Lab Manager CV Example
If you're considering applying for lab manager positions, you'll want to draft a CV that gives your skills and career achievements a chance to shine. It's the mention of key responsibilities from your career, such as managing lab resources and maintaining equipment logs that will show employers you're a good fit for the role. In this article, you'll discover all the advice you'll need for writing a lab manager CV that sets you apart from the crowd and boosts your chances of success.
A stronger, more engaging lab manager CV gives you the best chance of success. It can help you pass the ATS CV screening stage and impress the recruiter or hiring manager, increasing your prospects of reaching the interview stage. Let’s take a closer look at the key parts of a CV and how to develop them for maximum impact.
Standard lab manager CV sections
How you approach writing your lab manager CV will vary according to your experience, your level and the details outlined in the job description.
As a junior candidate, you might lack a wealth of work experience, so you'll want to show the employer you have the skills necessary for the job through other sections. As such, adopt a functional (or skills-based) CV format that places skills and education above the work experience section in the order of the document. Use sections like volunteer work, internships and hobbies and interests to showcase your skills, as long as they're relevant to the job description.
Once you've built up some relevant work experience, your CV becomes a showcase for how you've developed and used relevant skills to date. Employers will be focusing mainly on your CV's work experience section, looking for evidence that you've utilised your skills to create positive achievements and that you can do it again in the future. In this scenario, a reverse-chronological CV format is usually the most effective choice. Focus on your most recent and relevant previous roles and use bullet points to show your key skills and achievements, offering evidence that showcases your impact.
As a senior-level candidate, it's important to produce a CV that gives top billing to your wealth of relevant work experience. Employers will be expecting candidates to provide their expertise and reputation, and their ability to lead a team or organisation. Therefore, a detailed reverse-chronological CV is typically the best way to go for senior applications. You might wish to offer a more complete career history to show your progression through your industry, and to highlight the upward trajectory of your skills and achievements. You may also wish to add awards, professional memberships, publications and other key achievements, to demonstrate that you're among the most qualified and decorated candidates in your sector.
At the end of the day, though, a lab manager CV is just a way to tell the story of how you’ve grown in your career. Regardless of your experience level, you want that progression to feel seamless and easy to follow for recruiters. To help you get there, we’re going to walk through each part of the CV step-by-step, starting with the basics in your header and working our way through to your professional achievements.
CV Header
Start your lab manager CV with a professional-looking header that includes all the relevant contact information. This usually includes your name, your email address, your phone number and your location, but not your full address. Additionally, add your LinkedIn profile, if this is in use and up-to-date. A well-utilised LinkedIn profile can give further information to the reader about your skills, experience, industry knowledge and career achievements.
When you're applying for jobs in the UK, it's generally not advisable to include a photo or more personal details than are strictly necessary, such as your age, gender, ethnicity or nationality. Including these can jeopardise the recruitment process by introducing bias, and can fall foul of the Equality Act 2010.
John Mitchell
john-mitchell@example.com
(111) 222 33 444 55
London
linkedin․com/in/john–mitchell–123
CV Objective
Below your CV header, the next section tends to be a CV summary or CV objective. This paragraph briefly explains a few of your key skills and qualities, so employers can easily understand whether you're likely to be a suitable candidate for the lab manager job. While the CV summary focuses on your key skills and achievements, a CV objective highlights your career ambitions, making it more suitable for junior candidates.
Both a CV summary and objective should be concise, with an ideal length of two or three sentences. List your key skills, personal strengths and career achievements or ambitions, taking care to ensure the content reflects the requirements listed in the job description.
A good CV summary would typically focus on a couple of key skills that match the job description, demonstrating how you've used them to good effect in previous roles. It's important to focus on your unique qualities and provide a preview of how they've made an impact in your career to date, which you'll unpack later in the document. Here's an example of an effective lab manager CV summary, with evidence of your impact and neat, well-structured sentences:
Best practice example:
Experienced laboratory manager with five years’ leadership in diagnostic operations and quality assurance. Holder of a Master of Science in Laboratory Management. Implemented workflow optimisations reducing testing turnaround by 25%.
