Lab Operations Assistant (Fixed-Term Contract)

Arc Institute; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 34,000 - 43,000; Full time

Job summary

Arc Institute in Palo Alto is seeking a Lab Operations Assistant on a fixed-term 18-month contract to support research operations across Technology Centers. You will keep shared lab spaces stocked, clean, and running smoothly, working closely with the Lab Manager to provide hands-on day-to-day logistics support for scientists.

The ideal candidate has 1+ years in lab operations, is hands-on, detail-oriented, and proactive with strong organizational and communication skills.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of experience in a lab operations or research setting.
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize in a fast-moving environment.
• Resourceful, proactive, and self-initiating, with the ability to solve problems and troubleshoot independently.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and/or Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and to regularly bend, reach, stretch, and lift and carry boxes and supplies, with or without accommodation.
• Must have the ability to lift 50 pounds and occasionally move heavy equipment.

Responsibilities

• Perform routine TC room upkeep on a set schedule, including filling incubator water, cleaning water pans, removing BSC waste, and cleaning shared equipment.
• Stock TC rooms and lab benches with consumables and reagents, tracking stock levels and flagging items for reorder.
• Perform scheduled incubator and BSC decontaminations following established SOPs.
• Receive and unbox large vendor orders (e.g., 10x Genomics, Ultima, Illumina), organizing and logging items into inventory.
• Work alongside the Lab Manager to provide agile, flexible support to Tech Center teams.
• Coordinate shipping of samples and equipment, chase late orders, file damage and warranty claims, and locate missing items.
• Communicate clearly and concisely with lab members to maintain a high level of service.
• Contribute to process improvement by helping keep SOPs, checklists, and rotation schedules current and useful.
• Play an active role in maintaining a safe work environment by following and reinforcing safety guidelines and procedures.
• Work with the Lab Manager to prioritize tasks and assignments, offering recommendations to improve efficiency.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Written and verbal communication

Education

BS degree or partial coursework in laboratory sciences

Tools

Google Workspace

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Lab Operations Assistant (Fixed-Term Contract)

About Arc Institute

Arc Institute is an independent nonprofit research organization at the interface of artificial intelligence and biology, working to accelerate scientific progress and understand the root causes of complex diseases. Founded in 2021 and based in Palo Alto, Arc partners with Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UC San Francisco.

Unlike academia, our scientists have long-term funding and industry-like resources. Unlike industry, they're free to pursue high-risk, long-term research without commercial pressures. Arc's Technology Centers and Core Investigator labs work side by side, integrating experimental and computational biology under one roof to tackle problems neither could solve alone.

Our two Institute Initiatives reflect this model in action:

• Virtual Cell Initiative : Building a full-stack virtual cell model to identify disease mechanisms and nominate drug targets, accelerating the path from biological insight to clinical trials.
• Alzheimer's Disease Initiative : Mapping the genes, pathways, and environmental factors behind Alzheimer's disease to develop drug candidates that address root causes.

More than 300 Arconauts work together at our Palo Alto headquarters, backed by substantial long-term philanthropic funding.

About the position

We are seeking a Lab Operations Assistant to support research operations across Arc’s Technology Centers. Working closely with the Lab Manager, you will keep our shared lab spaces stocked, clean, and running smoothly, and provide hands‑on support for the day-to-day logistics that scientists depend on. This will be a fixed‑term, 18‑month position. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

This is an execution-focused role. By keeping shared resources and spaces running reliably across the Technology Centers, you will help our teams carry out ambitious, highly technical research that combines genome engineering, advanced molecular tools, and complex cellular models to uncover the mechanisms underlying complex diseases like Alzheimer’s. The ideal candidate combines laboratory experience with a proactive, service‑oriented mindset, identifying and removing small obstacles before they slow down science.

About you

• You have a customer‑first mindset and take pride in supporting researchers through great service
• You are a hands‑on, organized self‑starter who values safe lab practices
• You are committed to keeping shared spaces stocked, clean, and ready for scientists to work
• You are reliable and calm under pressure, and know when to handle an issue and when to handle it
• You balance routine scheduled tasks with urgent requests while keeping daily operations running smoothly
• You stay goal‑focused in a dynamic work environment
• You enjoy working with diverse groups of people and helping teams succeed
• You proactively identify and address maintenance needs for shared equipment and spaces
• You are eager to learn and get satisfaction from optimizing processes

In this position you will

• Perform routine TC room upkeep on a set schedule, including filling incubator water, cleaning water pans, removing BSC waste, and cleaning shared equipment
• Stock TC rooms and lab benches with consumables and reagents, tracking stock levels and flagging items for reorder
• Perform scheduled incubator and BSC decontaminations following established SOPs
• Receive and unbox large vendor orders (e.g., 10x Genomics, Ultima, Illumina), organizing and logging items into inventory
• Work alongside the Lab Manager to provide agile, flexible support to Tech Center teams
• Coordinate shipping of samples and equipment, chase late orders, file damage and warranty claims, and locate missing items
• Communicate clearly and concisely with lab members to maintain a high level of service
• Contribute to process improvement by helping keep SOPs, checklists, and rotation schedules current and useful
• Play an active role in maintaining a safe work environment by following and reinforcing safety guidelines and procedures
• Work with the Lab Manager to prioritize tasks and assignments, offering recommendations to improve efficiency

Requirements

• 1+ years of experience in a lab operations or research setting; BS degree or partial coursework in laboratory sciences preferred
• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills
• Ability to multi‑task and prioritize in a fast‑moving environment
• Resourceful, proactive, and self‑initiating, with the ability to solve problems and troubleshoot independently
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and/or Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and to regularly bend, reach, stretch, and lift and carry boxes and supplies, with or without accommodation
• Must have the ability to lift 50 pounds and occasionally move heavy equipment

Work onsite in our Palo Alto office 5 days per week. Occasional after‑hours or weekend work may be required to respond to alerts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with incubator or biosafety cabinet decontamination
• Familiarity with cold chain handling and -80°C or liquid nitrogen storage
• Experience with shipping and receiving, including shipping biological samples on dry ice
• Experience with project management tracking tools such as Asana or Jira
• Familiarity with Benchling and/or inventory management systems

The hourly rate range for this position is $25 - $31 per hour. These amounts reflect the range that the Institute reasonably would expect to pay a new hire or internal candidate for this position. The actual compensation paid to any individual for this position may vary depending on factors such as experience, market conditions, education/training, skill level, and whether the compensation is internally equitable, and does not include bonuses, commissions, differential pay, other forms of compensation, or benefits.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self‑identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Arc Institute’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.