Laboratory Administrator

Department of Plant Pathology is seeking a Laboratory Administrator for the Fungal Genetics Stock Center (FGSC). We are a team of dedicated scientists working to provide fungal genetic samples to the research community.

About This Role

The Laboratory Administrator manages day-to-day activities of the Fungal Genetics Stock Center (FGSC) and Leslie Lab. They will ensure that FGSC is responsive to orders and external requests. The employee will oversee, the fugal stock, records, maintain budgets and ensure equipment and supplies are properly stocked and maintained. They will advise others on experimental design.

Duties will include:
- Manage FGSC order for strains and reagents.
- Manage accounts for the FGSC and Leslie Lab.
- Manage FGSC database and website.
- Advise customers on correct strains/reagents to use for particular experiments and add new strains to the FGSC collection.
- Routine upkeep of strains, equipment and prepare laboratory reagents and materials.

About Us

In the Department of Plant Pathology we learn how plants and pathogens interact and how the environment affects that interaction. We modify plants so they can fight diseases and improve yield and quality. We transfer genes from wild plants to crop plants to increase genetic diversity.

We study bacteria, fungi, nematodes and viruses; bioinformatics, biological control, biotechnology, disease diagnosis and management, disease physiology, ecology and epidemiology, host and microbial genetics and cytogenetics, modeling/statistics, molecular genetics, and molecular plant-microbe interactions.

The Fungal Genetics Stock Center is a living microbe collection and a research resource repository that was established in 1960 and moved to Kansas State in November 2014, when it joined the Department of Plant Pathology. We primarily serve the fungal genetics research community by providing strains and other material with a simple MTA and low fees and are now leading the transition into the genome‐enabled microbiology era with new approaches to material and information resource integration and management.

Worksite Description

This position is On-site.

All employees must reside in the United States when they begin working to comply with state law. K-State is unable to provide remote or hybrid work opportunities for residents of the state of Idaho.

What You'll Need to Succeed

Minimum Qualifications:

• Requires a bachelor's degree and one year of laboratory experience.
• Valid Driver's License.

Preferred Qualifications:

• B.S. in Biology, Microbiology, Genetics or related area.
• M.S. or PhD in Biology, Microbiology, Genetics or related area.
• Three or more years of experience with sterile technique, fungal cultures, especially Neurospora, Aspergillus, or Fusarium, molecular biology.
• Organizing complex data sets.
• Experience in preparing and monitoring lab budgets.
• Experience ordering supplies and equipment.
• Experience preparing materials for scientific presentations.
• Managing a database and web site.

Sponsorship eligibility:

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship

How to Apply

Please submit the following documents:

• Cover letter
• CV/Resume
• Name, email and phone number for three professional references

Application Window

Applications close on: December 18, 2026

Anticipated Hiring Pay Range

$24.04 - $33.65