BiG Lab and Intern Manager

Please note that this posting closes at 3:00 pm on the date listed above.

If you have questions regarding this position, please contact: Sandra Hemmer, CTE Coordinator, at (385)-646-7035 or email [email protected]

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily, with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, training, education, responsibilities, abilities; the machines, tools and equipment used; background; and any licenses or certifications required. Physical, punctual, reliable, and predictable regular attendance is an essential job function.

Job Summary

The BiG Laboratory & Internship Manager leads, expands, and oversees student participation in industry-connected life science projects, work-based learning, and internships at BioInnovations Gateway (BiG), located at Granite Technical Institute. This role bridges secondary education and the life sciences industry by coordinating student placements with incubator start-up companies, maintaining laboratory facilities and instrumentation, supporting applicable laboratory safety and quality standards, and fostering cross-disciplinary Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways.

Essential Functions

• Student Projects, Internships & Pathway Advancement

  • Coordinate, monitor, and evaluate student internship placements with participating BiG start-up companies and industry partners.

  • Partner with educators and start-up client companies to design and execute authentic, industry-connected, and contracted client projects.

  • Prepare students across varying proficiency levels (novice to proficient) for high-complexity laboratory workflows, professional workplace expectations, and industry safety standards.

  • Connect project-based learning and internships to CTE biotechnology/biomanufacturing pathway coursework, stackable credentials, and higher education degree options.

  • Track, analyze, and report student progress, skill acquisition, and project outcomes to address barriers to successful completion.

• Cross-Program Collaboration & Multi-Disciplinary Projects

  • Collaborate with Granite Technical Institute and other district CTE instructors to engage biotechnology students and integrate students from engineering, computer science, animation, digital marketing, graphics, and information technology into multi-disciplinary BiG projects.

  • Establish structured collaborative frameworks that enable multi-disciplinary student teams to solve authentic industry challenges posed by client companies.

• Laboratory Operations, Safety & Regulatory Compliance

  • Manage wet labs, analytical testing spaces, clean-room operations, prototyping facilities, and shared company work areas.

  • Establish and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), safety protocols, and resource scheduling for shared facility and equipment use among students and incubator client companies.

  • Perform routine calibration, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting on specialized analytical instruments (e.g., HPLC, Mass Spectrometry, PCR equipment).

  • Maintain laboratory compliance with federal regulatory frameworks, standards, and safety guidelines.

  • Implement and monitor automated sensor-based environmental and equipment monitoring systems to ensure continuous facility operation.

  • Maintain operational logs, chemical inventories, safety data sheets (SDS), chain of custody records, and audit-ready documentation.

• Industry Partnership & Resource Management

  • Work professionally with students, educators, industry representatives, workforce partners, higher education partners, and BiG start-up companies.

  • Work with the District CTE Department to budget, requisition, and manage expenditures for internship supplies, laboratory reagents, and equipment maintenance.

  • Evaluate emerging life science technologies and recommend capital equipment acquisitions aligned with workforce and BiG company needs.

Non-Essential Functions

• Other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge and Skills

• Laboratory Operations & Maintenance: Advanced knowledge of life science laboratory management, equipment calibration, preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting.

• Regulatory & Quality Frameworks: Understanding of GMP, GLP, quality control/quality assurance (QA/QC), and federal safety compliance (OSHA/EPA).

• Manufacturing & R&D Principles: Background and working knowledge of manufacturing, research and development (R&D), quality systems, and federal regulatory standards (cGMP/GLP).

• Work-Based Learning & Student Mentorship: Demonstrated ability to mentor high school students with diverse skill levels, coordinate internship placements, and design project-based learning frameworks.

• Cross-Disciplinary Coordination: Ability to integrate multiple CTE disciplines (e.g., IT, engineering, design) into life science projects.

• Technical Software & Data Literacy: Proficiency with Mac/PC platforms, Microsoft Office Suite, digital learning management systems (LMS), and laboratory information systems.

• Communication & Stakeholder Engagement: Exceptional oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills for interacting with corporate executives, district leaders, teachers, and students.

Required Education, Training, and Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor's degree or higher from a regionally accredited college or university in Biology, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Bioengineering, or a closely related scientific field.

• Laboratory experience operating and maintaining analytical instrumentation, with preferred hands-on experience in High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Mass Spectrometry, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) is preferred.

• Teaching, coaching, or industry training experience in Biotechnology, Biology, or Chemistry at the secondary, post-secondary, or industry level is preferred.

Required Prior Experience

• Minimum of two (2) years of professional experience working in a life science laboratory, R&D, or biomanufacturing environment.

Assigned Decision Making

• Program & Internship Coordination: Independent authority to structure student preparation activities, determine project readiness, match students with start-up placements, and address daily student performance issues.

• Laboratory & Facility Operations: Authority to establish laboratory usage protocols, schedule shared equipment, prioritize instrument maintenance, and enforce safety standard compliance among both students and incubator tenant companies.

Non-Supervisory Interaction

• High-level, frequent collaboration with GTI educators, district CTE administrators, high school counselors, start-up company executives/founders, higher education faculty, and industry partners.

Supervisory Responsibility

• Functional supervision, mentoring, and progress monitoring of participating high school interns and project teams.

• Monitors and enforces operational compliance and facility guidelines for incubator tenant companies and external users within shared BiG spaces.

• Position does not hold formal hiring, termination, or performance evaluation authority over district employees.

Budget Responsibility

• Collaborates directly with the District CTE Department to plan, monitor, and reconcile expenditures for laboratory equipment, operational supplies, and student project/internship materials.

Working Environment

• Work environment spans instructional wet/analytical laboratories, clean rooms, technical workshops, computer labs, standard office spaces, and off-site industry client facilities.

• Exposure to chemical reagents, biological samples, high-voltage equipment, compressed gases, and automated laboratory machinery requiring strict adherence to personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols.

Physical Requirements

• Communication: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and perceiving the nature of sounds at normal spoken levels.

• Mobility: Frequently standing, walking, reaching with hands and arms, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and navigating dynamic lab environments.

• Vision: Close vision, distance vision, color vision (for chemical/sample identification), peripheral vision, and depth perception.

• Lifting: Must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds (e.g., equipment calibration weights, reagent bottles, lab supplies).