Head of UK Lab Operations

present of AI; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

present of AI seeks a hands-on Lab Operations Lead to build and run a new London lab. The role requires experience launching labs, managing safety, permits, vendors, and a small ops team in a fast startup pace, with a systems mindset enabling scalable AI-driven experiments.

The successful candidate will oversee day-to-day operations, ensure life-science workflows run reliably, and collaborate with AI teams to optimize planning, tracking and troubleshooting in a high-throughput environment.

Qualifications

• A strong candidate has helped set up or expand a lab and knows life-science workflows.
• They can manage safety, permits, contractors and instrument vendors.
• They bring a systems mindset and can hire and lead a small operations team at startup pace.

Responsibilities

• Build the London lab from empty space into a working, high-throughput site.
• Run day-to-day operations and ensure reliable experiments for AI-driven workflows.
• Oversee safety, compliance, vendor relations and facility maintenance.
• Lead and grow a small operations team in a fast-paced environment.

Skills

Lab operations

People leadership

Safety compliance

Vendor management

Systems thinking

Job description

This role is about building a new London lab from an empty space into a working, high-throughput site, then running it day to day. A strong candidate has already helped set up or expand a lab, knows life-science workflows, and is confident handling safety, permits, contractors and instrument vendors. They also bring a systems mindset and can hire and lead a small operations team at fast startup pace.

How it fits the AI era

AI models can now design proteins, but someone still has to produce them and measure how they behave in the real world. This role sits at that gap, keeping the physical lab reliable so AI-driven experiments can run at scale. AI tools can speed up planning, tracking and troubleshooting, while judgment on safety, vendors, hiring and equipment problems stays with people.

How it builds AI experience

The work puts someone close to how AI labs and biotech partners actually get experimental data, and the team uses AI coding tools and in-house software in lab operations. Someone could build experience by using AI assistants to draft procedures, track inventory and maintenance, and spot patterns in equipment issues. Learning how automated, software-controlled instruments are run would be a useful bonus.

Worth showing

• Lab fit-out or launch experience
• Instrument installation and commissioning
• UK lab safety and compliance
• Vendor and contractor management
• Using AI to speed up operations

This is our own read, written from the employer's posting and the company's Spotlight. The employer's posting is the source of truth for the role.

About Adaptyv Bio

An automated lab that tests AI-designed proteins, so researchers can send a sequence and get real experimental data back.