Logistics Manager

Starting compensation: $116,000 to $144,000 Work location: On-site in Cambridge, MA About SecureBio Detection SecureBio Detection is a nonprofit working to protect the world from catastrophic pandemics. As advances in biotechnology lower the barriers to engineering dangerous pathogens, our mission is to make sure humanity’s detection and response systems are ready in time. Our Detection team runs one of the world’s largest metagenomic biosurveillance networks, sequencing wastewater and nasal swab samples daily to catch emerging pathogens before they reach outbreak scale. About the Team The whole system depends on samples arriving. Every detection signal our computational team eventually produces starts with a physical sample, collected at a partner site somewhere in the world, packed correctly, shipped in time, and handed off cleanly to our lab. Right now, that flow is being held together by a handful of people across the Partnerships function and the Lab, alongside their other work. As sampling volume grows, this needs a dedicated owner. About the Role We’re hiring a Logistics Manager to own the movement of samples end to end: every one that comes in, where it came from, and getting it accurately into the hands of the people who process and analyse it. You’ll report to the Head of Partnerships and work in close collaboration with Lab Operations, sitting at an interesting intersection between the external facing partnership world and the internal facing precision of the lab. The role is heavier on the internal side in its first few months. That means building the systems and processes for tracking samples reliably as volume increases, taking traffic from what today lives across email threads and spreadsheets into something coherent and scalable. You’ll also own the day-to-day relationships that keep the flow moving: sampling partners at the source, courier and shipping providers in the middle, and the lab at the receiving end. Over time, there’s room for the external side of the role to grow, including helping identify and open up new sample streams. That’s a secondary priority to begin with, but a natural evolution as the systems you build settle into place. Why this role, why now? This role is being created because SecureBio’s sampling volume is about to grow substantially. Turnaround time targets are getting more ambitious. And the current setup (thoughtful people managing this alongside other responsibilities) doesn’t scale to what’s coming. The person who takes this role will build the operational foundation for a step change in sampling volume, and shape how logistics works at SecureBio for years to come! How you’ll spend your time You’ll coordinate day to day with vendors, sampling partners, and shipping and courier providers to keep samples moving reliably, managing shipping and cold-chain logistics, inbound scheduling, related supplies, and compliance with shipping regulations. You’ll serve as the operational point of contact for sampling partners, including onboarding new sites, communicating collection and shipping requirements, and keeping those relationships running smoothly. Some of these are long standing goodwill relationships (like our local wastewater treatment plant) that need care and attention to maintain. You’ll track deliveries against expected schedules, own the upstream sample metadata (time, date, location, sample type, and other relevant values), and identify and resolve issues such as delays, damaged or lost shipments, holding vendors and couriers accountable when things aren’t moving as they should. You’ll own logistics KPI tracking and reporting. You’ll coordinate closely with the Lab Manager and the data management team on sample handoffs, chain of custody, and associated metadata, keeping physical samples and their records in sync. You’ll maintain meticulous, accurate records and build the tracking systems, dashboards, and SOPs that give the team clear visibility into sample status and that scale as our sampling volume grows. You’ll establish and manage a kitting system, ensuring our partners receive a sampling kit. You’ll support the identification of new sample streams as the role evolves and as system foundations settle. You’ll handle sensitive information with real discretion: some sample sources and locations aren’t public. What great looks like Every sample that comes in is accounted for, tracked accurately, and reaches the lab within the timeframes needed for it to be usable. The systems you’ve built have clear ownership of who does what and when. Sampling partners feel well looked after. Couriers and shipping providers know that SecureBio expects things to happen on time, and that someone here will notice, and follow up, when they don’t. Small errors, mislabelled samples, missed handoffs, delays that go unnoticed, are rare. When they do happen, they get caught quickly and corrected. What Kinds of Things We’re Most Interested In You Having 2+ years of experience in logistics, supply chain, lab operations, sample or specimen management, or a similar operations role. Proven expertise establishing and owning systems where small errors have outsized consequences. Experience coordinating with external vendors, partners, and shipping or courier providers, including knowing when and how to be respectfully persistent with providers who aren’t meeting expectations. Strong organisational and tracking skills, with the ability to manage many concurrent samples and shipments and keep everything traceable. Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in record keeping. Demonstrated problem solving skills, with a track record of anticipating logistics issues before they cascade rather than only responding to them. Excellent communication skills to build and maintain smooth working relationships with external partners. Demonstrated experience working cross-functionally with lab and data teams. Genuine curiosity about biosecurity and pandemic prevention, and comfort with the discretion required when handling sensitive information. Preferred Experience handling biological or clinical samples, cold-chain logistics, or chain-of-custody workflows. Familiarity with sample-tracking systems or laboratory information management systems. Knowledge of shipping requirements for biological materials, such as IATA / dangerous goods or biological specimen shipping regulations. Experience with cross-border shipping and customs or import/export compliance. Background in lab operations, biobanking, wastewater surveillance, or specimen logistics at scale. Experience building SOPs and operational processes in a growing organisation. Logistics and benefits This is a full-time in-person role located in our Cambridge, MA office. Our employee benefits reflect our belief in investing to build the strongest possible team, in which everyone receives the trust and support they need to excel. Our benefits package includes: Flexible work hours Unlimited paid time off (PTO) for all employees Minimum 12 weeks fully-paid parental leave 401(k) Employer 401(k) match up to 4% of total salary. Relocation & commuter support Free commuter benefits up to $250/month, plus a generous relocation allowance for employees who move to the Boston area. Referral bonus We offer a referral bonus of up to $3,900 to individuals who refer successful candidates for this position: To receive these bonuses, we must reasonably believe that you were responsible for referring the candidate to us (e.g.due to you introducing them to us when we didn’t previously know them, or them mentioning you on their application as the reason they heard about the position). If you refer a candidate that we invite to an in-person work trial, you will receive $780; If the candidate accepts a job offer from us, you will receive a further $3,120, for a total of $3,900; #J-18808-Ljbffr