Given how competitive the job market is today, technical skills alone are not enough to succeed as a lab manager in an academic setting. Laboratory managers in the academic research environment fulfill various roles that go beyond technical expertise; they need leadership, organizational, interpersonal, and teaching skills, among others, to effectively carry out their duties.
These roles can be classified into three broad categories:
- Administrator: Responsible for the day-to-day operations of the laboratory, from placing purchase orders and managing budgets to organizing and leading meetings
- Researcher: Lead their own projects, conducting experiments, analyzing data, and publishing findings
- Educator: Responsible for training and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students. This role is fundamental to the operation of the research laboratory. If you have the necessary tools to succeed in this role, the other two roles tend to run more smoothly. Master the educator role—likely the most time-consuming of the three—and you will ultimately have more time to devote to the other two roles.
When the educator role is working well, the effects are visible across the entire lab—students gain confidence faster, experiments run more smoothly, and the lab culture becomes one where asking questions is encouraged rather than avoided. When it breaks down, the consequences are just as clear: students disengage, mistakes increase, and turnover rises among both students and staff.
During my time as a lab manager, the number of students I have mentored each semester has ranged from four to 10. The biggest challenge has been, and will continue to be, balancing workload and time with mentoring responsibilities. But there are additional challenges that are unique to the academic lab setting. Unlike a classroom instructor who works with a relatively stable group of students, lab managers face a constantly rotating cast of learners—undergraduate students who may stay for a single semester, graduate students at different stages of their programs, and new lab members arriving with vastly different baseline skills and prior experiences. One student may have never pipetted before; another may have years of bench experience. One learns best by watching a demonstration; another needs to try and fail before a concept clicks.
Another ongoing challenge is determining which teaching strategies to use, given students' different learning styles. Adapting your teaching approach to meet each person where they are while simultaneously running experiments, managing reagent orders, and supporting your PI is one of the most demanding and underappreciated aspects of the academic lab manager role.
Recognizing these challenges is the first step. The good news is that you do not have to figure it all out alone. Resources exist, and with some intentionality, they are more accessible than they might initially appear.
Where to find professional development resources
Academic institutions typically offer professional development opportunities for the administrative and research roles. These training resources are primarily available through your department, the research office, or the human resources department.
For the educator role, professional development resources for lab managers are often uncommon within academic institutions, since they are generally designed for faculty members. That said, if you make a case for it, you may be able to access those faculty-focused resources, which can include pedagogy improvement workshops, mentoring programs, and group meetings for skill development.
Do not limit your search to your own institution. External platforms offer courses and certificates specifically designed for lab managers. Lab Manager Academy, for example, provides a growing library of professional development content directly applicable to the academic lab setting—including topics in leadership, communication, and lab safety core—and can be accessed on your own schedule.
Five recommendations to grow as an educator
In addition to the resources mentioned, here are some other practical steps to grow your skills as an academic lab manager:
1. Self-evaluation: Begin with a personal assessment using a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis. Ask yourself: Where do I feel most confident when working with students? Where do I hesitate? For example, you may feel strong at demonstrating lab techniques but less confident giving constructive feedback or guiding a student through a career conversation. Identifying those gaps gives you a concrete starting point rather than a vague sense that you "need to improve."
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2. Talk to your supervisor: Speak openly with your principal investigator and express your interest in developing as an educator. Come prepared. Don't just say you want training; explain why it benefits the lab. For example: "I'm working with six students this semester, and I want to make sure I'm setting clear expectations and giving effective feedback. Are there workshops or programs you'd support me attending?" Framing it in terms of lab outcomes makes it easier for your PI to say yes and to advocate for you with other departments.
3. Present your case to the teaching and learning office: These offices primarily serve faculty and students, but many will make exceptions for staff who work directly with students. When you reach out, be specific about your role. Explain that you spend several hours each week training and mentoring students in a research setting, and that improving your instructional skills directly impacts student learning outcomes. Ask whether you can attend a specific workshop or program rather than making a broad request—a targeted ask is much easier to approve.
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4. Talk to others: Connect with other lab managers, both within your institution and beyond. Start by identifying whether your department has other lab managers you have not yet met—a shared lunch or informal coffee chat can open doors to shared resources and strategies. Beyond your institution, consider joining professional communities such as the Lab Manager Leadership Summit, an annual in-person conference that brings together academic lab managers and other professionals from across the field.
5. Ask your students for feedback: One of the most underused tools available to lab managers is also the most accessible—your students. Building a habit of asking for feedback, both formally and informally, does two things at once. It gives you real, honest insight into what is working and what is not in your teaching and mentoring approach. And it signals to your students that you value their experience, which builds the kind of trust that makes the entire lab function better.
You do not need a formal survey to start. A simple question at the end of a training session: "Was that explanation clear? Is there anything you'd like me to walk through again?" Over time, consider asking broader questions: "Do you feel supported in your project? Is there anything I could do differently to help you learn?" The answers will surprise you and make you a better educator. As the saying goes: if you want to know how you're doing, ask your students—no one is more honest than they are.
Stepping into the educator role with intention
The lab manager role carries more educational responsibility than most institutions formally recognize. But that gap between recognition and reality does not have to hold you back. With intentionality, the right resources, and a genuine commitment to your students' growth, you can become the kind of educator whose impact extends far beyond the bench.
