Lab Operations Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Location: San Diego, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

Salary: $76,000 - $85,000

Position Overview

We are seeking an Assistant Lab Manager to support daily laboratory operations and support the Sr. Lab manager maintain a safe and organized working environment, coordinate inventory and vendor activities, and help ensure that laboratory workflows run efficiently. This role is ideal for someone with laboratory experience, attention to detail, and the ability to balance hands-on support with administrative coordination.

Key Responsibilities

Laboratory Operations

• Support day-to-day lab readiness, including workspace organization, supply availability, equipment access, and general operational coordination.
• Monitor laboratory supplies, consumables, reagents, PPE, and shared materials; place or prepare purchase requests as needed.
• Receive, unpack, label, store, and distribute lab materials according to internal procedures and safety requirements.
• Coordinate routine lab upkeep, including shared spaces, cold storage areas, chemical storage areas, waste staging areas, and common equipment zones.

Safety, Compliance, and Documentation

• Promote a clean, safe, and compliant lab environment consistent with company policies, biosafety practices, chemical hygiene requirements, and applicable regulations.
• Assist with safety inspections, lab audits, corrective actions, incident documentation, and follow-up tracking.
• Maintain or support records for chemical inventory, biological materials, equipment maintenance, training, SOPs, SDS files, and waste disposal.
• Help onboard new lab personnel by coordinating access, training checklists, workspace setup, and lab orientation materials.
• Escalate safety, facilities, equipment, or compliance issues promptly to the Lab Manager or appropriate owner.

Equipment, Facilities, and Vendors

• Coordinate preventive maintenance, service visits, calibration, repair requests, and documentation for shared laboratory equipment.

Team Support and Process Improvement

• Partner with scientists, research associates, operations staff, and leadership to understand lab needs and remove operational bottlenecks.
• Identify opportunities to improve organization, labeling, inventory accuracy, ordering cadence, safety practices, and lab workflows.
• Create, update, and maintain simple SOPs, checklists, logs, forms, and other operational tools.
• Support lab moves, audits, inventory cleanups, and special projects as needed.
• Model professional communication, reliability, and sound judgment in a fast-paced laboratory environment.

Qualifications

• Associate degree, bachelor degree, or equivalent practical experience in biology, chemistry, biotechnology, laboratory operations, or a related field.
• 2+ years of experience working in a laboratory
• Working knowledge of common laboratory practices, PPE, chemical hygiene, biosafety fundamentals, inventory management, and equipment coordination.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, follow-through, and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with chemical inventory systems, asset management systems, electronic lab notebooks, procurement systems, or facilities ticketing platforms (ie Benchling)
• Familiarity with waste streams, cold-chain receiving, compressed gases, hazardous materials, controlled temperature storage, or regulated sample handling.

Work Environment

• Primarily on-site laboratory
• May involve standing, walking, reaching, bending, lifting, unpacking shipments, moving supplies, and working in or near laboratory spaces.
• Will require use of PPE and adherence to laboratory safety procedures.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We thrive on diversity and collaboration.