Director of Laboratory Facilities and Research Operations

Company: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Location: Memphis
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Department of Imaging Sciences is a new academic department that is recruiting faculty-level scientists and engineers specializing in the development of novel quantitative imaging, measurement, and analytical technologies. Our goal is to drive technical innovation that will accelerate scientific discovery and improve clinical care. We are seeking an experienced Director of Laboratory Facilities and Research Operations to facilitate the operational setup and daily function of faculty-led laboratories and departmental research infrastructure. Position Overview: The new Director of Laboratory Facilities and Research Operations will be responsible for establishing and maintaining the operations infrastructure for the department, which at full capacity will include 11 full-time faculty and their research labs, spanning a wide range of different imaging methodologies. Immediate responsibilities will include working with faculty recruits to scope and oversee setting up eclectic technology-focused research laboratories, coordinating renovations, capital purchases, equipment moves and installations, including advanced computational resources, and assisting with establishing laboratory safety and compliance protocols. The role will also include supporting the ongoing operational needs of faculty-led research labs, including working with vendors for purchases or repairs, assisting with compliance, onboarding, and training, as well as contributing to the planning and strategic development of new initiatives and large projects. These projects will include assisting with the development of new shared resources for instrumentation and fabrication, technology productization and deployment, biomedical testing, and analytics support. This role demands excellent project management skills, prior exposure to biomedical technology-related infrastructure and equipment in research environments, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to drive and follow through on multiple complex projects in parallel. The Director will collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure smooth and efficient operations in support of the department’s research mission. Key Responsibilities: Initiate and oversee large projects relating to renovating, moving or establishing new technology-focused, faculty-led research laboratories. Maintain diligent communication, organizational and fiscal oversight and efficiency of multiple projects in parallel. In collaboration with departmental leadership, establish scalable departmental operations infrastructure and procedures that will ensure that efficiency and productivity is maintained as the department grows. Responsibly support all aspects of departmental research operations for faculty-led laboratories and departmental shared resources, including regular communication with faculty, researchers and trainees to understand current and future operational needs. Establish excellent relationships between widely varying stake-holders. Utilize critical thinking and problem-solving abilities to collaboratively overcome challenges and innovate solutions. Collaborate with departmental leadership to support budgeting, projections, and financial tracking related to research operations. Ensure alignment of projects and expenditures with strategic initiatives and project, departmental and institutional goals. Propose and drive innovative improvements to procedures and operations to maximize efficiency and productivity. Participate in personnel planning and recruitment to ensure that the department has the interdisciplinary support and expertise needed to succeed. Collaborate with the Department leadership to manage team processes, including hiring, goal setting, performance evaluation, training and development, and engagement. Collaborate closely and respectfully with St Jude personnel at all levels including cross-functional leadership, departmental/institutional shared resources, partner laboratories, and partner/vendor organizations, to optimize efficiency, productivity and foster innovation. Foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement within the department and institution, ensuring that team members have the support and resources they need to succeed. Why Join Us? At St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, you'll have the opportunity to influence and support pioneering research that will shape the future of cutting-edge biomedical science and improvements in clinical care. You will work in a collaborative, innovative, and highly impactful environment. We offer competitive compensation and the chance to be part of a team that makes a real-world impact. Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree in relevant scientific discipline is required. Minimum Experience: 10 years of experience in relevant technical field (industry or academia) is required. 8 years of experience in relevant technical field is required with a Master’s degree. 5 years of experience in relevant technical field is required with a PHD. Experience leading large-scale laboratory infrastructure-based projects/processes from scoping through to implementation. Prior exposure to complex research environments, and experience collaborating with scientific colleagues at all levels. Experience in establishing and respectfully managing skilled teams in a leadership capacity. Experience with laboratory operations management, core facilities management, budget planning, stakeholder and resource management preferred. Prior exposure to / interest in biomedical or clinical imaging technology development, deployment, productization and commercialization preferred. Prior experience in building internal and external connections with peers, emerging technology communities, and expert networks preferred. Proven performance in earlier role/comparable role. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter as part of the application process. Please address your cover letter to: Elizabeth Hillman, PhD Chair, Department of Imaging Sciences St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105-3678 Compensation In recognition of certain U.S. state and municipal pay transparency laws, St. Jude is including a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This is an estimate offered in good faith and a specific salary offer takes into account factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $125,840 - $238,160 per year for the role of Director of Laboratory Facilities and Research Operations. Explore our exceptional benefits ! St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer No Search Firms St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.

Keywords: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis , Director of Laboratory Facilities and Research Operations, Science, Research & Development , Memphis, Tennessee