Unengaging example:
Experienced laboratory manager with experience in overseeing operations, guiding teams and ensuring adherence to protocols, seeking to leverage various skills to support organisational goals and drive process improvements.
Above is an example of CV summary that doesn't follow best practice, with some subtle shortcomings and failings. An ineffective summary might be vague or generic, failing to highlight specific personal qualities that help you stand out and failing to address the requirements specified in the job description. They might also lack firm evidence of your skills, and be structured with long, hard-to-read sentences.
Work History
A CV's work experience section is usually its most important element. Employers will want to see how you've developed relevant skills in previous roles, and how you've put them to good use in successful projects and career achievements. It's crucial to tailor your work experience section to match the requirements listed in the job description, using keywords and phrases so employers can easily see how well you fit the role and organisation.
This section should contain a list of your most relevant previous jobs in the last 10 or 15 years. Add the job title, the name of the employer, its location and your dates of employment. Include detail in bullet points, outlining the skills you used in the role and the impact they made.
Standing out with your CV work experience section means using action verbs and measurable outcomes to show the impact you made. You'll want to outline a progression in your skills development, and list evidence of the value you added. Take a look at this lab manager CV example work experience section for inspiration:
Best practice example:
Laboratory Manager, January 2023 - Present
Greenfield Analytical Solutions Ltd, Manchester
- Optimised equipment maintenance schedules, boosting instrument uptime by 15% and cutting annual repair costs by 20%.
- Coordinated cross-departmental training programmes, improving sample processing efficiency by 35% and maintaining ISO 9001 compliance.
- Implemented electronic laboratory notebook, enhancing data traceability and reducing report generation time by 50%.
Unengaging example:
Laboratory Manager, January 2023 - Present
Greenfield Analytical Solutions Ltd, Manchester
- Managed daily laboratory operations and ensured compliance with all protocols.
- Supervised laboratory staff and oversaw routine maintenance of equipment to uphold standards.
- Organised inventory and managed resource allocation to facilitate seamless laboratory processes.
Take a look at a less strong lab manager CV work experience section above. A less-effective work experience section could focus too much on irrelevant or out-of-date roles, or include generic information about your responsibilities that fails to show the impact you made. It might lack tailoring to the job description or fail to provide evidence to support the claims made in the bullet points.
Education and Qualifications
Your education section is the chance to list your most recent and highest qualifications, and anything that's relevant or required for the role.
For working in lab manager positions, it's essential to have a relevant university degree, and as such, you'll want to feature it in your CV. Include your Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science or another related degree that qualifies you for the role, in your CV, along with any other degrees or qualifications that highlight your strongest key skills, including equipment calibration validation procedures or data analysis software proficiency.
When listing your qualifications in your education section, select only the most suitable qualifications and list them in reverse-chronological order, starting with the most recent and working backwards. Add the name and level of the award, the institution, its location and your dates of study or graduation. If you have space or if you particularly want to emphasise your qualifications, you could add one or two bullet points under each entry, highlighting specialist areas of study, projects you worked on, awards you won or societies you were a member of.
If you have any specialist certifications or licences that are necessary for the role, or help you stand out above other candidates, you may wish to mention them here. When adding any special licences, it's a good idea to also reference their expiry or renewal dates, if applicable.
Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology, 2018 - 2021
University of Manchester, Manchester
Key Skills
Your CV's skills section CV's skills section is a great place to showcase some of the key skills necessary for the role. Check the job description to understand which skills are most essential, and provide a combination of hard and soft skills, reserving space to include some unique qualities that can help you to stand out from the competition. For a lab manager CV, it's essential to include relevant skills for the role that match your skill set, such as problem solving and equipment calibration validation procedures, to impress the reader and show you're qualified for the lab manager position.
Hard Skills
Hard skills and technical skills are specialist skills that are essential for carrying out the main responsibilities of the role. You might acquire hard skills through study, or through on-the-job training, and some hard skills may require a certification or licence. For lab manager positions, hard skills that match your abilities, such as equipment calibration validation procedures, and data analysis software proficiency tend to be valued by recruiters and hiring managers. Review the job description, and include four or five key hard skills in your CV that show employers you're capable of completing the key duties of the role.
