Senior Director, Data Services Laboratory | Life Sciences

Galatek Life Sciences; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

PTO and holidays

Professional training and career dev

Job summary

Galatek Life Sciences is launching a premier data‑generation laboratory in Boston to support AI‑enabled drug discovery. As a founding leader, you will own this lab end‑to‑end—from initial build‑out through to production operations, assay development, quality standards, customer delivery, and team leadership.

Year one focuses on taking the Boston facility from an empty bench to a fully operational production environment delivering highly reproducible datasets on schedule, while serving as the

Qualifications

• PhD or MS with extensive industry experience in related field.
• 5+ years leading and managing a scientific or laboratory team.
• Hands-on recombinant protein expression/purification.
• Biophysical characterization (SPR, BLI).
• Experience with high-throughput/production operations with QC metrics.
• Experience with automated workflows and scheduling software.
• Strong written and verbal communication with customer-facing skills.
• Proficiency in Mandarin; on-site in Boston; US work authorization.

Responsibilities

• Lead lab build-out and operational production workflows.
• Develop and validate core assays and QC processes.
• Deliver reproducible datasets and meet project timelines.
• Bridge lab operations between Boston and China.
• Support business development with technical scoping and proposals.
• Hire, train, and manage lab team; set performance goals.

Skills

PhD in Biochemistry

Team leadership

Protein expression/purification

Biophysical characterization (SPR, BLI

High-throughput/production ops

Automated workflows

Data for ML teams

Mandarin proficiency

Education

PhD in Biochemistry / related field

MS in related field with 15+ years experience

Tools

LIMS

Python

R

Automation scheduling software

Liquid handling systems

Cell-free expression technologies

Job description

Galatek Life Sciences is launching a data‑generation laboratory in Boston to support AI‑enabled drug discovery. This founding role owns the lab end‑to‑end—from build‑out to production operations, assay development, quality standards, customer delivery, and team leadership.

Company: Galatek Life Sciences

Travel: Up to 20%

Reports To: VP, North America

Base Salary: $185,000 – $225,000 (Depending on experience)

About the Role

You will establish and run Galatek’s Boston data‑generation lab. Year one focuses on taking the lab from an empty bench to a fully operational production environment delivering reproducible datasets on schedule. You will serve as the scientific lead for customers and the technical bridge to our partner lab in China.

About Galatek

Galatek builds next-generation laboratory automation platforms designed for scale, reliability, and AI-enabled workflows. By joining us, you will play a critical role in establishing our flagship data‑generation capability in North America, bridging wet‑lab execution with modern computational biology.

About the Role

Galatek Life Sciences is launching a premier data‑generation laboratory in Boston to support AI-enabled drug discovery. As a founding leader, you will own this lab end‑to‑end—from initial build‑out through to production operations, assay development, quality standards, customer delivery, and team leadership.

Year one focuses on taking the Boston facility from an empty bench to a fully operational production environment delivering highly reproducible datasets on schedule, while serving as the primary scientific bridge to our international partner lab.

Key Responsibilities

Lab Build-Out & Operations

• Design, equip, and commission the Boston lab (layout, utilities, equipment procurement, vendor contracts).
• Own production workflows: configuration, validation, uptime, preventive maintenance, and engineering improvements.
• Establish EHS and biosafety programs; ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Implement SOPs, LIMS-based sample tracking, and data pipelines for reproducible, traceable datasets.

Assay Development & Production

• Build and validate core assays: recombinant protein expression, purification, quantification, and biophysical characterization (BLI, SPR, thermal stability).
• Execute customer projects end‑to‑end (intake through QC to final data delivery).
• Scale throughput and optimize costs through automated workflows and process refinement.

Data Quality & Delivery

• Define assay quality standards: controls, replicates, acceptance criteria, metadata, and reporting formats suitable for ML model training.
• Deliver structured datasets with full metadata and QC documentation; handle customer data inquiries.
• Harmonize protocols, controls, reference standards, and data formats with our partner lab in China.
• Plan capacity and strategically route projects between Boston and China.

Customer‑Facing Science

• Support business development with technical scoping, feasibility, assay selection, study design, pricing inputs, proposals, and SOWs.
• Present capabilities and results to customer scientific and ML teams; lead technical calls and site visits.
• Execute pilot studies designed to convert into recurring programs.
• Hire, train, and manage the lab team; establish performance goals, schedules, and career development plans.
• Uphold rigorous standards for safety, scientific excellence, and documentation.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Biochemistry, Protein Science, Molecular Biology, Bioengineering, or related field with 10+ years of industry experience; OR MS with 15+ years of industry experience.
• 5+ years of experience leading and managing a scientific or laboratory team.
• Hands‑on expertise in recombinant protein expression/purification and biophysical characterization (e.g., SPR, BLI).
• Track record in high‑throughput or production‑style operations with defined QC and turnaround metrics.
• Experience operating automated workflows, including liquid handlers, integrated workcells, and scheduling software.
• Experience generating structured data for computational/ML teams with a strong understanding of controls, replicates, metadata, and format consistency.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills with strong customer‑facing capabilities.
• Professional working proficiency in Mandarin Chinese for seamless technical coordination with international R&D and partner labs.
• Based in or willing to relocate to Boston, MA (on‑site role).
• Authorized to work in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience standing up a new laboratory (facility planning, equipment selection, EHS program creation).
• Background in protein engineering, antibody discovery, or AI drug discovery; familiarity with ML‑guided protein design workflows.
• Experience with cell‑free expression, display technologies, or high‑scale protein production.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture, organoids, or 3D cell culture.
• Working knowledge of LIMS and Python or R for data QC and reporting.
• Experience in a CRO or scientific services business (scoping, SOWs, customer delivery).
• Experience collaborating with international teams across time zones.

What We Offer

• Competitive base salary ($185,000 – $225,000)
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Generous paid time off (PTO) and company holidays
• Professional training and career development opportunities

Equal Opportunity & Accommodation

Galatek is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to protected characteristics under applicable law. Galatek provides reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the hiring process and employment.