Multi-Omics Laboratory Lead

About the role

MBZUAI is building a state‑of‑the‑art Multi‑Omics laboratory to support the Global Human Phenotype Project. The Laboratory Lead will drive the planning, establishment and long‑term operation of this strategic facility while remaining hands‑on in assay development and bench work.

Key responsibilities

• Define the scientific vision, roadmap and operating model for the multi‑omics lab and report progress to university leadership.
• Lead the design and build‑out of the laboratory, specifying instrumentation, layout, utilities and biosafety compliance.
• Implement and validate core omics platforms (genomics, transcriptomics, microbiome metagenomics, proteomics) and oversee technology transfer.
• Establish SOPs, LIMS, sample tracking, equipment maintenance, inventory and quality‑assurance KPIs.
• Develop and maintain quality systems aligned with research and future clinical accreditation standards.
• Recruit, mentor and manage a multidisciplinary team including managers, bioinformaticians, technicians and quality personnel.
• Collaborate with computational teams to build data‑processing pipelines, secure data management and cloud/HPC infrastructure.
• Own the budget, capital equipment planning and resource allocation for a $3M+ operation.

Required profile

• PhD in Molecular Biology, Genomics, Systems Biology, Bioengineering or a closely related discipline.
• Post‑doctoral training at a leading international research institution; leadership or management training is a plus.
• Proven experience building and leading a multi‑omics laboratory or facility.
• Hands‑on expertise with omics workflows and recent bench experience.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary scientific teams and manage complex laboratory operations.
• Experience with large capital equipment procurement, laboratory design and LIMS implementation.
• Budget management experience of $3 million or more.
• Familiarity with standards such as ISO 15189, CAP, CLIA or ISO 17025 is advantageous.

Required skills

• Genomics, Transcriptomics, Microbiome Metagenomics, Proteomics
• Next‑generation sequencing, long‑read sequencing, single‑cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics
• Mass‑spectrometry‑based proteomics, metabolomics, epigenomics
• Laboratory automation and robotics
• LIMS implementation and laboratory informatics
• Cloud/HPC environments and bioinformatics pipeline development
• Quality management systems (ISO 15189, CAP, CLIA)