About The Role

About the Work Unit

The Mitchell lab investigates natural product biosynthesis and applies genome mining, enzymology, and machine learning to the discovery and engineering of new natural products. The group develops tools for genome-guided discovery, identifies previously unknown biosynthetic pathways, and biochemically characterizes the responsible enzymes. A parallel effort engineers macrocyclic peptide scaffolds into modulators of therapeutically relevant protein targets. The work spans microbiology, analytical chemistry, protein biochemistry, and computational biology, and the lab maintains a correspondingly broad instrument base. The work unit is made up of the PI, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, undergraduates, and administrative staff.

Key Functions and Expected Performance

Manage laboratory purchasing, inventory, and vendor relationships

Serve as the primary purchaser for the laboratory, managing near-daily Purchase orders, quotes, pricing, receipts, invoices, and vendor coordination to ensure timely arrival of needed supplies, while remaining in budget and minimizing duplicative or unnecessary ordering.
Coordinate recurring supplies for dry ice, liquid nitrogen, gases, and similar shared resources.
Coordinate incoming/outgoing shipments and document materials exchanged with other groups.

Oversee shared instrumentation and laboratory infrastructure

Manage and maintain shared instrumentation, including access, scheduling, training, service contracts, and scheduling preventive maintenance or other repairs with vendors.
Manage cold-storage space, scheduled defrosting, and other shared laboratory infrastructure needs.
Coordinate facilities and access requests involving HVAC, electrical, plumbing, lighting, doors, card access, network issues, and related building services.

Perform and support laboratory research

Prepare and manage shared laboratory common-use items, including growth media, buffers, and competent cells, and strain collections with accurate cataloging and distribution.
Support on-going projects, including cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, vector preparation, bacterial expression, and protein purification, and hands-on experimental support when necessary.
Develop, standardize, troubleshoot, and document laboratory protocols and SOPs while maintaining accurate research records and communicating project status in written and oral formats.

Serve as Safety Officer for the Mitchell laboratory

Serve as the liaison to EH&S, performing informal safety audits and coordinating corrective actions.
Coordinate handling and disposal of chemical, biological, solvent, and other regulated waste.
Support implementation and compliance for animal research protocols, in coordination with the Principal Investigator and appropriate Vanderbilt oversight offices.

Coordinate group operations and personnel logistics

Coordinate on/off-boarding of group members, including desk and bench space, access, safety training, instrument checkouts, data archiving, shared calendars, and roster updates.
Promote organization of shared spaces, benches, storage areas, and consumable stocks, escalating recurring issues to the PI when appropriate.

Supervisory Relationships

This position does not have supervisory responsibility. The position reports to the PI. The Laboratory Manager directs shared lab operations and trains graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and undergraduates on equipment, safety, and standard procedures. The Laboratory Manager also assigns and coordinates instrument contact roles among lab members and oversees a designated student backup purchaser.

Education and Certifications

A Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, or a related field from an accredited institution of higher education is required.
A Master’s degree in biochemistry, chemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, or a related field from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred.

Experience and Skills

A minimum of one year of laboratory research experience is required (three years is preferred).
Demonstrated ability to work independently and function as part of a team is required.
Excellent organizational, recordkeeping, and communication skills (verbal and written) are required.
Computer skills sufficient for business transactions, including POs, expense reports, spreadsheets, and inventory records, are required.
Evidence of being a problem solver and self-starter with strong attention to detail is required.
Experience with molecular cloning, site-directed mutagenesis, and plasmid preparation is preferred.
Knowledge of protein expression and purification is preferred.
Familiarity with common instrumentation such as HPLC, LC-MS, PCR, FPLC, etc. is preferred.
Experience with purchasing and inventory management is preferred.
Familiarity with chemical hygiene, hazardous waste handling, and BSL2 requirements is preferred.