What are the responsibilities and job description for the Laboratory Manager, Animal Operations position at Planet Pharma?
DIRECT HIRE
MUST HAVES:
- Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Animal Science, Management, or equivalent experience with 10 years of experience in the biomedical/animal research industry
- 8 years of management experience in operations or animal facility leadership
- Hands-on experience working with lab animals (animal production experience strongly preferred)
Overview
The Laboratory Manager of Animal Operations is a hands-on operational leadership role overseeing day-to-day activities across two animal facilities within the Denver, PA site:
- Denver, PA Campus: Rodents & Poultry (barrier environment, shower-in required)
- Robesonia, PA (Texter Mountain): Rabbits (no shower-in required)
This role directly supports lab animal operations involving rodents, poultry, and rabbits. (NHPs and the surgery suite fall under a different Operations Manager). You will provide visible, floor-based leadership focused on safety, quality, compliance, staffing, and overall operational performance. The role requires strong communication, a high level of situational awareness, and comfort spending significant time in animal housing and barrier areas.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Leadership & Floor Presence
- Lead daily operations at both Denver and Robesonia campuses.
- Maintain a highly visible leadership presence on the floor.
- Ensure exceptional animal care and compliance with all animal welfare standards.
- Oversee barrier operations:
- Rodents & poultry: Shower-in required.
- Rabbits: No shower-in required.
- Ensure the facility is consistently audit-ready and adheres to all regulatory and accreditation requirements (USDA, AAALAC, SOPs, etc.).
People Management
- Directly manage two Operations Supervisors (one per site) and potentially an administrative staff member.
- Support hiring, onboarding, coaching, performance management, and workforce planning.
- Foster a culture of accountability, communication, and continuous improvement.
Financial & Business Operations
- Own operational budgets, cost control, and forecasting activities.
- Monitor KPIs, productivity metrics, and operational performance targets.
- Support customer visits, regulatory inspections, and internal/external audits.
- Collaborate with senior leadership to align operations with business strategy.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Regularly partner with:
- Veterinary teams
- Supervisors
- Quality Assurance
- HR / Talent Acquisition
- Customer Service
- Facilities & Engineering
- Senior Leadership
Compliance, Quality & Safety
- Maintain high standards of safety, biosecurity, and regulatory compliance.
- Drive quality improvements and ensure consistent adherence to SOPs.
- Support risk assessment, mitigation strategies, and business continuity planning.
Schedule & Work Environment
- Full on-site role with daily presence required.
- Approximately 50% in meetings/office and 50% in barrier/animal areas.
- Standard hours generally align with 7 AM–4 PM, depending on department needs.
- Expected travel: 2–3 times per year.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Animal Science, Management, or equivalent experience.
- 8–10 years of management experience in operations or animal facility leadership.
- 10 years of experience in the biomedical/animal research industry.
- Hands-on experience working with lab animals; animal production experience strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage budgets, and oversee complex operations.
- Strong communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
- Comfortable with a highly hands-on leadership role in animal facilities.
Preferred
- Advanced studies in Engineering, Business, or a related field.
- Experience with process improvement methodologies.