Laboratory Administration Assistant Director

Employer: Northern Arizona University

Location: Flagstaff, Arizona

Salary: Commensurate with education and experience

Closing date: Mar 31, 2026

Discipline: Physical Sciences, Chemistry, Engineering, Materials Science, Physics

Job Type: President/CEO/Director/VP

Organization Type: Academia

Job Details

Special Information

• This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.
• This position is subject to the availability of funding. The incumbent is not eligible for Service Professional non-renewal notice, or Classified Staff layoff or recall status.

About the Department/College

Northern Arizona University is launching a new multimillion-dollar Microelectronics Processing, Characterization, and Testing (MPaCT) laboratory facility in the fall of 2026. This facility will focus on surface metrology and materials characterization for semiconductors and microelectronics and represents a pillar of a broader funded initiative to enhance semiconductor industry workforce and capacity in Arizona. The newly constructed facility will house over 40 new advanced instruments spanning microscopy, spectroscopy, fabrication, environmental testing, and surface, material, and electrical characterization. Managed within the Steve Sanghi College of Engineering, this lab will serve diverse use groups spanning student and faculty as well as industry and governmental users.

About the Position

Northern Arizona University (NAU) seeks an Assistant Director to oversee a new multi-million dollar Microelectronics Processing, Characterization, and Testing laboratory facility focused on semiconductor and microelectronics research funded as part of a larger $13M grant to advance workforce readiness and capacity in the state of Arizona. The lab features advanced metrology, manufacturing, and assembly equipment. The newly renovated facility will include new equipment focused on surface metrology and electrical material and system fabrication, characterization, and testing. The Assistant Director will ensure safe, efficient operations while supporting research and training.

Candidates should have a strong background in a subset of the following areas: metrology, microscopy, spectroscopy, electronics, semiconductor devices, and industry experience. Excellent organizational, analytical, and communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities Include

30% - Lab Management

• Schedules and coordinates lab equipment usage.
• Provides proper training of lab users (students, technicians, postdocs, and faculty) on proper laboratory procedures and safety protocols to ensure appropriate use of lab equipment.
• Supervises subordinate employees.
• Develops equipment usage rate charges, tracks usage and billing for use.
• Maintains and reports on lab budget.
• Works with IT personnel to ensure data system availability, reliability, and regulatory compliance.
• Ensures lab is prepared for annual safety inspections and ensures regulatory compliance and safety standards are met.
• Implement and oversee financial planning to support lab operations and research goal. This includes overseeing budgets, inventory, purchasing, and overall expenses.
• Recommends and initiates cost saving measures.

30% - Lab Operation

• Coordinates experiments for researchers, faculty, and other users of the laboratory and equipment.
• Runs equipment, collects and processes experimental data, performs analysis of data, and manages data used in grant applications, presentations, and publications.
• Schedules and performs maintenance of equipment and oversees associated service contracts.
• Maintains, calibrates, and troubleshoots lab equipment.
• Establishes and implements guidelines for the lab, including the development, implementation, and management of procedures and protocols.
• Implements changes to lab processes to improve validity and accuracy of data.
• Stays current with new developments/findings/research related to the lab environment including technology, processes, and equipment.

20% - Business Development

• Develops and maintains strategic research relationships with key industrial, academic, and governmental partners resulting in billable center activities to foster long-term value and identify growth opportunities. Travels as needed in support of this goal.
• Maintains facility website and informational literature for distribution to potential users.
• Develops, reviews, and updates services and associated costs and charge rates, etc.
• Presents to potential users groups on lab facility capacity.
• Applies for grants for funding.
• Identify and secure new collaborative opportunities with prospective clients, users, and stakeholders.

10% - Technical Communication

• Writes technical and analytical reports from experiments based on service requests.
• Develops annual lab operational reports.
• Manages, and as needed, develops laboratory safety training policies and training resources.
• Presents analysis and lab capabilities to diverse audiences such as faculty, industry, university leadership in support of business development and lab service requests/experiments.
• Contributes to and/or leads efforts to write clear, structured, articulate, and persuasive grant proposals.

5% - Building Management

• Serves as liaison and coordinates with other departments on campus (Facility Services, Environmental Health and Safety, Regulatory Compliance, NAU Police Dept, etc.) for reporting the need for building maintenance, safety issues, and repairs that affect normal facility operation.
• Manages user access to the laboratory facility.

5% - Other

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field.
• 2 years of management experience.
• 3 years of relevant experience.

*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.*

Preferred Qualifications

• An advanced degree in Physics, Engineering, Material Science, Chemistry or a related field with related lab experience of either:
  • Ph.D. degree with 3 years of relevant laboratory experience OR…
  • Master's degree with 7 years of relevant laboratory experience
• Demonstrated experience with:
  • Metrology: Expertise in measurement science AND/OR
  • Microscopy & Spectroscopy: Proficiency in various microscopy techniques and/or spectroscopic methods.
• Demonstrated experience in Laboratory Management:
  • Proficiency or capacity to manage a university core facility including team leadership, personnel management, project/program coordination, equipment maintenance/service coordination, budgeting, contract management, business development, etc.
• Semiconductor academic or industrial experience:
  • Work experience with semiconductors, specifically related to metrology or manufacturing.
• Demonstrated evidence of effective written and verbal communication skills.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge

• Operation and maintenance of equipment and sample preparation for lab equipment including but not limited to: Transmission Electron Microscopes, Scanning Electron Microscopes, Optical Holographic Profilers, Spatial Light Modulators, Cryo-Hall Stations, Digital Microscopes, Ellipsometers, Photoluminescence Spectrometers, Surface Profilers, Probe Stations, Ion Beam Mills, X-ray Diffractometers, Vector Network Analyzers, Spin Coaters, Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometers, and Laser PCB Mills.
• Methods, materials, and techniques used in laboratory and research work.
• University and departmental safety regulations.

Skills

• Prioritizing and completing multiple tasks of varying complexity and urgency in a timely and efficient manner.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and capacity to learn automation tools such as Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, etc.
• Scripting or programming for data analysis.

Abilities:

• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships.
• Communicating effectively.
• Possessing strong problem-solving, organizational, and analytical capabilities.
• Experimental design.
• Technical and academic writing.

Compensation

Salary range begins at $67,714. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

Submit your Application

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button on this page. You must submit your application by midnight of the application deadline.

To apply, please visit: https://careers.nau.edu/jobs/laboratory-administration-assistant-director-flagstaff-arizona-united-states