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Research Lab Manager Jobs in Union, NJ (NOW HIRING)

Data Partnerships

New York, NY ยท On-site

$70K - $115K/yr

Our AI research lab discovers and develops methods to recognize patterns and predict outcomes ... Track outreach and partnership status, and manage timely follow-up through to execution ...

Informed by basic research done at our Sloan Kettering Institute, scientists across MSK collaborate ... Laboratory Management : Prepare and maintain lab equipment, instruments, solutions, assays, and ...

Head of AI Research

New York, NY ยท On-site

$400K - $700K/yr

This isn't another research lab building demos. Your work ships to production, powering research ... Build novel approaches to context management, knowledge representation, and retrieval that let ...

Showing results 41-60

Research Lab Manager information

See Union, NJ salary details

$35.2K

$68.3K

$94.3K

How much do research lab manager jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for research lab manager in Union, NJ is $68,261.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $57,100.00 and $81,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How much do research lab managers make in the US?

Research lab managers in the US typically earn between $60,000 and $100,000 annually, with salaries varying based on experience, education, and the size of the institution. Those with advanced degrees or specialized skills in laboratory management or scientific research tend to earn higher salaries.

Is a research lab manager a stressful job?

A research lab manager often faces stress related to managing multiple projects, meeting deadlines, and ensuring safety and compliance. The role requires strong organizational skills and the ability to handle unexpected issues, which can contribute to a high-stress environment at times.

What are the responsibilities of a research lab manager?

A Research Lab Manager oversees the daily operations of a scientific laboratory, ensuring that research activities run smoothly and efficiently. Their responsibilities typically include managing laboratory staff, maintaining equipment and supplies, enforcing safety protocols, and assisting with budgeting and administrative tasks. They also support researchers by coordinating experiments, managing data, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Effective communication and organizational skills are essential in this role.

What is a research lab manager?

A research lab manager oversees the daily operations of a laboratory, including managing staff, maintaining equipment, ensuring safety protocols, and coordinating research activities. They often require strong organizational skills, knowledge of laboratory procedures, and experience with project management tools.

What is the difference between Research Lab Manager vs Research Scientist?

AspectResearch Lab ManagerResearch Scientist
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in relevant field; often requires management experienceMaster's or Ph.D. in specific research area
Work EnvironmentLaboratories, administrative offices, overseeing operationsLaboratories, conducting experiments, data analysis
Employer & IndustryResearch institutions, universities, biotech companiesResearch institutions, universities, industry R&D
Primary FocusManaging lab operations, budgets, staffDesigning experiments, conducting research, publishing findings

The main difference is that a Research Lab Manager focuses on overseeing lab operations, staff, and budgets, while a Research Scientist concentrates on conducting experiments and advancing scientific knowledge. Both roles are essential in research settings but serve different functions within the research process.

What are some common challenges a research lab manager faces and how can they be addressed?

Research Lab Managers often encounter challenges related to balancing administrative duties with supporting scientific research, maintaining compliance with safety regulations, and ensuring efficient use of resources. Navigating these requires strong organizational skills, clear communication with both researchers and administrative staff, and staying up to date with regulatory changes. Proactively scheduling regular team meetings, investing in ongoing training, and implementing standard operating procedures can help address these challenges and create a productive, compliant lab environment.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a research lab manager?

To thrive as a Research Lab Manager, you need strong scientific expertise, leadership skills, and a relevant degree in the field (often a Master's or PhD). Experience with laboratory management systems, safety protocols, grant writing, and equipment maintenance is crucial, along with certifications such as CLIA or GLP compliance when applicable. Excellent organizational skills, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication help foster teamwork and ensure smooth lab operations. These skills and qualifications are essential for maintaining high research standards, ensuring safety, and achieving project goals efficiently.
What cities near Union, NJ are hiring for Research Lab Manager jobs? Cities near Union, NJ with the most Research Lab Manager job openings:
Infographic showing various Research Lab Manager job openings in Union, NJ as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 75% Full Time, and 25% Part Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $68,261 per year, or $32.8 per hour.

