Summary

The Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC) at Baylor College of Medicine is seeking a highly organized and motivated Senior Research Operations Associate to support and oversee operational activities across our research and production environments. This role is responsible for coordinating day-to-day operations, supporting laboratory and research teams, driving process improvements, ensuring compliance with institutional and regulatory requirements, and helping maintain the resources necessary to support large-scale genomic research initiatives. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment, possess strong project management and problem-solving skills, and have experience supporting research, laboratory, healthcare, or other complex operational settings.

Job Duties

• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for large-scale internal and external research collaborations, coordinating project onboarding, timelines, deliverables, and customer expectations throughout the project lifecycle.
• Coordinate activities across laboratory, bioinformatics, project management, quality, finance, and administrative teams to ensure successful execution of complex sequencing projects from sample receipt through data delivery.
• Monitor production workflows, project schedules, turnaround times, operational metrics, and resource utilization across multiple sequencing and laboratory platforms to identify bottlenecks, mitigate risks, and ensure timely completion of deliverables.
• Develop and maintain project tracking systems, operational dashboards, and performance metrics used by leadership to support operational planning, resource allocation, and strategic decision-making.
• Lead cross-functional operational meetings and facilitate communication among investigators, collaborators, laboratory managers, bioinformatics teams, vendors, and administrative departments.
• Support strategic planning initiatives designed to improve operational efficiency, throughput, scalability, customer satisfaction, and overall research productivity. 
• Assume increased responsibility for quality assurance, quality control, regulatory compliance, audits, inspections, and operational readiness activities supporting institutional, sponsor, and regulatory requirements.
• Develop, implement, and continuously improve operational procedures, workflows, and documentation to support consistent and efficient execution of large-scale genomics projects.
• Coordinate vendor relationships, equipment maintenance schedules, procurement activities, and operational resources required to support high-throughput research and production environments.
• Prepare operational reports, project status updates, and executive-level summaries for HGSC leadership, investigators, funding agencies, and external collaborators.
• Lead complex operational initiatives and special projects with limited supervision, requiring independent judgment, prioritization, and problem-solving.
• Provide guidance, training, and operational support to junior staff members and serve as a resource for project coordination, customer service, and operational best practices. 
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a related field. 
• Four years of relevant experience. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences, Health Sciences, Business Administration, Research Administration, or a related field.
• Four years of relevant experience in research operations, laboratory operations, project coordination, healthcare administration, or a related field.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team-oriented environment.