Facilities Manager / Senior Facilities Manager

Mission Barns•Berkeley, CA

3d•$135,000 - $190,000

About The Position

Mission Barns is hiring a Facilities Manager or Senior Facilities Manager to oversee its Berkeley R&D lab and lead the transition to a new approximately 25,000-square-foot facility. The new site will house an adherent cell culture bioreactor alongside growing R&D and product development teams. The role partners with the Director of Bioprocess Engineering to lead the facility buildout from design through commissioning and then manage day-to-day operations. This position owns facility startup, operational readiness, risk management, critical monitoring and alarms, EHS programs, regulatory compliance, maintenance, and facilities staffing and budgets. The role also plans the safe transfer of critical materials and equipment from the Berkeley lab and provides after-hours on-call coverage for critical systems.

Requirements

At least 5 years of facilities management experience in biotech, pharma, food manufacturing, or a comparable laboratory or manufacturing environment.
Demonstrated experience delivering a lab buildout, relocation, or major renovation, including managing contractors, schedules, and budgets.
Technical fluency with laboratory building systems and utilities, and curiosity about the bioprocess and its facility requirements.
Experience running a preventive maintenance program in a CMMS.
A proactive approach to risk, anticipating how systems can fail and putting controls in place before failures occur.
Demonstrated use of AI to accelerate and improve facilities work, with judgment to verify its output.
Self-starter with a bias for action who thrives in a fast-paced, hands-on startup environment.
Willingness to obtain required certifications, such as DOT hazmat shipping and hazardous waste manifest signing.
Excellent organizational and communication skills, and a collaborative approach to working with technical teams.

Nice To Haves

Ownership of a biotech or bioprocess facility buildout from design through startup.
Familiarity with food-grade (USDA/FDA) or GMP facility requirements.
Certifications such as CFM, CMRP, PMP, or OSHA 30.
Technical fluency with bioprocess equipment and utilities, such as bioreactors, CIP/SIP, plant and clean steam, clean dry air, process gases, purified water, and waste treatment systems.
Experience with structured risk management tools such as FMEA/FMECA, asset criticality assessment, risk registers and bow-tie analysis, root cause analysis, and commissioning and qualification.
Hands-on ownership of EHS programs and regulatory compliance in California, including permitting process facilities for pressure vessels, air emissions, and wastewater discharge.
Experience managing tenant improvement projects on behalf of a tenant.

Responsibilities

Drive the buildout of Mission Barns’ next facility by setting scope and priorities with R&D and product development teams and managing architects, contractors, and specialty vendors.
Lead commissioning and startup of building systems, utilities, and process equipment with the Director of Bioprocess Engineering, using defined acceptance criteria.
Plan and execute the transition of operations from the Berkeley lab, including the safe transfer of critical materials and equipment.
Own and mature the facility risk management program, including asset criticality, FMECAs, risk register, and root cause investigations, and apply it to the new facility.
Own critical monitoring and alarm systems from commissioning through daily response, including after-hours on-call coverage.
Own EHS programs, training, and regulatory compliance, including permits required for the new facility.
Oversee day-to-day facility operations, including building systems, utilities and gases, preventive maintenance, calibration, and inspections.
Manage the facilities team, budget, vendors, and service contracts, and grow the team as operations expand.