The best hard skills section would be based around skills listed as 'essential' or 'required' in the job description. To give yourself the best chance of success, you'll want your strongest skills to match closely with those most desired by the employer, and your hard skills list should reflect this.
Take a look below to see the type of skills that are commonly listed in a lab manager CV hard skills section:
- Laboratory safety compliance protocols
- Equipment calibration validation procedures
- Data analysis software proficiency
Soft Skills
Your soft skills list should contain a list of your personal strengths that make you suitable for the role, and a good fit for the team and the organisation. In contrast to hard skills, these tend to be transferable and applicable to different roles and levels. As a result of rapid technological changes in the world of work, soft skills are becoming ever-more valued by employers. Soft skills can also be particularly valuable for junior or entry-level roles where candidates haven't necessarily had the time to develop hard skills and career achievements.
As with hard skills, review the job description to understand the best soft skills to mention in your lab manager CV. The best CV soft skills section includes specific skills that you can evidence with examples throughout your CV. Draft a list of up to five key soft and transferable skills, combining the most essential skills from the job description with your strongest personal qualities.
Consider the following soft skills that frequently appear in a lab manager CV.
- Communication
- Leadership
- Organisation
Languages
Including a section on language skills can be beneficial, if you speak at least one language to a reasonable level of competency, in addition to your mother tongue. This is true even if language skills aren't a requirement for the role, as foreign language abilities often correlate to other valuable soft skills. In the languages section, list the languages you speak to at least a reasonable level, with an indicator of your competency level.
The methods for indicating your foreign language skills on your CV include assigning a basic descriptive word, such as:
- English: Fluent
- Spanish: Intermediate
You might wish to use an internationally recognised standard for your language skills, such as the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). This divides your language skills into the following categories:
- A1: Beginner
- A2: Elementary
- B1: Intermediate
- B2: Upper intermediate
- C1: Advanced
- C2: Proficiency
Certifications
Depending on the role and your qualifications, it might be necessary to include a certifications section. If you've been proactive in pursuing professional development opportunities throughout your career, it's worth showcasing them. Not only do they make you more qualified, they also show a proactive and motivated mindset. Furthermore, a certifications section is particularly valuable if you're applying for a role that sets out required certifications or licences in the job description. These might include technical roles that require the use of specialist software or equipment.
Take a look at this list of example certifications and licences for lab manager candidates:
- Good Laboratory Practice Certification, 2023
- GLP Compliance Training, 2023
- Six Sigma Green Belt, 2023
Specialist Insight:
Since recruiters give under ten seconds to each CV, Barnet Council advises starting with a clear summary that grabs attention quickly. (1)
Optional Sections
Optional sections can be useful to add to your CV, to provide additional evidence that you have the skills for the lab manager job. If you're struggling to show all the necessary skills for the job through your work experience or other core sections, optional sections can give your CV the boost it needs to progress you to the interview stage. This could be particularly helpful for entry-level candidates or career changers.
You’ll find more in-depth guidance on structuring your CV in our career resources, designed to help you present your skills as effectively as possible.
Hobbies and Interests
Your hobbies and interests can be a useful way of showcasing additional skills that are relevant to the job description, but that you haven't been able to prove via your work experience. In addition, hobbies and interests can showcase your personality, helping to differentiate you from other candidates. However, a hobbies and interests section will only make an impact with the reader if the skills you showcase are relevant to the role. As such, only include this section if it helps you fulfil requirements of the role that you've been unable to show elsewhere.
Achievements and Awards
Creating a section for your achievements and awards can help you draw attention to the things you're most proud of in your career to date. In this section, add any awards or recognition you've received for achievements, and any career milestones you've reached that show you're a strong candidate for the job.
Volunteering
Another way of showing employers your skills and experience is through volunteer roles. If you're struggling to show you have the necessary credentials through your work experience, volunteering can provide valuable examples of how you've put your skills into action. Structure your volunteering section the same as your work experience section.
