Microbiology Manager Jobs
Microbiology Manager jobs are open across pharmaceutical, food and beverage, biotechnology, and clinical diagnostics industries, from team lead to director level, with specializations in quality control, regulatory compliance, and research and development. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Job Description
The Manager is accountable for laboratory operations, people leadership, quality and regulatory readiness, financial stewardship, resource planning, and execution of Clinical Microbiology projects and initiatives. The Manager works under the direction of the Medical Director-Microbiology and other faculty clinical microbiologists, who provide clinical and scientific direction for the service, and translates that direction into effective laboratory operations.
The Manager collaborates closely with Molecular Microbiology and partners with the Directors of Clinical Laboratory Operations, Quality, and Pathology Informatics, as well as the Sr. Director, to support departmental priorities and coordinated laboratory services.
This role provides operational leadership for an assigned clinical laboratory or cellular therapy operation. This role is accountable for personnel, workflow, quality systems, resources, equipment, budgets, and operational performance. This role ensures compliance with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and institutional requirements, which may include CLIA, FDA, CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program, CAP ISO 15189, FACT, Tennessee licensure, biosafety, human subjects' protection, HIPAA, and other applicable requirements.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead daily Clinical Microbiology operations, including staffing, workflow, service delivery, performance, and resource utilization.
- Recruit, develop, coach, and manage laboratory staff while fostering accountability, teamwork, professional growth, and succession readiness.
- Oversee training and education of staff, students, fellows and other trainees, as appropriate.
- Maintain quality, safety, regulatory, and accreditation readiness and ensure effective follow-up of quality events, corrective actions, and operational risks.
- Develop and manage the Clinical Microbiology operating budget, conduct variance analysis, support forecasting, and ensure responsible financial and resource stewardship.
- Plan and prioritize capital equipment, instrumentation, technology, supply, and other resource needs.
- Maintain current knowledge of clinical microbiology practices, including bacteriology, mycology, and anti-microbial susceptibility testing. Serve as an expert resource for technical and clinical staff.
- Maintain specimen management, methodologies and staff training to match current best practices and latest technical advances, guideline changes or software updates.
- Provide project management oversight for Clinical Microbiology initiatives, including new instrumentation, testing, technology, workflow changes, and operational improvements.
- Operationalize the clinical and scientific direction of the service under the direction of the Medical Director-Microbiology and other faculty clinical microbiologists.
- Collaborate with Molecular Microbiology leadership on shared workflows, specimen management, service coverage, and other areas of operational interdependence.
- Partner with Clinical Laboratory Operations, Quality, Pathology Informatics, and senior leadership on operational performance, quality systems, technology, resource planning, and departmental initiatives.
- Use quality, operational, workforce, and financial data to identify risks, improve performance, and support continuous improvement and service development.
Minimum Education and/or Training:
- Bachelor’s degree in medical technology, medical laboratory science, clinical laboratory science, or one of the biological, chemical, or physical sciences is required.
- B.S. degree or equivalent with skill and proficiency in the principles, concepts and techniques in the field of medical technology (Such proficiency is usually acquired through completion of a medical technology program in an accredited school).
Minimum Experience:
- Seven (7) years of relevant clinical laboratory experience required; OR master’s degree in clinical laboratory science or a biological, chemical, or physical science with five (5) years of relevant clinical laboratory experience; OR doctoral degree in a biological, chemical, physical, or other field appropriate to the assigned clinical laboratory operation with two (2) years of relevant clinical laboratory experience.
- Demonstrated experience in clinical laboratory operations, testing processes, equipment, workflow, and associated laboratory practices.
- Experience with regulatory, accreditation, quality, and institutional requirements applicable to the assigned operation.
- Experience supervising personnel and managing laboratory operations, including work assignment, training, performance management, and staff development.
- Experience leading projects and process improvements, including resource planning, implementation, and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrated experience leading, developing, and mentoring teams.
- Proven performance in an earlier or comparable role.
Preferred Experience/Key Job-Related Skillsets
Extensive skill and experience in:
- Gram and other microbial stain interpretation
- Bacterial and fungal culture and identification using both manual
- and automated methods
- Anti-microbial susceptibility testing using both manual and
- automated methods
- Rapid clinical microbiologic testing methods, including those
- using molecular technologies
- Compilation and analysis of clinical microbiologic data, including
- antibiogram creation
- Familiarity with common methods and instrumentation used in Clinical Microbiology
- Theoretical knowledge of all areas of clinical microbiology, including especially bacteriology, mycology and anti-microbial susceptibility testing
Licensure, Registration and/or Certification Required by Law:
- Tennessee licensure as a Medical Laboratory Supervisor-General or Supervisor-Categorical in assigned lab section required within six (6) months of hire.
Licensure, Registration and/or Certification Required by SJCRH Only:
- Medical Technologist or Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) by ASCP/ AMT required within 6 months of hire, if not licensed by the state of Tennessee.
- Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) or Medical Technologist (MT) through an approved national certification organization (e.g., ASCP, AMT, NRCC, ABB, ASCPi) is required within six (6) months of hire.
