Senior Facilities Manager

BrainChild Bio; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Brainchild Bio is seeking a hands-on Facilities & Lab Operations Senior Manager to stand up infrastructure, safety programs, and a small team at our Seattle facility. This 1-year contract role focuses on creating core processes, vendor networks, and safety routines for a fast-moving biotech environment.

You will partner with Research, Lab Operations, EHS, and Tech Ops to align facilities capacity with scientific needs, lead facility buildouts, and maintain audit-ready documentation with autonomy

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in facilities management, lab operations, or similar in biotech/pharma or regulated life sciences environments.
• Proven track record building processes and safety programs from scratch.
• Experience with OSHA/EPA biosafety standards and lab safety routines.

Responsibilities

• Build and own facilities management program, including preventive maintenance, vendor management, and space planning.
• Manage lab equipment lifecycle: procurement, installation, calibration, maintenance, and records.
• Design and implement lab safety routines and compliance programs (OSHA, EPA, biosafety).
• Develop SOPs for facilities requests, equipment troubleshooting, safety incidents, and inspections.
• Manage 1 FTE and 1 contractor overseeing facilities and equipment operations.

Skills

Facilities management

Lab operations

Team leadership

Vendor management

Budget management

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Autonomy

Tools

CMMS

Safety programs

Job description

Brainchild Bio (BCBio) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies for pediatric brain cancer. Headquartered in Seattle, WA, we're building the infrastructure to support a growing lab and clinical footprint and we need a hands-on operator to stand up the systems, safety programs, and physical spaces that will get us there.

The Role

BCB is hiring a Facilities & Lab Operations Senior Manager on a 1-year contract to build our facilities operations and lab safety program from the ground up. This is a foundational, builder role: you'll design and implement the processes, vendor relationships, and safety routines that don't yet exist, while managing a small team responsible for day-to-day equipment and facilities upkeep. You'll partner closely with Research, Lab Operations, EHS, and Tech Ops to make sure our physical environment keeps pace with a fast-moving clinical-stage company.

What You'll Do

• Build and own BCB's facilities management program, including preventive maintenance schedules, vendor management, and space planning for lab and office environments
• Establish and manage the lab equipment lifecycle: procurement, installation, calibration, maintenance, and decommissioning, including equipment logs and service records
• Design and implement lab safety routines and protocols (biosafety, chemical hygiene, waste handling, emergency response) in compliance with OSHA, EPA, and applicable state/local regulations
• Develop internal SOPs and processes for facilities requests, equipment troubleshooting, safety incident reporting, and routine inspections
• Manage, coach, and set priorities for 1 full-time employee and 1 contractor supporting facilities and equipment operations
• Serve as the primary point of contact for facility-related vendors, contractors, landlords, and service providers
• Partner cross-functionally with Research, Lab Operations, EHS/Safety Committeeand People Ops to align facilities capacity and safety practices with scientific and operational needs
• Lead facility buildouts, renovations, or lab reconfigurations as BCB's footprint grows
• Own facilities and equipment budget tracking, including cost forecasting and vendor contract review
• Maintain audit- and inspection-readiness for safety and equipment documentation

What You Bring

• 10+ years of experience in facilities management, lab operations, or lab equipment management, ideally within biotech, pharma, or a regulated life sciences environment
• Demonstrated experience building processes and safety programs from scratch, not just maintaining existing ones
• Working knowledge of lab safety regulations (OSHA, EPA, biosafety standards) and experience implementing compliant safety routines
• Prior experience managing or leading a small team, including contractors
• Strong cross-functional partnership skills comfortable working directly with scientists, safety leads, and operations/people functions
• Experience managing vendor relationships, service contracts, and facilities budgets
• Excellent organizational skills and comfort operating with a high degree of autonomy in a resource-constrained startup environment
• Familiarity with lab equipment systems (calibration tracking, CMMS, or similar) is a plus

Logistics

• 1-year contract, with potential for extension or conversion based on business needs
• Onsite presence required at BCB's Seattle facility Monday through Thursday
• Reports to the VP of Business Operations