STEM OPT Laboratory Manager Jobs
Laboratory Manager roles qualify for STEM OPT when your degree falls under an approved CIP code in life sciences, chemistry, or engineering. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and the 24-month extension gives you up to 36 months total to build supervisory lab experience while pursuing long-term sponsorship.
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General information
Location
Cambridge, MA
Ref #
44172
Job Family
Research
Workplace
On-Site
Date published
05/15/2026
Time Type
Full time
Pay Range
$59,500.00/yr - $84,250.00/yr
Description & Requirements
The Platform Innovation Labs (PIL) Research Operations Manager will be responsible for the efficient and safe day-to-day operation of the research laboratory space, ensuring that scientific teams have the resources, equipment, and environment necessary to conduct their experiments. This role requires a highly organized, proactive individual with strong communication skills and a deep commitment to laboratory safety and compliance.
Key Responsibilities:
Procurement and Inventory Management:
- Ordering and Receiving: Manage the ordering of all necessary laboratory reagents, consumables, and supplies, particularly those not stocked by the central Shared Quality Management (SQM) team. Receive and distribute packages to the appropriate lab members.
- Inventory Tracking: Maintain accurate and up-to-date inventory records for all reagents, supplies, and stock materials.
- Vendor Negotiation: Regularly review purchase volumes across PIL and work with lab members and vendors to negotiate discount pricing.
- Space Maintenance: Oversee the organization and maintenance of shared Tissue Culture (TC) space and manage general laboratory cleanups and organization initiatives.
Instrumentation Management:
- Maintenance and Repair: Serve as the primary contact for instrumentation service. This includes logging service tickets for down instrumentation with various vendors and local providers (including refrigeration and facility equipment) and coordinating timely repairs.
- Downtime Management: Communicate instrumentation downtime to researchers and proactively identify and alert teams to alternative options or strategies for critical experiments.
- Preventative Maintenance (PM): Track and ensure all scheduled preventative maintenance for instrumentation is performed on time.
- Scheduling and Training: Manage the scheduling calendars (e.g., Bookit) for shared instrumentation and assist in coordinating or performing training sessions on various pieces of shared equipment for new and existing users.
Laboratory Safety and Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Compliance:
- Training Compliance: Monitor and ensure all floor members complete required EHS training via Traincaster and orient new lab members to mandatory training requirements.
- Safety Liaison: Attend monthly Broad Lab Operations Group (BLOG) and EHS meetings, reporting key updates and action items back to the research teams.
- Safety Infrastructure: Coordinate annual certification and calibration of all Biological Safety Cabinets (BSCs).
- Emergency Response: Act as the designated Emergency Evacuation Coordinator (EEC) point person for the lab floor.
- Waste Management: Oversee and manage compliance for all satellite waste accumulation areas (chemical, biological, etc.).
- Inventory Updates: Maintain accurate and current chemical and biological inventories.
- Safety Equipment: Conduct weekly lab safety inspections and leads annual Level 2 institutional inspection.
- Storage Management: Manage and optimize the organization and space within shared laboratory refrigerators and freezers.
- Cell Line Tracking: Maintain a centralized and up-to-date tracking system for all cell lines utilized in the laboratory.
Regulatory Compliance and Administration:
- IBC/ORSP: Assist with updates related to the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and support tasks related to the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP).
- Leading without authority: the candidate will be key in keeping the floor running smoothly and resolving any conflicts which may arise between researchers or groups. Regular communication with all the group leaders/PIs on the floor will be necessary.
Qualifications
- BS in life sciences with 6+ years of related experience, or MS in life sciences with 4+ years of related experience.
- Proven experience in laboratory operations, management, or administrative roles.
- Experience with mammalian cells and tissue culture is required.
- Experience with molecular biology techniques such as nucleic acid extraction, cloning and PCR is strongly preferred.
- Strong organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to interface effectively with scientists, vendors, and administrative staff.
- Familiarity with lab safety protocols, EHS regulations, and compliance standards (e.g., IBC, waste management).
- Ability to diffuse difficult situations, lead without authority, and delegate tasks.