Add your job title or the name of the volunteer role, the organisation, its location and the dates you volunteered. Also add some bullet points outlining your skills and experience in the role, as well as any key achievements.
Evidence-Based Insight:
The majority of HR specialists (almost 60%) view volunteering as relevant professional experience. (2)
Most effective action verbs for a lab manager CV
Including strong action verbs with your work experience bullet points can help you show the impact you made in previous roles. Starting each bullet point with an action verb is a great way to match your experience and achievements to the job description, giving the reader an easy way of identifying your key skills and seeing how you've applied them. Remember, it's essential to evidence any action verbs you add to your work experience. This will help show your achievements and the impact you made in previous roles. Use past tense for action verbs that describe previous roles, and present tense for your current position.
- Manage
- Supervise
- Coordinate
- Organise
- Develop
- Implement
- Maintain
- Analyse
- Schedule
- Procure
Lab manager CV example
Now you know how to create a lab manager CV for maximum impact, take a look below at this full, completed example:
London
•
john-mitchell@example.com
•
(111) 222 33 444 55
•
linkedin․com/in/john–mitchell–123
Laboratory manager with four years’ experience leading a team in a biomedical facility. Streamlined sample processing to boost throughput by 25%. Holds a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science.
Laboratory supervisor
2023
-2026
AstraZeneca (Cambridge)
- Streamlined sample processing workflow, reducing turnaround time by 35% and improving overall laboratory efficiency within six months.
- Introduced rigorous quality control protocols that decreased error rate from 4% to less than 0.5%, ensuring compliance with ISO standards.
- Mentored cross-functional team of eight technicians, fostering skills development and achieving a 20% increase in productivity over a twelve-month period.
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science
2018
-2021
University of Manchester (Manchester)
Laboratory safety compliance protocols
Equipment calibration validation procedures
Data analysis software proficiency
Communication
Leadership
Organisation
Good Laboratory Practice Certification
GLP Compliance Training
English - Native
French - Advanced
To see how your CV might look after finalising its design and layout, take a look at our CV examples.
Best practice and common mistakes for your lab manager CV
Tips to follow
- Keep your CV concise, with a target length of one side of A4 for junior roles, two for more experienced candidates and longer only for high-level, executive or academic positions.
- List your relevant qualifications in a dedicated education section, adding any outstanding grades or awards you won, to help you stand out from the competition.
- Showcase your key skills with a dedicated skills section that includes both hard and soft skills listed in the job description.
- Open your CV with an engaging CV summary or objective that concisely summarises your key skills and career achievements to date.
- Use a clear, professional CV format that includes a standard font, regular, consistent line spacing and clear headings, to ensure it's easy to read.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Avoid adding personal information, for example your age, gender or marital status, or a personal photo, unless this is required for the role.
- Don't use passive voice, such as 'the target was achieved', but instead use strong action verbs to show the value you added to previous roles.
- Don't include false or misleading statements or lie about events in your career to date – it can be illegal and is likely to backfire.
- Don't use an email address that could be considered inappropriate, such as one that includes informal language or nicknames. If necessary, create an email address for your applications, based on your name, initials and/or profession.
- Don't use overly complex or fussy formatting that can make your CV harder to read, or confuse ATS scanning tools.
A well-designed and concise cover letter can make a big difference to your job applications. Match your cover letter to your CV's design and styling with our HR-approved cover letter templates.
Guide to making your CV ATS compatible
Employers and recruiters now routinely use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to ease the burden of the selection process. One of the key functions of these systems is CV screening, which reviews CVs and ranks them based on their likely fit for the role. This task can relieve some of the strain on hiring managers through the recruitment process, which can become very resource-intensive, with roles often eliciting hundreds of applications.
The growing prevalence of ATS means candidates need to write and format their CV in a way that's compatible with the software, giving it the best chance of being accurately scanned and parsed, and ranking highly against other candidates. Here are some tips on how to optimise your CV for ATS screening:
- Include keywords and phrases that match the job description, making it easy for ATS apps to identify a strong fit for the role.
- Use standard CV headings that clearly identify each section, such as 'work experience', 'education' and 'skills'.
