Lab Operations Specialist

Planet Group; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 52,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Planet Group in Philadelphia, PA seeks a Lab Operations Specialist on a 12-month, on-site contract. The role focuses on maintaining equipment inventory, coordinating calibrations, and overseeing vendor services to ensure compliant, smooth lab operations.

The candidate should have a life sciences or facilities management background and experience with maintenance programs in R&D settings, combined with strong communication and organizational skills.

Qualifications

• A.S. or B.S. in Life Sciences or Facilities Management with management/technical emphasis.
• Minimum 1 year of pharmaceutical, life sciences, or biotech experience in an academic or industry setting.
• Minimum 2 years of experience implementing maintenance and repair programs in an R&D facility.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Ability to solve problems with forward-looking thinking.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Maintain equipment inventory with accurate, timely updates.
• Regularly evaluate fixed lab equipment (fume hoods, exhaust fans, biosafety cabinet) for proper operation.
• Manage vendor service contracts ensuring preventative maintenance visits occur on schedule.
• Coordinate timelines across laboratories for certifications and calibrations.
• Assist in coordinating equipment repairs between service providers and the lab team.
• Review cold storage monitoring software to minimize freezer failure and escalate issues as needed.
• Participate in lab emergency planning/management for power outages and infra projects.
• Collaborate with technicians, users, IT, and leadership to meet equipment and operational needs.
• Chaperone external technicians and ensure policy compliance onsite.
• Oversee delivery logistics for packages, gas deliveries, or equipment installation.
• Support procurement of laboratory consumables and supplies as needed.
• Troubleshoot general lab operation issues as they arise.
• Develop and maintain procedures to ensure compliant lab operations.
• Work with lab safety officer to manage safety systems and PPE.
• Provide miscellaneous maintenance tasks such as stocking, eye wash/safety shower flushing, waste removal.

Skills

Lab Operations

Vendor Management

Equipment Maintenance

Calibration

Education

A.S. or B.S. in Life Sciences or Facilities Management with management/technical emphasis

Job description

Lab Operations Specialist
Pay: $38-$41.01per hour
Duration: 12months
Location:Philadelphia, PA
Key Responsibilities:

• Maintain equipment inventory, ensuring the information is accurate and updated promptly.
• Regularly evaluate fixed lab equipment (fume hoods, exhaust fans, biosafety cabinet, etc) are functioning properly.
• Manage all laboratory vendor service contracts ensuring that preventative maintenance visits are executed on schedule
• Manage and coordinate timelines across laboratories for certifications and calibrations on critical equipment
• Help resolve and/or coordinate equipment repair visit between the service provider and the laboratory team.
• Review cold storage monitoring software to minimize the risk of freezer failure. Escalate issues internally and troubleshoot as needed.
• Participate in laboratory emergency planning/management - e.g. power outages and infrastructure projects
• Work with all parties involved (technicians, users, IT, and leadership) to ensure that both the equipment and operational needs are met.
• Chaperone technicians from external suppliers and ensure they are adhering to company policies while onsite.
• Oversee delivery logistics by coordinating the receipt of packages, gas deliveries, or installation of laboratory equipment.
• Support the procurement of laboratory consumables and supplies as needed.
• Perform general troubleshooting of laboratory operation issues as they arise.
• Support the development and maintenance of procedures to ensure compliant lab operations.
• Work with lab safety officer to manage the safety systems/compliance and ensure the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is current and available.
• Provide miscellaneous laboratory maintenance tasks as needed e.g. supply stocking, eye wash/safety shower flushing, removal of waste, etc

Required Qualifications:

• A.S. or B.S. in Life Sciences or Facilities Management with management/technical emphasis.
• Minimum 1 year of pharmaceutical, life sciences, or biotech experience in an academic or industry setting.
• Minimum 2 years of experience implementing maintenance and repair programs in a Research & Development (R&D) facility.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively with member of cross-functional team
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to solve problems while anticipating the downstream impacts
• Highly organized with a strong attention to detail, clarity, accuracy, and conciseness.

Additional Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with project management activities and vendor management preferred
• Experience working within an R&D team while establishing and enforcing best practices in laboratory operations preferred
• Experience training/teaching new employees specific relevant technical and conceptual skills is a plus
• Experience with lab supplies procurement