Laboratory Operations Manager

Brightsmith; Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Brightsmith is seeking a Lab Manager in London to lead day-to-day lab operations, ensure safety and COSHH compliance, and support R&D activities for their energy storage platform. You’ll own lab processes, manage inventory, calibrate equipment and work closely with engineers on test rigs and experiments.

The role offers hands-on involvement in electrochemistry, batteries and flow-battery testing, with a clear path to scale the lab as the company grows.

Qualifications

• Experience in a laboratory, R&D, or engineering environment.
• Hands-on safety, COSHH, and SOPs management.
• Experience with chemicals, electrochemistry, or battery testing.
• Ability to set up and maintain test rigs.
• Willingness to own lab operations as the company scales.

Responsibilities

• Taking ownership of the day-to-day running of the laboratory and test areas.
• Managing lab H&S, COSHH, risk assessments, SOPs and safe systems of work.
• Handling chemicals and hazardous materials safely, stored correctly and disposed of properly.
• Building better systems around inventory, stock, purchasing and equipment.
• Keeping equipment maintained, calibrated, serviced and ready to use.
• Supporting test rigs, experimental setups and test builds.
• Preparing materials, samples, components and electrolytes for testing.
• Supporting engineers and scientists with experiments and longer-duration tests.
• Working with suppliers, contractors, calibration providers and external service teams.
• Helping build processes and systems the lab will need as the company scales.

Skills

Lab management

Safety compliance

COSHH knowledge

R&D support

Inventory management

Job description

Lab Manager | Energy Storage Technology | London

Are you the person in the lab who somehow knows where everything is, what needs fixing, what needs ordering and how to make sure everyone is working safely? ??

I'm working with a fast-growing energy technology company developing a next-generation flow battery platform, and we're looking for a Lab Manager to take ownership of the environment where a lot of that development happens.

This is definitely not just stock cupboards, paperwork and ordering supplies.

You'll be right in the middle of the R&D and engineering team - creating a safe, organised and effective laboratory environment, while also getting hands-on with experiments, test set-ups and builds when needed.

Think lab operations + safety + organisation + hands-on R&D support.

What will you actually be doing?

• Taking ownership of the day-to-day running of the laboratory and test areas
• Managing lab H&S, COSHH, risk assessments, SOPs and safe systems of work
• Making sure chemicals and hazardous materials are handled, stored and disposed of correctly
• Building better systems around inventory, stock, purchasing and equipment
• Keeping equipment maintained, calibrated, serviced and ready to use
• Supporting test rigs, experimental set-ups and test builds
• Preparing materials, samples, components and electrolytes for testing
• Supporting engineers and scientists with experiments and longer-duration tests
• Working with suppliers, contractors, calibration providers and external service teams
• Helping build the processes and systems the laboratory will need as the company scales

Who are we looking for?

Someone with around expereince within a laboratory, R&D, engineering, chemical, energy or industrial testing environment who is comfortable taking genuine ownership of how a lab operates.

You'll need a good understanding of laboratory safety, COSHH, risk assessments and SOPs, alongside the practical side of running a busy technical environment.

Experience around chemicals, electrochemistry, batteries, fuel cells, electrolysers, pressure systems, pumps, pipework or experimental test rigs would be particularly interesting.

But importantly, we want someone who is happy to get stuck in.

If a test needs setting up, you'll help.

If equipment isn't working, you'll investigate.

If a process doesn't exist, you'll build it.

If something isn't safe, you'll speak up and fix it.

You'll be joining an early-stage technology business where you can have a huge amount of ownership over how the laboratory operates as the company grows.

• London
• Energy Storage / Flow Batteries
• Laboratory | R&D | Operations | H&S