- Choose a simple, straightforward CV layout with clear, consistent formatting, that avoids text boxes, graphics or other special design elements, as these can make your CV harder to scan.
- Select a font that can enhance the readability of your CV, such as popular serif and sans serif fonts, with size 10 to 12 for body text and 14 to 16 for headings.
- Use bullet points throughout your CV in place of full sentences. This serves a few purposes, reducing the overall length, helping keywords stand out and making it overall more scannable by ATS apps.
You might feel there are a lot of steps to creating an ATS-compatible lab manager CV, but with just a few small changes, you can ensure your CV passes this stage. Use one of our ATS-compatible CV templates, which are designed by experts to give you the best chances of success.
To make a splash with your CV, use one of Jobseeker's professional-looking CV templates. They come approved by HR specialists to maximise your chances of success.
Lab manager CV FAQs
How do I produce an effective lab manager cover letter for my application?
An engaging and gently persuasive cover letter can enhance your chances of success with your job applications. Opt for a formal, professional letter format and choose a cover letter template with a design consistent with your CV.
The typical cover letter includes three key sections of content. Firstly, introduce yourself, confirm the role you're applying for and explain why you're applying for the position. Next, outline some relevant key skills and achievements from your career without repeating the details in your CV. Finally, express your gratitude to the employer for considering your application and leave a call to action that encourages them to contact you for an interview, or to establish dialogue.
As an alternative, if you're applying via email, you may wish to write a shorter, more informal cover note. Follow standard email conventions for this, which are more informal than traditional letter-writing norms. Introduce yourself and confirm the role you're applying for, and direct the reader to the attached documents. Add your contact details in your email sign-off or footer.
Jobseeker's cover letter examples for lab manager jobs and key life sciences industry roles offer valuable insights from HR experts on how to write a compelling cover letter.
How do I write a lab manager CV without experience?
Even without relevant work experience, it's possible to write a lab manager CV that impresses employers.
Select a CV structure that makes the most of your relevant skills, rather than focusing on your work experience, such as a functional format. In this layout, the skills and education sections come before work experience.
For junior or entry-level roles, employers may be more keen to know whether you have the right soft and transferable skills to adapt to the requirements of the role. In this case, place greater emphasis on soft skills for a junior lab manager CV.
How do you write an attention-grabbing lab manager CV headline?
A CV headline can help you add relevant keywords into your CV, aiding ATS compatibility while catching the attention of the reader from the outset.
Aim to write a short, concise sentence that mentions the job title and focuses on one of your best skills or qualities.
For the most attention-grabbing CV headline, match your sentence to the most critical keywords and phrases from the job description. This will catch the eye of the reader as well as giving you the best chance of passing the ATS screening stage.
The examples below show best practice for writing a CV headline at different experience levels:
- Junior Laboratory Manager Ensuring Accuracy
- Experienced Laboratory Manager Ensuring Quality
- Strategic Accomplished Senior Laboratory Manager
What's the best CV format for a lab manager CV in 2026?
The format that gives the best chance of success for your lab manager CV in 2026 depends on various factors, such as your experience levels, the type and level of role you're applying for and the norms of the company and industry.
Typically, the reverse-chronological CV is most effective if you have some work experience under your belt. This is because the layout showcases your work experience, providing evidence of how you've used relevant skills to achieve success in previous roles.
Conversely, for less experienced candidates such as graduates and career changers, a functional CV format may work better, as this highlights your key skills and qualifications over your work experience.
Key takeaways for a successful lab manager CV
To make a strong first impression on hiring managers, tailor your CV for every application, adding keywords and phrases that match the job description. Choose the most fitting CV format for your experience level, and focus on showcasing how you've developed the necessary skills for the role, and used them to positive effect in previous roles.
Finally, building your CV using Jobseeker's HR-approved CV templates can help to catch the eye of recruiters and hiring managers, making your application stand out and giving you the best chance of gaining your dream job.
Sources:
- Barnet Council (UK local government), Recruitment tips: How to write a supporting statement
- Jobseeker, Recruitment Statistics
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