials are available and functioning properly to support daily operations.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the regulatory environment governing the collection, storage, and shipment of human samples and ensure that laboratory practices align with current requirements.
• Stay informed about best practices in specimen handling and laboratory safety and participate in local and international professional organizations, as appropriate, to maintain professional expertise.
• Interact with internal stakeholders to define work assignments, clarify requirements, communicate progress on projects, and coordinate activities across departments.
• Interact with external sources, including vendors and subcontractors, to coordinate work necessary to fulfill projects, stay informed about new products and technologies, and arrange for external services as needed.
• Supervise a mi