Laboratory Manager - Hematology/Oncology (Haake Cancer Lab)

Discover Vanderbilt Health: With eight hospitals and over 180 clinics, we are the region’s largest comprehensive academic health system. Vanderbilt Health has a long tradition of providing world‑class care to the people of the Mid‑South, living out our mission of moving medicine forward through preeminent programs in patient care, education and research. Here you’ll find a spirit of collaboration and a supportive community where your expertise is valued, your knowledge expanded and your uniqueness celebrated. We are committed to fostering an environment where talented, compassionate people are united in bringing the most advanced care to our neighbors throughout the region.

Organization: Hematology/Oncology Research

Job Summary

Leads the laboratory in performing administrative, research, and technical duties. Supervises laboratory staff, develops lab guidelines and maintains procedures.

Lab Summary

In the Haake Cancer Lab, we study the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) signaling during tumor initiation and evolution. ECM signaling via integrins is required for the survival of epithelial cells. However, as epithelial cells transform into carcinoma cells, the role of ECM and integrin signaling becomes more complex. In some contexts, such as lung cancer, we have shown that cancer cells exhibit constitutive, ligand‑independent activation of ECM receptors, and this signaling is required for tumor initiation. However, their role in the biology of carcinoma types remains poorly defined. Our current work is focused on understanding the biological factors that regulate integrin signaling in various tumor types, including kidney cancer.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with in‑vitro and animal based experiments.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree + 5 years of relevant work experience.

Job Description KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Initiate changes or develop new policies, procedures and/or methods.
• Perform test experiment procedures relating to laboratory activities.
• Indirect budgetary responsibility depending on laboratory, may prepare the budget for approval by administration and monitor expenditures against the budget.
• Evaluate quality assurance standards, programs and procedures within the unit/laboratory and ensure effective instrument/equipment use and quality control of laboratory.
• Ensure accuracy and reliability of tests/experiments.
• Develop new and modify existing methodology/protocols.
• Perform, interpret and evaluate research.
• Serve as a resource to others and assist in performing and interpreting technical studies.
• May prepare and present lectures or laboratory exercises; and coordinate guest lecturers.
• The responsibilities listed are a general overview of the position and additional duties may be assigned.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

• Quality Assurance (Advanced): Understands the goal of increasing organizational productivity and individual performance by making the products and services within your work assignments more efficient and more effective.
• Laboratory Practices (Advanced): Demonstrates the uppermost levels of expertise in applying laboratory practices in challenging and complex situations. Often takes a lead role in highly pressurized situations when there is a need to achieve results. Consistently delivers products and services using laboratory practices in a creative and imaginative manner while setting a standard for others. Actively participates in outside professional organizations and forums. Contributes in the development of best practices for the organization.
• People Management (Advanced): Adapts management style to meet the unique needs of individuals. Trains and assesses others in the application of management techniques. Understands the nature of team dynamics and organizational behavior. Demonstrates the utilization and understanding of different styles of management to meet different individual needs of job objectives. Outstanding proponent of company values as applied on the job.
• Operations Planning (Advanced): Demonstrates ability to anticipate resource needs, identify discrete tasks, set priorities, define dependencies, schedule activities, meet deadlines, and organize work for a diverse, multi‑functional area. Continuously monitors and follows up on buyins and commitments. Competently handles multiple assignments, projects, and units simultaneously, balancing and scheduling tasks requiring dependencies and those which can be accomplished independently. Accurately estimates and plans complex projects and assignments. Improves work procedures and systems in the environment. Makes major contributions to the success of task force groups. Maintains perspective between the overall picture and the details.
• Mentoring & Coaching (Advanced): Demonstrates high levels of training and mentoring expertise in challenging and complex situations. Often takes a lead role in highly pressurized situations when there is a need to achieve training results. Consistently provides training and mentoring in a creative and imaginative manner while setting a standard for others. Knows how to use failure as a learning process in a constructive way, replacing contention and conflict with enthusiasm and confidence. Personalizes the impact of behavior on performance and assignments. Has a proven track record of providing constructive suggestions, facilitating implementation of programs and improvements, recognizing achievements individually and reinforcing success.
• Compliance (Advanced): Demonstrates expert knowledge of the appropriate rules and regulations as they apply to the incumbent’s department and work areas. Analyzes the rules and regulations for situations that are unusual and knows the interrelationship and implication of various rules and regulations in other areas of the department. Understands the flow of rules and regulations beyond the work area and can converse intelligently about alternatives and make recommendations for more effective rules and regulations to senior management. May represent the company at regional industry organizations meetings for discussing rules and regulations.

Core Accountabilities

• Organizational Impact: Directs activities to achieve operational plans with some near term effect on results of the department/area.
• Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Identifies issues, gathers facts to resolve technical and operational problems.
• Breadth of Knowledge: Applies in‑depth knowledge and skills of a professional/technical area and basic management knowledge to manage the work of the team.
• Team Interaction: Leads a complex department with a focus on implementation. Typically executes on a short to medium term strategies.

Core Capabilities

• Supporting Colleagues: - Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.
• Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.
• Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences.
• Delivering Excellent Services: - Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.
• Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.
• Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness.
• Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.
• Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them.
• Ensures Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring.
• Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.
• Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.
• Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities.
• Fostering Innovation: - Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.
• Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short‑term challenges.
• Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications

Responsibilities: Certifications: Work Experience: Relevant Work Experience Experience Level: 5 years Education: Bachelor’s.

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well‑being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity. EOE/Vets/Disabled.

PEOPLE ARE AT THE HEART OF ALL WE DO. Great health care takes great people. We’re looking for like‑minded individuals driven to make a difference.

We invite you to explore careers at Vanderbilt Health, where we value collaboration, embrace continuous learning and foster an environment where everyone can thrive. We’re the largest private employer in Middle Tennessee, with a growing team and an expanding footprint across towns and communities throughout the region. We employ more than 43,000 people who work in inpatient and outpatient clinical care, research and graduate medical education. Our employees also serve in critical supporting roles in administration, information technology and informatics, finance, legal and community affairs, communications and marketing, fundraising, groundskeeping and facilities, and many other departments.

Our growing academic health system has more than 2,100 licensed hospital beds at eight hospitals: Vanderbilt University Hospital Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital Vanderbilt Bedford Hospital Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital.

Vanderbilt Health is the Mid‑South's largest provider of specialty care, with hundreds of outpatient clinic and surgical locations throughout the region, and Tennessee’s only National Cancer Institute‑designated Comprehensive Cancer Center for adults and children. We are one of the nation's busiest critical care centers, home to Middle Tennessee’s only Level 1 Trauma Center and Burn Center for adults and children, and Middle Tennessee’s only Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. We are the nation’s largest transplant center, and last year we performed the most heart transplants than any center worldwide.

Vanderbilt Health is an epicenter for biomedical research, winning over $1 billion in annual research awards from government, industry, foundations and donors.

We are also a national leader in medical training and education, with the largest clinical training center in the Mid‑South and the only training center in Tennessee for many adult and pediatric specialties.

We’re honored to be consistently considered among the nation’s best hospitals for quality, safety and patient satisfaction.

Three of our hospitals - Vanderbilt University Hospital, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital and Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital - have been awarded a Five‑Star Quality Rating from Medicare.

We support each other and encourage excellence among every member of our workforce. High‑achieving employees stay at Vanderbilt Health for professional growth opportunities, competitive compensation and benefits, and a sense of community and purpose.

Join us in advancing health care.

Our vision: The world leader in advancing personalized health

Our mission: Personalizing the patient experience through our caring spirit and distinctive capabilities