Position Overview
The Senior Director of Core Research Laboratories acts as the primary liaison, leading strategic operations and shaping service pricing strategies for all KU Core Labs across the Lawrence and Medical Center campuses. This role provides strategic oversight and direction to core lab management within OneKU, ensuring optimal investment returns, exceptional service quality, and effective access for researchers institution-wide.
Reporting directly to the Vice Chancellor for Research, the Senior Director collaborates with key stakeholders across university and OneKU departments to drive long-term planning, capability development, and pricing strategies that align with KU's research goals and financial policies. They oversee teams, projects, and processes to manage the overall operation of core research laboratory facilities.
The Senior Director's core responsibilities include serving as the primary contact for core lab leadership across both campuses to advance the OneKU research mission; supervising and mentoring leaders, staff, and researchers to ensure efficient facility management; and strategically implementing best-in-class operational practices to maximize service quality and revenue generation.
Job Description
30% Strategic Oversight and Core Lab Coordination
- Serve as primary point of contact and strategic liaison between all Core Lab directors, OneKU Leadership, and the KU Offices of Research.
- Supervise Core Lab directors.
- Develop and implement operational standards and procedures to align service levels across all core labs on all campuses.
- Facilitate collaboration and foster high service levels between Core Lab Managers and all interested researchers.
30% Infrastructure Planning and Elevating OneKU Research
- Serve as the primary subject-matter expert to advise OneKU leadership as they make long-range strategic plans for Core Lab services and facilities.
- Guide Core Lab facility and service enhancement to elevate KU's visibility as a leading research institution on national and global scales.
- Collaborate with campus partners to plan and execute Core Lab upgrades, renovations, and capital projects.
- Assess infrastructure needs and develop long-term strategies for space utilization, equipment, and service optimization.
- Support emergency preparedness and continuity planning for Core Lab facilities.
30% Optimize Financials
- Lead holistic evaluation and tracking of Core Lab revenue generation and ROI.
- Develop transparent policies and reporting to assess and evaluate appropriate subsidies.
- Assess market for industry and academic external customers for core lab services, and develop marketing and communication strategies to attract external users.
- Coordinate with Facility Managers and KU Operations leadership to address ROI challenges and changes.
- Lead standardization and differentiation efforts and decisions across all OneKU Core Labs.
- As appropriate, may encourage and/or lead collaboration with industry partners.
10% Other Duties as Assigned, e.g.
- Participate in Office of Research strategic initiatives and cross-functional projects.
- Assist with budget planning and resource allocation for facility operations.
Required Qualifications
- Master's degree and five (5) years of related experience or Bachelor's degree and seven (7) years of related experience in the field.
- Five (5) years of experience in Core Lab operations in a progressive leadership role.
- Experience working with research rate-setting guidelines and sponsored-project administration standards, as demonstrated by application materials.
- Excellent written communication skills as demonstrated in application materials.
- Previous experience that required working collaboratively with a team, as evidenced in application materials.
- Work experience in a research or academic environment as shown in application materials.
- Seven (7) years of supervisory experience.
This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure that candidates have advanced knowledge, analytical skills and professional competencies necessary to perform the duties of the position. The level of degree is commonly recognized as the standard qualification for similar roles in the public and private sector, ensuring that the university remains competitive with industry aligned practices, enhances collaboration with external partners, and supports the delivery of services and programs that meet professional and market-driven expectations.
Preferred Qualifications
- Earned doctorate in a laboratory science or related field.
- Experience managing multiple Core Laboratories as evidenced in application materials.
- Experience working with federal and state regulations related to research infrastructure as shown in application materials.
- Experience with capital planning and space management as evidenced in application materials.
- Experience with environmental health and safety practices in research settings as shown in application materials.
- Previous experience that required collaboration across multiple teams or locations as evidenced in application materials.
Additional Candidate Instructions
In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:
- Cover letter describing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications.
- Resume.
- List of three (3) professional references.
Only complete applications will be considered.
Application review begins Friday, October 31, 2025 and will continue until a qualified pool of applicants are identified.
Contact Information to Applicants
Amber Roberts Graham
amberts@ku.edu
Advertised Salary Range
$155,000-175,000, commensurate with experience
Application Review Begins
Friday October 31, 2025
Anticipated Start Date
Monday December 1, 2025
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University of Kansas
Oct 21, 2025