Lab Manager

Until; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision coverage

401(k) retirement plan

On-site fitness center

Lunch and dinners provided

Learning stipend

Job summary

Until is seeking a results-driven Lab Operations Manager to own daily lab logistics, facilities, inventory, and safety across our growing research labs in San Francisco. You’ll build systems, SOPs, and documentation to keep scientists focused on breakthrough work while maintaining high standards of operational excellence.

You have 3+ years in lab operations, strong organizational skills, and a track record of coordinating maintenance, purchasing, and vendor relationships in biotech or startup

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, engineering, or related scientific discipline (or equivalent experience).
• 3+ years in laboratory operations, laboratory management, or research support.

Responsibilities

• Ensure the laboratory remains clean, organized, and fully operational daily.
• Coordinate hazardous and biological waste handling and disposal.
• Lead lab organization efforts and establish high standards for shared spaces.
• Maintain lab equipment and coordinate preventive maintenance and vendor service visits.
• Develop and maintain SOPs for laboratory operations and logistics.
• Build and maintain a Lab Operations Handbook documenting procedures and workflows.

Skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Vendor coordination

Lab operations management

Education

Bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, engineering, or related scientific discipline

Tools

Laboratory equipment maintenance

Job description

About The Company

Until is a moonshot company building a “pause button” for biology. Our near-term focus is organ-scale reversible cryopreservation: preserving donated organs at subzero temperatures without ice formation, then rewarming them uniformly for transplant. By solving this grand challenge, we’re laying the foundation for whole-body reversible cryopreservation, giving patients a bridge to future cures. To achieve our goal, we are assembling an interdisciplinary team to develop perfusion systems, cryoprotectant formulations, and vitrification and rewarming hardware. We envision a future where no transplantable organ is lost to logistics, and no terminal diagnosis is final because patients can safely wait for future medicine to arrive.

About The Role

We are seeking an organized, proactive, and highly reliable Lab Operations Manager to own the day-to-day operations of Until's research laboratories. This person will be responsible for ensuring the lab runs efficiently, safely, and smoothly so that scientists can focus on research. You'll oversee laboratory logistics, facilities, inventory, equipment maintenance, vendor relationships, and operational improvements across our growing research organization. As the company scales, you'll help build the systems, documentation, and infrastructure that enable world‑class scientific work. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys creating order from complexity, takes pride in operational excellence, and thrives in fast‑paced startup environments.

What You'll Do

Laboratory Operations

• Ensure the laboratory remains clean, organized, and fully operational on a daily basis.
• Wash, sterilize, and organize laboratory glassware.
• Prepare laboratory solutions and buffers according to established protocols.
• Refill and distribute commonly used laboratory reagents and consumables.
• Coordinate hazardous and biological waste handling and disposal.
• Lead recurring lab organization efforts and establish high standards for shared laboratory spaces.

Equipment & Facilities

• Perform routine maintenance and cleaning of laboratory equipment, including centrifuges and other shared instruments.
• Coordinate preventative maintenance, repairs, calibrations, and vendor service visits.
• Partner with scientific teams to optimize laboratory layouts, bench space, equipment placement, and shared infrastructure.
• Support laboratory expansion projects, renovations, equipment moves, and space planning.
• Manage offsite storage and warehouse operations, including equipment organization and inventory consolidation.

Inventory & Logistics

• Own laboratory inventory, ensuring critical supplies remain stocked while minimizing waste.
• Manage shipping and receiving of laboratory materials, equipment, and biological samples.
• Establish recurring purchasing processes and identify opportunities for operational cost savings.
• Coordinate with vendors and suppliers to ensure timely delivery of laboratory materials.

Documentation & Process Improvement

• Build and maintain a comprehensive Lab Operations Handbook documenting laboratory procedures, contacts, permits, certifications, and operational workflows.
• Develop and maintain SOPs for laboratory operations and logistics.
• Create documentation for specialized operational workflows, including transplant logistics and other program-specific activities.
• Continuously improve laboratory systems, workflows, and organizational processes as the company grows.

Cross-functional Support

• Partner closely with research teams to anticipate operational needs and remove bottlenecks.
• Coordinate laboratory onboarding for new employees, including laboratory orientation and best practices.
• Support scheduling and shared resource planning across multiple scientific teams.
• Lead recurring laboratory cleanups and continuous improvement initiatives.

As You Grow in the Role

• Scaling laboratory operations to support a rapidly growing research organization.
• Designing inventory management systems and equipment tracking.
• Evaluating new storage and facilities solutions.
• Standardizing laboratory organization across teams.
• Building preventive maintenance programs for laboratory equipment.
• Improving operational efficiency through automation, process improvements, and thoughtful facility planning.

About You

• Bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, engineering, or a related scientific discipline (or equivalent laboratory operations experience).
• 3+ years of laboratory operations, laboratory management, or research support experience.
• Experience working in a research laboratory, biotech, life sciences, or startup environment.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Comfortable managing multiple priorities and solving operational problems independently.
• Experience coordinating vendors, equipment maintenance, purchasing, or laboratory logistics.
• Excellent written documentation and communication skills.
• Able to lift and transport laboratory materials (up to approximately 50 lbs).

Nice to Have

• Experience supporting BSL-2 or similar laboratory environments.
• Experience with laboratory safety, EHS, or chemical inventory management.
• Experience supporting laboratory build-outs, moves, or facilities projects.
• Familiarity with procurement systems or inventory management software.
• Experience developing SOPs and operational documentation.

Benefits

• Generous medical, dental and vision insurance coverage
• Flexible time off and paid holidays
• Competitive compensation package, including salary and equity
• Access to a 401(k) retirement savings plan
• FSA and commuter benefits
• Daily lunch and dinners, plus a variety of snacks
• Monthly learning stipend
• On-site fitness center
• Quarterly team social budget

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us. Potential to flex for exceptional experience.