Research Program Manager - Model Development

Reflection AI, Inc

New York, NY โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, PTO

Re-posted 7 days ago


Job description

Our Mission
Reflection is a research lab making intelligence open and accessible for everyone to use, customize, and build on. We build open models that let anyone control their intelligence and help shape the future of AI. Our mission: make intelligence open and accessible to all.
About the Role
Research Program Managers at Reflection are high-leverage leaders and operators who embed directly with research and engineering teams to accelerate the pace of frontier model development. They are not project trackers. They are force multipliers who bring clarity to ambiguity, drive decisions when the path forward is unclear, and ensure that the work happening across multiple teams connects into a coherent whole.
This role is embedded directly within our Pre-training ML and Data teams, working alongside our Pre-training research leads at the core of how we build frontier models. You will be deeply involved in the research lifecycle, from data pipeline coordination and experiment planning to model architecture decisions and scaling strategies. Your job is to understand how our researchers work, identify the highest-leverage gaps, and build the programs, processes, and coordination structures that let them focus on pushing the frontier rather than navigating organizational complexity.
You bring a first-responder mentality. When things go sideways, you don't wait to be asked. You jump in, assess the situation, cut through noise, align the people who need to be aligned, and drive resolution.
What You'll Do
  • Embed within the pre-training ML and Data teams to deeply understand the technical landscape, build trust with researchers and technical leads, and identify where programs and process can have the most impact on research velocity.
  • Drive end-to-end execution of complex, cross-team research initiatives that span data, model architecture, training runs, and evaluation, often without established playbooks.
  • Coordinate the operational rhythm of pre-training research, including experiment prioritization, run scheduling, data readiness, and checkpoint handoffs to downstream teams.
  • Equip research leadership to make decisions quickly by going deep on technical tradeoffs and presenting clear, actionable recommendations rather than status updates.
  • Build lightweight processes that bring structure to unstructured research environments without adding friction. Create coordination mechanisms for cross-team handoffs, config management, and research milestones that replace ad hoc Slack threads with durable, visible systems.
  • Act as the connective tissue between pre-training, mid-training, post-training, and infrastructure teams, ensuring that upstream decisions propagate cleanly and downstream teams are never surprised.
About You
  • 7+ years of experience in technical program management, research operations, or ML engineering, with a track record of building programs from scratch in research or ML-heavy environments.
  • Deep enough technically to engage with researchers on topics like model architecture, scaling laws, data processing pipelines, training dynamics, and optimizer behavior. You don't need to run the experiments yourself, but you need to follow the reasoning and spot risks early in order to discuss tradeoffs.
  • Proven ability to embed within technical teams and earn trust through competence, reliability, and genuine curiosity about the work. Researchers want to work with you because you make them faster, not because the process says they have to.
  • Resourceful and high-agency. You navigate ambiguity and shifting priorities without losing momentum. You figure out what needs to happen and you make it happen.
  • Strong stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior technical staff through consistent delivery and well-informed judgment, not authority.
  • Comfortable in high-stakes environments where decisions impact model quality, compute spend, and training timelines measured in weeks or months.
  • Excited to build from zero to one. We are a small, fast-moving team and this role will help define how research program management works at Reflection.
  • Motivated by enabling researchers and engineers to build the world's most capable open-weight AI systems.
What We Offer:
We believe that to make intelligence open and accessible to all, you need to start at the foundation. Joining Reflection means building from the ground up as part of a talent-dense team. You will help define our future as a company, and help define the future of open foundational models.
We want you to do the most impactful work of your career with the confidence that you and the people you care about most are supported.
  • Top-tier compensation: Salary and equity structured to recognize and retain our talent globally.
  • Stock options: Everyone who joins and contributes to Reflection's success gets to share in the upside through stock options.
  • Health & wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life, with an annual wellness allowance.
  • Meals: Lunch and dinner are provided in the office daily.
  • Life & family: 22 weeks paid parental leave for all new birthing and non-birthing parents, including adoptive and surrogate journeys.
  • Vacation days: Unlimited paid time off in the U.S. and 30 days in the U.K.
  • Sponsorship support: We sponsor visas to help exceptional talent join our team and support long-term immigration pathways where applicable.
  • Team building: We have regular off-sites, happy hours, and team celebrations.

Export Control Notice: This position may require access to technology or source code subject to the U.S. Export Administration Regulations. Any offer of employment for this role may be conditioned on the Company's ability to provide the candidate with access to such technology or source code in compliance with applicable U.S. export control laws, which may require the Company to seek government authorization.