- Specialty categorical certification (e.g., DLM(ASCP), SH(ASCP), SM(ASCP), SC(ASCP), SCYM(ASCP), SMB(ASCP), SBB(ASCP) is strongly preferred.
Compensation
In recognition of certain U.S. state and municipal pay transparency laws, St. Jude is including a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This is an estimate offered in good faith and a specific salary offer takes into account factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $94,640 - $169,520 per year for the role of Manager, Clinical Microbiology.Explore our exceptional benefits!
We are committed to a human-centered hiring experience. Technology may support portions of our process, but recruiting decisions involve human review and engagement. Learn more about our approach to AI.
St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer
No Search Firms
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.
Job Description
The Manager is accountable for laboratory operations, people leadership, quality and regulatory readiness, financial stewardship, resource planning, and execution of Clinical Microbiology projects and initiatives. The Manager works under the direction of the Medical Director-Microbiology and other faculty clinical microbiologists, who provide clinical and scientific direction for the service, and translates that direction into effective laboratory operations.
The Manager collaborates closely with Molecular Microbiology and partners with the Directors of Clinical Laboratory Operations, Quality, and Pathology Informatics, as well as the Sr. Director, to support departmental priorities and coordinated laboratory services.
This role provides operational leadership for an assigned clinical laboratory or cellular therapy operation. This role is accountable for personnel, workflow, quality systems, resources, equipment, budgets, and operational performance. This role ensures compliance with applicable regulatory, accreditation, and institutional requirements, which may include CLIA, FDA, CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program, CAP ISO 15189, FACT, Tennessee licensure, biosafety, human subjects' protection, HIPAA, and other applicable requirements.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead daily Clinical Microbiology operations, including staffing, workflow, service delivery, performance, and resource utilization.
- Recruit, develop, coach, and manage laboratory staff while fostering accountability, teamwork, professional growth, and succession readiness.
- Oversee training and education of staff, students, fellows and other trainees, as appropriate.
- Maintain quality, safety, regulatory, and accreditation readiness and ensure effective follow-up of quality events, corrective actions, and operational risks.
- Develop and manage the Clinical Microbiology operating budget, conduct variance analysis, support forecasting, and ensure responsible financial and resource stewardship.
- Plan and prioritize capital equipment, instrumentation, technology, supply, and other resource needs.
- Maintain current knowledge of clinical microbiology practices, including bacteriology, mycology, and anti-microbial susceptibility testing. Serve as an expert resource for technical and clinical staff.
- Maintain specimen management, methodologies and staff training to match current best practices and latest technical advances, guideline changes or software updates.
- Provide project management oversight for Clinical Microbiology initiatives, including new instrumentation, testing, technology, workflow changes, and operational improvements.
- Operationalize the clinical and scientific direction of the service under the direction of the Medical Director-Microbiology and other faculty clinical microbiologists.
- Collaborate with Molecular Microbiology leadership on shared workflows, specimen management, service coverage, and other areas of operational interdependence.
- Partner with Clinical Laboratory Operations, Quality, Pathology Informatics, and senior leadership on operational performance, quality systems, technology, resource planning, and departmental initiatives.
- Use quality, operational, workforce, and financial data to identify risks, improve performance, and support continuous improvement and service development.
Minimum Education and/or Training:
- Bachelor’s degree in medical technology, medical laboratory science, clinical laboratory science, or one of the biological, chemical, or physical sciences is required.
- B.S. degree or equivalent with skill and proficiency in the principles, concepts and techniques in the field of medical technology (Such proficiency is usually acquired through completion of a medical technology program in an accredited school).
Minimum Experience:
- Seven (7) years of relevant clinical laboratory experience required; OR master’s degree in clinical laboratory science or a biological, chemical, or physical science with five (5) years of relevant clinical laboratory experience; OR doctoral degree in a biological, chemical, physical, or other field appropriate to the assigned clinical laboratory operation with two (2) years of relevant clinical laboratory experience.
- Demonstrated experience in clinical laboratory operations, testing processes, equipment, workflow, and associated laboratory practices.
- Experience with regulatory, accreditation, quality, and institutional requirements applicable to the assigned operation.
- Experience supervising personnel and managing laboratory operations, including work assignment, training, performance management, and staff development.
- Experience leading projects and process improvements, including resource planning, implementation, and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrated experience leading, developing, and mentoring teams.
- Proven performance in an earlier or comparable role.
Preferred Experience/Key Job-Related Skillsets
Extensive skill and experience in:
- Gram and other microbial stain interpretation
- Bacterial and fungal culture and identification using both manual
- and automated methods
- Anti-microbial susceptibility testing using both manual and
- automated methods
- Rapid clinical microbiologic testing methods, including those
- using molecular technologies
- Compilation and analysis of clinical microbiologic data, including
- antibiogram creation
- Familiarity with common methods and instrumentation used in Clinical Microbiology
- Theoretical knowledge of all areas of clinical microbiology, including especially bacteriology, mycology and anti-microbial susceptibility testing
Licensure, Registration and/or Certification Required by Law:
- Tennessee licensure as a Medical Laboratory Supervisor-General or Supervisor-Categorical in assigned lab section required within six (6) months of hire.