- Proficiency with scheduling software (e.g., Bookit) and inventory management systems.
The expected base pay range for this position as listed above is based on a 40 hour per week schedule. Broad provides pay ranges representing its reasonable and good faith estimate of what the organization reasonably expects to pay for a position at the time of posting. Actual compensation will vary based on factors including but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, education, qualifications, and other factors permissible by law.
At Broad, your base pay is just one part of a comprehensive total rewards package. From day one, this role offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan; flexible spending and health savings accounts; at least 13 paid holidays; winter closure; paid time off; parental and family care leave; and an employee assistance program, among other Broad benefits.
The Broad Institute is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, religion, age, color, sex, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.
Should you need a reasonable accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact recruiting@broadinstitute.org for assistance.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization as a Laboratory Manager
Verify your CIP code covers laboratory management
Check your degree's CIP code against the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List before applying. Biology, chemistry, and biomedical engineering codes routinely qualify, but interdisciplinary or applied science degrees sometimes need a closer look from your DSO.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Ask HR directly whether the employer is actively enrolled in E-Verify, not just registered. Labs inside universities, hospital systems, and contract research organizations sometimes operate under a parent entity's enrollment, which affects your I-983 filing address.
Frame your I-983 training plan around supervisory competencies
Laboratory Manager roles involve overseeing staff, managing compliance protocols, and budgeting, so your I-983 must connect those duties to your STEM degree's learning objectives. Vague training goals are a common reason DSOs push back on approval.
Use O*NET to match job duties to your degree field
Pull the Laboratory Manager occupation profile from O*NET and map its listed knowledge areas to your degree's coursework. That alignment strengthens both your I-983 narrative and any future specialty occupation argument when your employer transitions you to H-1B visa sponsorship.
Target employers with active H-1B filing history for lab roles
Identify which research institutions, biotech firms, and pharmaceutical companies have filed LCAs for laboratory or scientific management positions through Migrate Mate, so you're applying where long-term sponsorship is already part of the hiring pattern.
Time your STEM OPT application to cover the cap-gap window
If your employer files an H-1B petition before your OPT end date, the cap-gap rule automatically extends your work authorization through September 30. File your STEM OPT extension with USCIS well before your initial OPT expires so there's no gap in lab authorization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Laboratory Manager role qualify for STEM OPT?
Yes, if your underlying degree carries an approved STEM CIP code and the job duties connect directly to that field. Laboratory Manager positions in life sciences, chemistry, engineering, and related disciplines typically qualify. Your DSO reviews the I-983 training plan to confirm the role meets the practical training standard before approving the extension.
What E-Verify requirement applies to my Laboratory Manager employer?
Your employer must be actively enrolled in E-Verify as a condition of employing you on STEM OPT. Enrollment alone isn't enough if the specific worksite or subsidiary isn't covered. Before signing an offer, ask HR to confirm the legal entity listed on your I-983 is the enrolled E-Verify participant, not just a related organization.
What goes into an I-983 training plan for a Laboratory Manager position?
The I-983 must describe how your day-to-day duties, such as supervising lab staff, maintaining regulatory compliance, managing equipment procurement, and overseeing experimental protocols, relate to your STEM degree. Generic job descriptions copied from the posting aren't sufficient. Your supervisor signs the plan, and your DSO reviews it against ICE's practical training criteria before approving.
How does the cap-gap rule protect my work authorization as a Laboratory Manager?
If your employer files an H-1B petition on your behalf before your STEM OPT expires, the cap-gap provision extends your work authorization automatically through September 30 of that fiscal year. You can continue managing the lab without interruption during adjudication. USCIS issues a cap-gap notice you can present to your employer as authorization documentation.
Where can I find Laboratory Manager jobs at employers who sponsor STEM OPT workers?
Migrate Mate filters Laboratory Manager listings to show only employers enrolled in E-Verify and with documented LCA filing history for STEM roles, so you're not spending time on positions where sponsorship is unlikely. You can search by degree field and location to identify research institutions, biotech companies, and healthcare systems that have already built STEM OPT hiring processes.