Lab Manager

Cogent; Brighton; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual leave 23–28 days

Matched Pension

Life Assurance

BUPA healthcare & Dental

Long Service Awards

Enhanced Family Leave

Job summary

Cogent Breeding seeks a Lab Manager to lead the operational heart of the laboratory, driving efficiency, quality, and safety across production and customer delivery. You will build and mentor a high-performing team, oversee budgets, and partner with service providers to optimise performance.

You will champion continuous improvement, ensure compliance, and manage cross-functional relationships to meet evolving production demands in a fast-paced scientific environment.

Qualifications

• Degree in biology or related life sciences field with leadership experience.
• Proven track record in laboratory leadership and people management.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day laboratory operations ensuring capacity and workflows meet production needs.
• Oversee budgets, inventory, purchasing, and supplier relationships.
• Maintain facilities, equipment, and IT systems with preventive maintenance schedules.
• Plan workforce staffing, development, and succession in partnership with functions.
• Drive continuous improvement and ensure compliance with quality and safety standards.

Skills

People leadership

Communication

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Education

Biology degree

Tools

MS Office

LIMS

Job description

Main Purpose of Role

As Lab Manager, you will lead a critical operational function at Cogent Breeding, ensuring the delivery of high-quality laboratory services that support our customers, breeding programmes, and business objectives. You will be responsible for driving operational excellence, maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, and compliance, and developing a high-performing team capable of meeting evolving production demands. Working closely with internal stakeholders, customers, and service partners, you will play a key role in optimising laboratory performance, implementing continuous improvement initiatives, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and innovation. This is an exciting opportunity for a hands‑on leader who is passionate about developing people, improving processes, and delivering results in a fast-paced scientific environment.

Key Responsibilities

Laboratory Operations & Resource Management

• Lead day-to-day laboratory operations, ensuring capacity, workflows, and resources meet production and customer requirements.
• Oversee laboratory budgets, expenses, inventory, purchasing, and supplier relationships.
• Ensure facilities, infrastructure, equipment, and IT systems are maintained and operating effectively, coordinating servicing, repairs, upgrades, and preventative maintenance programmes.
• Manage laboratory logistics and operational planning to maximise efficiency, productivity, and product quality.
• Identify and deliver continuous improvement initiatives to enhance processes, quality, and operational performance.

Leadership & People Management

• Lead, motivate, and develop a skilled laboratory team, fostering a collaborative, accountable, and high-performance culture.
• Manage workforce planning, scheduling, and resource allocation to ensure operational requirements are met.
• Set clear objectives, monitor performance, provide coaching and feedback, and support employee development.
• Support recruitment, onboarding, training, and succession planning activities in partnership with relevant business functions.
• Ensure all team members maintain the skills, knowledge, and training required to perform their roles safely and effectively.
• Lead regular team meetings to communicate business priorities, quality standards, performance outcomes, and operational updates.

Quality, Compliance & Production

• Ensure all laboratory processes comply with company procedures, quality standards, regulatory requirements, and biosecurity protocols.
• Monitor production and quality data, identifying trends and implementing corrective actions where required.
• Maintain accurate production, quality, and training records and ensure data integrity across all laboratory processes.
• Support internal and external audits, inspections, and customer visits, ensuring effective preparation and timely implementation of any actions.
• Investigate quality issues, equipment failures, and operational incidents, implementing preventative measures to drive continuous improvement.
• Act as the primary point of contact for production, quality, and customer-related laboratory activities.

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong relationships with internal teams, customers, suppliers, service providers, and external partners.
• Collaborate across departments to ensure smooth delivery of operational objectives and customer commitments.
• Provide regular reporting and updates on laboratory performance, quality metrics, operational risks, and improvement initiatives.

Essential Skills and Attributes

• Degree in Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Laboratory Sciences, Animal Sciences, or a related discipline (preferred).
• Proven experience in a laboratory leadership role within biologics, pharmaceuticals, clinical laboratories, animal sciences, or a related production environment.
• Strong people leadership skills, with experience developing teams and managing performance.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, resources, and operational demands in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of quality management systems, regulatory compliance, and health and safety requirements.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Effective communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and laboratory management systems.

Enhanced Benefits

• Annual leave entitlement starting at 23 days plus bank holiday, increasing with length of service up to 28 days plus bank holidays
• Matched Pension Scheme
• Life Assurance (4 times basic salary)
• BUPA healthcare and Dental Plan
• Long Service Awards at and 30 years
• Enhanced Family Leave