A Bit About Us:
We are Arcadia Science. Arcadia is a science company founded and led by scientists. Our mission is to transform evolutionary innovations into real-world solutions by openly developing more efficient, replicable, and sustainable ways to leverage the biology of diverse organisms.
The Opportunity:
We are seeking a Lab Operations Lead who can lead the expansion of our wet-lab research infrastructure and support team. An ideal candidate is knowledgeable and excited about how to organize and maintain highly efficient lab practices. Lab operations will include a wide range of responsibilities across equipment/supplies logistics, safety & compliance, people management, and standard wet-lab support. The Lab Operations Lead will be managing a small and growing team and should be demonstrably skilled at strategizing with cutting edge automation and digital practices in mind.
We are looking for someone who has experience in and enjoys a fast-paced environment. Enthusiasm for developing robust and reproducible data and documentation practices that accelerate Arcadia’s open science work is a must. In addition to standard industry experience with lab operations, ideal candidates will need to think and experiment creatively around some of Arcadia’s unique research elements. We aim to pilot and scale techniques that enable a broader range of research organisms than is typically utilized. Therefore, ideal candidates should be comfortable learning about and supporting needs across a diverse range of organismal systems and techniques. They should also be a strategic problem solver when it comes to workflows that can be generalized across a wider range of species and scales. This will certainly include frequent iteration alongside researchers and automation of common workflows. Arcadia’s research facilities are growing, and the Lab Operations Lead will need to lead the operational and compliance aspects of this expansion.
Team-wise, we currently have ~10 full-time experimentalists in the lab and expect to grow this number by 3-5-fold over the next few years. Our wet-lab space, which we plan to grow from ~5K to 9K square feet over the next year, includes standard molecular biology, cell culture, and advanced microscopy facilities. We also intend to build out the physical and support infrastructure required for a modest, 3-room in-house vivarium over the next year.
Key Responsibilities:
- Overseeing strategy and implementation of highly efficient lab operation practicesSetting up and managing vivarium work, both in-house and external facilities
- Building and managing a Lab Operations team that will expand with research needs
- Projecting and tracking budget for lab operations
- Staying up-to-speed on cutting edge automation, data management, and interoperable/discoverable documentation strategies
- Developing playbook for novel or bespoke methodologies at Arcadia
- Ensuring proper quality controls and contingency plans for reagents and strains
- Coordinating with operational and research teams to to enable efficient cross-functional work
- Working with the Engineering teams to connect physical and digital workflows
- Collaborating with researchers to automate or increase throughput of lab work
Required Education/Experience:
- B.S., M.S. or Ph.D. in the life sciences
- 5+ years experience in direct wet-lab research experience
- 2+ years experience in the biotech industry
- 2+ years experience in lab operations and team management (>2 direct reports)
- Familiarity with best practices for cell culture and cultivation methods
- Direct experience with electronic lab notebook and documentation practices
- Clear and succinct communicator
Preferred Education/Experience:
- Experience with modern automation hardware and software
- Diverse range of experiences across life science areas (molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology, biochemistry, etc)
- Experience overseeing and/or setting up a vivarium
- Experience scaling lab operations by >3-fold
- Strong network of contacts and collaborators in biotech space
- Familiarity with lab physical build-out or renovation processes
Compensation:
Successful applicants can expect to be compensated between $140,000 - $190,000 with benefits and a highly competitive equity offering, depending on experience level and familiarity with cutting edge technologies for lab operations. The Head of Lab Operations is part of Arcadia’s growing operations team and will oversee a small team. Arcadia is a fully on-site team. The position will require the individual to also be on-site at our Berkeley, California headquarters.
Application Process:
Interested applicants should send a resume and fully answer all application questions addressing their interest in and qualifications for the position. Please note that failure to follow instructions and address all questions will lead to automatic disqualification. Arcadia Science is an equal-opportunity workplace; we welcome people from all backgrounds and communities. We provide competitive compensation and practical benefits to keep you happy and healthy so that you can do your best work. Please note that an offer of employment from Arcadia is contingent upon the successful clearance of a reference and background check.Apply for this job
