Lab Design Project Engineer

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical lead for laboratory planning, design standards, workflows, and facility requirements.
• Translate scientific and operational needs into laboratory design criteria, space programs, equipment requirements, and functional layouts.
• Lead or support the development and maintenance of laboratory design standards, specifications, guidelines, and standard details.
• Review laboratory design packages—including concepts, layouts, drawings, specifications, and equipment plans—for functionality, safety, constructability, and compliance.
• Ensure designs address laboratory ventilation, containment, biosafety, chemical safety, ergonomics, utilities, waste handling, material flow, security, and emergency response needs.
• Collaborate with users and stakeholders to define current and future laboratory capacity, flexibility, adjacencies, and workflow requirements.
• Lead technical aspects of capital projects from early feasibility and programming through design, construction, commissioning, qualification, and occupancy.
• Travel as needed to support site assessments, project meetings, design workshops, construction reviews, commissioning, and operational-readiness activities.
• Coordinate with Engineering, EHS, Facilities, Quality, Operations, external consultants, FM Insurance, and construction teams to resolve technical issues and manage design decisions.
• Evaluate laboratory equipment requirements and integration needs, including utilities, controls, automation, and supporting infrastructure.
• Identify design risks, recommend practical mitigations, and support risk assessments associated with laboratory operations and facility modifications.
• Support commissioning and turnover activities to confirm laboratory systems and spaces meet intended use and operational requirements.
• Monitor industry practices, codes, standards, and emerging laboratory design technologies; incorporate relevant improvements into organizational standards.
• Provide technical mentoring and laboratory design expertise for project teams and less experienced engineers.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, laboratory science, facilities management, or a related technical discipline.
• Significant experience in laboratory design, laboratory operations, engineering, architecture, facilities, or capital project delivery.
• Demonstrated knowledge of laboratory planning principles, including space programming, workflow design, equipment integration, and utility requirements.
• Working knowledge of applicable building codes, fire and life-safety requirements, EHS expectations, and relevant laboratory standards.
• Ability to interpret architectural and engineering drawings, specifications, and design documents.
• Strong project execution, problem-solving, communication, stakeholder-management, and technical-writing skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel as required to support projects and site-based stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and influence decisions across multidisciplinary teams.

Basic Qualifications

• Doctorate degree and 2 years of engineering or laboratory science experience OR
• Master’s degree and 4 years of engineering or laboratory science experience OR
• Bachelor’s degree and 6 years of engineering or laboratory science experience OR
• Associate’s degree and 10 years of engineering or laboratory science experience OR
• High school diploma / GED and 12 years of engineering or laboratory science experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree or professional certification in engineering, architecture, laboratory planning, safety, or a related field.
• Experience designing regulated laboratory environments, such as pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical, research, manufacturing, or quality-control laboratories.
• Familiarity with GMP, GLP, biosafety, chemical hygiene, and commissioning or qualification practices.
• Experience with laboratory ventilation systems, fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, cleanrooms, containment systems, and specialized laboratory utilities.
• Professional licensure or credentials such as PE, RA, EIT, LEED AP, or laboratory-planning certification.