The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Laboratory Director manages and directs the University of Minnesota Department of Chemistry NMR instrument facility and personnel, as well as the core services provided therein, bringing NMR expertise to all aspects of research performed in the Dept of Chemistry, the Dept of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and other units. This position requires an expert level specialized knowledge of NMR methodology, and instrumentation, as well as chemical knowledge of the systems studied by NMR spectroscopy, to analyze and solve highly complex research questions of faculty, post-doctoral associates and graduate students. This position has authority to make operational and financial decisions (purchases, repairs, rate development) for the facility in consultation with department leadership, all within broad UMN purchasing policies as well internal and external sales policies.

Position includes independent management (original experimental design, daily operations, troubleshooting instrumentation), facility development (planning, implementation, proposal writing), instruction (training and assisting users, documentation, e.g., instruction manuals), promotion of research (experiment design and interpretation, collaborative research and publications), and professional development (co-authorship of peer-review publications, participation in relevant scientific organizations). Position also has responsibility for maintenance and updates to instruments and related software, including scheduling and billing software compatible with department and university business systems and processes.

30% - Management of daily operations
Maintain all NMR spectrometers housed in the Dept of Chemistry. Cryogen fills. Calibration of instruments. Ensure optimal operation of instruments. Troubleshoot and repair software and hardware issues for instruments. Customization of parameters to meet user needs. Identifying and implementing experiments to run under automation. Computer system administration, including updating and upgrading all related hardware and software. Usage monitoring. Communication with all users via newsletters, emails. Purchase of consumables. Coordinate with facility management to provide essential services (proper air handling, electrical, plumbing, lighting).

20% - Instruction in support of University’s research goals
Consultation with users on NMR experiments and techniques applicable to complex research problems. Education of users on implementation of such methods. Train users on usage of NMR spectrometers. Work with trained users on ongoing/daily basis to develop spectroscopic skills. Perform data collection. Write instruction manuals. Co-authorship on peer-reviewed publications.

15% - Facility enhancement
Strategic planning and proposal/grant preparation to upgrade/replace old spectrometers and/or acquire new ones. Craft RFPs, evaluate bids, negotiate with vendors, make final purchasing decision. Coordinate delivery and installation of new equipment and configuration of new spectrometers. Responsible for strategic planning to modernize the facility.

15% - Internal and External Sales Management
Primary contact with external clients as the public face of the facility. Run service samples according to requested specifications. Responsible for annual financial planning, monthly revenue & expense monitoring and rate development. Responsible for promoting services on and off campus, including outreach to find new external clientele. Monthly billing of user accounts

10% - Instruction to support the UMN teaching mission
Run practical laboratory portion of graduate level CHEM 8361 “Interpretation of Organic Spectra” class in consultation with the course instructor. This includes lab development, user training, lab supervision, and grading.

Ensure smooth operation of automated systems for undergraduate laboratory courses (see below). This includes writing computer scripts to ease post-data acquisition processing. Approximately 1400 students per semester depend on results from the NMR laboratory to meet pedagogical goals of various instructors.  Work with instructors to implement such goals.

CHEM 2311 (organic lab)
CHEM 2312 (honors organic lab)
CHEM 4311 (advanced organic lab)
CHEM 4711 (inorganic lab)
CHEM 4223 (polymer lab)

Provide educational tours for students from local colleges and universities that do not have access to their own spectrometers.

10% - Staff Supervision

Supervisory authority for two graduate student teaching assistants. Assign tasks in support of all of the above responsibilities. Advise and consult concerning professional development and career paths, including providing letters of recommendations for students applying for jobs, grants or internships

Applicants must submit 1) a resume / curriculum vitae and 2) a cover letter that describes the candidate’s approach to management and providing a high level of service to a broad user base. This should include statements addressing the candidate’s anticipated contributions to the teaching and research mission of the Department and University.

In addition, continuing to promote and enhance diversity, equity and inclusion is one of the critical aspects for the future success of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Minnesota. Please provide one to two paragraphs describing how diversity figures in your past and present experience as a manager, teacher, researcher and student. As the director of our NMR facility with a broad user base, how would you imagine bringing issues of diversity to bear in the service of our institutional missions of teaching, research and service.

Required Qualifications

- Ph.D. in Chemistry, Biochemistry or related field

- Supervisory experience

Preferred Qualifications

- At least 5 years of experience

- Experience with modern NMR instrumentation hardware and software

- Research and publication record

- Strong interpersonal skills in training or instruction settings

- Familiarity with finance, purchasing and grants policies in higher education