Sample Operations Lead

Kenkotech Futures Limited; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Greenfield project ownership

High-growth environment

Job summary

KenkoTech seeks a Biosome Operations Lead to own end-to-end sample handling in a new high-throughput genomics facility. You will manage incoming human biosamples, accessioning, aliquoting, storage and retrieval, ensuring traceability and readiness for downstream sequencing and analytics.

This hands-on leadership role requires building scalable processes, SOPs, and a capable team of sample accessioning technicians, while enforcing quality standards and biosafety.

Qualifications

• Experience in sample accessioning, biobanking or biospecimen operations.
• Experience handling high volumes of human biospecimens, ideally in genomics or clinical labs.
• Solid understanding of receiving, accessioning, storage and retrieval workflows.
• Hands-on with LIMS, barcode tracking, manifests and inventory systems.
• Experience training or supervising laboratory technicians.
• Comfortable building processes in a fast-growth environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily sample receiving and accessioning operations, reconciling shipments against manifests.
• Oversee sample identification, barcode scanning, LIMS registration and chain-of-custody tracking.
• Establish quarantine and discrepancy-resolution processes for mislabeled or missing samples.
• Supervise high-throughput aliquoting workflows including thawing, splitting and freezing.
• Own biobank and freezer inventory management, rack mapping and sample retrieval.
• Develop robust procedures for handling variable sample types and shipment conditions.
• Implement quality controls to maintain sample integrity and traceability.
• Identify opportunities to improve throughput with automation and equipment.
• Build, train and schedule a team of accessioning technicians and lab staff.
• Develop SOPs and processes as the facility scales.

Skills

sample accessioning

biobanking

biospecimen operations

clinical laboratory experience

team leadership

process improvement

attention to detail

Tools

LIMS

barcode systems

inventory management systems

rack mapping software

cold-chain management systems

Job description

Biosome Operations Lead | Genomics x AI

KenkoTech is partnering with a rapidly growing TechBio company building large-scale human biological datasets for frontier AI and foundation model companies.

The company is building a high-throughput genomics facility from the ground up, designed to transform human biosamples into standardized, high-quality biological data at enormous scale.

They are looking for a Sample Operations Lead to take ownership of sample accessioning, biobanking, inventory management and the operational workflows that underpin the facility.

The Opportunity

This is a genuine 0 → 1 laboratory build.

You will own the end-to-end journey of incoming human biosamples, from receiving and identification through accessioning, aliquoting, storage and retrieval.

The facility will receive high volumes of frozen biological samples from multiple sources, often arriving in different tube formats with inconsistent labeling and documentation.

Your responsibility will be to build a scalable, accurate and highly traceable sample management operation, ensuring every sample is accounted for and ready for downstream genomic processing.

This is a hands-on leadership role with significant ownership over processes, quality standards and the development of the sample operations team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead daily sample receiving and accessioning operations, reconciling incoming shipments against manifests
• Oversee sample identification, barcode scanning, LIMS registration and chain-of-custody tracking
• Establish quarantine and discrepancy-resolution processes for incorrectly labeled, missing or nonconforming samples
• Supervise high-throughput aliquoting workflows, including thawing, splitting, recapping, scanning and freezing
• Own biobank and freezer inventory management, including rack mapping, sample retrieval, retention and transfers
• Develop robust procedures for handling variable sample types, tube formats and incoming shipment conditions
• Implement quality controls to maintain sample integrity, traceability and operational accuracy
• Identify opportunities to improve throughput through automated decappers, barcode scanners and other laboratory equipment
• Build, train and schedule a team of sample accessioning and laboratory technicians
• Develop SOPs and operational processes as the facility scales

Ideal Background

• Several years of experience in sample accessioning, biobanking, biospecimen operations or clinical laboratory sample management
• Experience handling high volumes of human biological specimens, ideally within genomics, molecular diagnostics, precision medicine or clinical laboratories
• Strong understanding of sample receiving, accessioning, aliquoting, storage and retrieval workflows
• Hands-on experience with LIMS, barcode tracking, sample manifests and inventory management systems
• Experience managing sample discrepancies, quarantine procedures and chain-of-custody requirements
• Familiarity with biosafety cabinets, bloodborne-pathogen precautions and safe human specimen handling
• Experience training or supervising laboratory technicians
• Comfortable building operational processes in a fast-moving, high-growth environment
• Highly organized, detail-oriented and willing to remain hands-on as the team scales

Nice to Have

• Experience working within CAP/CLIA-regulated laboratories or ISBER-aligned biobanking environments
• Familiarity with automated decappers, rack scanners and sample handling automation
• Experience managing cold-chain shipments and frozen biological sample inventories
• Exposure to LIMS configuration or implementation
• Previous experience helping establish or scale a biobank or high-throughput sample processing operation

Location & Compensation

• $100-200K base salary, depending on experience
• Equity
• Significant ownership over a greenfield genomics facility
• Opportunity to build and lead the sample operations function as the company scales