Shift Supervisor, Research Operations

Lila Sciences; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 119,000 - 182,000; Full time

Job summary

Lila Sciences is seeking a Shift Supervisor for an on-site 2:00 PM–10:00 PM shift in Cambridge, Massachusetts. You will own automated lab workflow execution, lead engineers on shift, and coach a team of Research Operations engineers to ensure high-quality run performance.

You will collaborate across scientific, engineering, and automation teams to troubleshoot, improve operations, and validate processes for tech transfer. Prior leadership and hands-on lab automation experience are essential.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in lab automation or high-throughput environments.
• Experience managing direct reports in technical settings.
• Experience operating automated liquid handling platforms in production/research.
• Experience leading and coordinating workflow execution with engineers.
• Strong foundation in assay design and interpretation.
• Experience identifying operational issues and driving resolution.
• Excellent written/spoken communication across teams.

Responsibilities

• Own safe, reliable execution of automated lab workflows across your shift.
• Serve as technical lead for engineers on shift with real-time guidance and coordination.
• Manage, coach, and develop direct reports with clear expectations and feedback.
• Monitor run performance and system health; resolve common issues and escalate complex ones.
• Maintain accurate shift handoff documentation for seamless continuity.
• Flag QC/QA deviations with detailed observations.
• Collaborate with scientific, engineering, and automation teams to improve operations.
• Support tech transfer by validating workflows and addressing gaps.

Skills

Lab automation

People management

Automation platforms

Workflow coordination

Scientific knowledge

Root-cause analysis

Clear communication

Education

Biology/Chemistry/Engineering/ Biotechnology degree

Tools

Hamilton

Lynx

Echo

Job description

Your Impact at LILA

Lila's Research Operations team runs the automated lab workflows that power our science. As a Shift Supervisor, you own the reliable execution of those workflows across your shift, serve as the technical lead for the engineers running them, and directly manage and develop a team of Research Operations engineers. You are the first point of accountability for run quality, the first source of operational guidance for engineers on shift, and a critical link between the bench and the automated systems behind our science.

Your Impact at LILA

Lila's Research Operations team runs the automated lab workflows that power our science. As a Shift Supervisor, you own the reliable execution of those workflows across your shift, serve as the technical lead for the engineers running them, and directly manage and develop a team of Research Operations engineers. You are the first point of accountability for run quality, the first source of operational guidance for engineers on shift, and a critical link between the bench and the automated systems behind our science.

This is an on-site, second-shift role with working hours of 2:00 PM-10:00 PM. You'll lead, coach, and develop some of the most energetic and brilliant minds in Research Operations, creating an environment where they can grow, take ownership, and do their best work.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives on operational ownership, takes pride in process discipline, enjoys developing others, and knows how to keep a team and workflows running smoothly in a fast-paced, high-throughput environment.

What You’ll Be Building

• Own the safe, reliable execution of automated lab workflows across your shift, meeting quality, throughput, and operational performance targets
• Serve as the technical lead for engineers on shift, providing real-time guidance, prioritization, and workflow coordination
• Manage, coach, and develop direct reports, setting clear expectations, providing actionable feedback, and building technical capability and ownership across the team
• Monitor run performance and system health in real time, independently resolving common issues, and escalating complex problems appropriately
• Manage accurate shift handoff documentation in real time, ensuring seamless continuity with the incoming team
• Flag QC/QA deviations promptly and accurately, documenting observations with high attention to detail
• Partner with scientific, engineering, and automation teams to troubleshoot workflow challenges and improve operational performance, including ongoing relationships with scientific leads
• Support tech transfer by validating automated workflows against manual processes and partnering cross‑functional teams to resolve process gaps and improve robustness

What You’ll Need To Succeed

• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in lab automation, research operations, high‑throughput screening, or a closely related technical environment
• Prior formal people‑management experience with direct reports in a laboratory, technical, or operations environment, including setting expectations, providing feedback, coaching and developing team members, and driving accountability for performance
• Experience operating and troubleshooting automated liquid handling platforms (Hamilton, Lynx, Echo, or similar) in a production or research setting
• Experience leading and coordinating workflow execution in a team setting, including providing direction to engineers, managing competing priorities, and maintaining operational continuity in real time
• Strong foundational knowledge of the scientific basis for assay design, execution, and interpretation
• Experience identifying operational issues, performing root‑cause investigation, and driving issues to resolution
• Clear, concise communicator with the ability to collaborate effectively across Research Operations, scientific, engineering, and LabOps teams

Bonus Points For

• Degree in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Biotechnology, or a related field, or equivalent technical training and hands‑on experience
• Prior experience managing a shift or technical team in a highly automated or high‑throughput laboratory environment
• Experience improving production protocols, supporting tech transfer, or validating workflows from manual bench execution to automated platforms
• Familiarity with QC/QA systems, deviation management, SOP development, and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, 5S, Kaizen)
• Familiarity with electronic lab notebooks (ELN), LIMS, or other laboratory operations software platforms

Compensation

We offer competitive base compensation with bonus potential and generous early‑stage equity. Your final offer will reflect your background, expertise, and expected impact.

U.S. Benefits

• Full‑time U.S. employees receive a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• employer‑paid life and disability insurance
• flexible time off with generous company wide holidays
• paid parental leave
• an educational assistance program
• commuter benefits, including bike share memberships for office based employees
• a company subsidized lunch program

International Benefits

• Full‑time employees outside the U.S. receive a comprehensive benefits program tailored to their region.
• USD salary ranges apply only to U.S‑based positions; international salaries are set to local market.

Expected Base Salary Range: $118,800 USD - $182,400 USD

About LILA

Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence™ to solve humankind's greatest challenges. We believe science is the most inspiring frontier for AI. Rather than hard‑coding expert knowledge into tools, LILA builds systems that can learn for themselves.

LILA combines advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory™ instruments into an operating system for science that executes the entire scientific method autonomously, accelerating discovery at unprecedented speed, scale, and impact across medicine, materials, and energy. Learn more at www.lila.ai.

Guided by our core values of truth, trust, curiosity, grit, and velocity, we move with startup speed while tackling problems of historic importance. If this sounds like an environment you'd love to work in, even if you don't meet every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.

We’re All In

Lila Sciences is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

Information you provide during your application process will be handled in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Policy.

A Note to Agencies

Lila Sciences does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Lila Sciences or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Lila Science’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Lila Sciences, and Lila Sciences will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.