Licensure, Registration and/or Certification Required by SJCRH Only:
- Medical Technologist or Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) by ASCP/ AMT required within 6 months of hire, if not licensed by the state of Tennessee.
- Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) or Medical Technologist (MT) through an approved national certification organization (e.g., ASCP, AMT, NRCC, ABB, ASCPi) is required within six (6) months of hire.
- Specialty categorical certification (e.g., DLM(ASCP), SH(ASCP), SM(ASCP), SC(ASCP), SCYM(ASCP), SMB(ASCP), SBB(ASCP) is strongly preferred.
Compensation
In recognition of certain U.S. state and municipal pay transparency laws, St. Jude is including a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This is an estimate offered in good faith and a specific salary offer takes into account factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $94,640 - $169,520 per year for the role of Manager, Clinical Microbiology.Explore our exceptional benefits!
We are committed to a human-centered hiring experience. Technology may support portions of our process, but recruiting decisions involve human review and engagement. Learn more about our approach to AI.
St. Jude is an Equal Opportunity Employer
No Search Firms
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.
Microbiology Manager Jobs by Experience Level
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Find Microbiology Manager JobsMicrobiology Manager Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
- Animal Care & Pet Services
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in microbiology manager jobs.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in microbiology, biology, or a related life science field
- Minimum five years of microbiology laboratory experience with at least two in a supervisory role
- Working knowledge of GMP, GLP, and relevant FDA or USDA regulatory frameworks
- Proficiency with LIMS and standard microbiological testing instruments and documentation systems
- Experience authoring, reviewing, and approving standard operating procedures and technical reports
- Certification such as ASM or equivalent professional credential preferred by many employers
Tips for Your Microbiology Manager Job Search
Tailor your resume to lab leadership
Microbiology manager postings weigh cross-functional leadership as heavily as bench expertise. Quantify the team sizes you've supervised, the lab budgets you've managed, and any process improvements you drove, not just the organisms or techniques you've worked with.
Highlight your regulatory and compliance credentials
Many employers screen for GMP, ISO 17025, or FDA regulatory experience before the first interview. If you've authored SOPs, managed audits, or supported 483 responses, call those out explicitly in your resume summary and job descriptions.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists microbiology manager openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Filter by industry to sharpen your search
Microbiology manager roles in food safety, pharma, and clinical settings have meaningfully different day-to-day responsibilities and certification expectations. Narrowing your search by industry keeps your applications focused and your cover letter specific rather than generic.
Prepare for a technical panel interview
Most microbiology manager hiring processes include a panel with both scientific leads and operations or quality directors. Prepare concrete examples of how you've resolved contamination events, defended data in audits, or trained staff on updated testing protocols.
Negotiate total compensation, not just base pay
Lab manager offers often include signing bonuses, continuing education allowances, and professional conference budgets that aren't in the initial offer letter. Ask explicitly about these line items before accepting, since they vary considerably across pharma, food, and clinical employers.
Microbiology Manager Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most microbiology managers?
The companies hiring the most microbiology managers right now include Certified, SGS, and Lonza, with the largest share of openings in Massachusetts, California, and New Jersey, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Pharmaceutical manufacturers, food safety firms, and clinical reference labs consistently represent the largest share of active postings.
How many microbiology manager jobs are remote?
About 14% of microbiology manager openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting the hands-on nature of most laboratory management roles. The sub-areas most compatible with remote arrangements include regulatory affairs, quality systems consulting, and documentation or audit support functions that do not require direct bench oversight.
How do you become a microbiology manager?
Start by building several years of bench-level microbiology experience in a regulated environment such as pharma, food production, or clinical diagnostics. Take on supervisory responsibilities whenever they arise, including training junior staff and leading small projects. Develop working knowledge of GMP or ISO standards relevant to your industry, then position yourself for a team lead or senior scientist role before applying to management postings.
Can you get hired as a microbiology manager without direct management experience?
Yes, some employers will consider candidates who have strong technical depth and have demonstrated informal leadership, such as mentoring technicians, leading method validation projects, or serving as a point of contact during regulatory audits. Framing those experiences explicitly as management-adjacent responsibilities in your application materials can help bridge the gap when formal supervisor titles are absent from your history.
What does the microbiology manager interview process look like?
Most processes begin with a phone screen focused on regulatory experience and team management history, followed by a technical interview covering methods, troubleshooting, and compliance scenarios. A panel interview with quality, operations, and scientific leadership typically comes next. Some employers also request a presentation on a past project, a lab tour, or a practical scenario exercise before extending an offer.
Where can I find and apply to microbiology manager jobs?
You can find and apply to microbiology manager jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers across the United States. Search the listings to find roles that match your industry background, experience level, and location preferences, then apply directly to each listing that fits.
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