Interim Lab & Facilities Manager

Astera Institute•Emeryville, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a capable and proactive Interim Lab & Facilities Manager to cover a planned staff leave of absence from mid-July through early October 2026 (approximately 16 weeks). The successful candidate will step into an established, well-organized environment and ensure seamless continuity of laboratory operations, facilities management, safety compliance, and team coordination throughout the coverage period. This is an onsite Monday-Friday position based in Emeryville, CA. We are seeking a mission- and culturally-aligned lab and facilities manager to support the evolving physical needs of our residents across diverse scientific disciplines. Cohorts rotate twice a year, and their needs can range from building a tissue culture space for a fermented foods project, to setting up optical experiments in a warehouse, to enabling a design studio. The role includes frequent stakeholder management and communications, hands-on day-to-day facility management, equipment procurement, and management of vendors. Reporting to the COO, you’ll take ownership of two experimental spaces and partner closely with residents to help them succeed. This is a hands-on role requiring someone who is comfortable context-switching between lab-level detail and building-wide facilities oversight, and who can build quick rapport with researchers, staff, and external vendors. This role is ideal for someone with laboratory and/or workshop experience who is eager to broaden their skillset, thrives on solving novel problems, and is energized by enabling ambitious science.

Requirements

Excellent communication, organizational, and stakeholder management skills
A track record of comfort learning about new topics and interest in expanding your facilities management experience to new disciplines
Relevant work experience in facilities management in a specific discipline, such as life science and/or electrical engineering. We are open to considering candidates who didn't formally hold the facilities management title but did similar work

Nice To Haves

Experience ensuring regulatory compliance and safety (e.g. hazardous waste handling, fire and electrical hazards, emergency response planning, etc).
Knowledge of procurement and maintenance of lab equipment and consumables
Workshop skills, e.g. 3D printing or assembling an Arduino project
Hands-on ability and comfort with HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and maintenance
Experience navigating Bay Area regulations
Scientist that has found more energy in supporting the science than executing experiments
Second-in-command in facilities that is ready to step up into full ownership

Responsibilities

Oversee day-to-day laboratory operations and ensure labs remain fully functional throughout the coverage period.
Support new residents and lab members onboarding into lab space including desk/badge readiness, safety training, HR support, and member equipment/lab needs
Negotiate space requirements between different residency teams within the lab space and understand core needs of each project
Liaise with department leads to proactively identify and address facility and lab needs before they become issues.
Manage equipment maintenance schedules, calibrations, and repair coordination with external service providers.
Maintain inventory of lab consumables, reagents, and supplies
Manage vendor relationships and service contracts relevant to lab operations.
Ensure lab spaces are organized, clean, and appropriately equipped for ongoing research activities
Perform daily lab support: daily washing and autoclaving of glassware
General office support: work with snack/lunch vendors, order snack and office supplies, etc
Support space planning, office logistics, and any moves or reconfigurations needed during the period.
Act as the primary operational point of contact for researchers, administrative staff, and external contractors.
Ensure ongoing compliance with applicable regulatory requirements, including laboratory safety and environmental health standards.
Maintain, update, and implement safety protocols, SOPs, and emergency procedures.
Manage hazardous materials handling, storage, and disposal in accordance with local, state, and federal regulations.
Serve as the on-site safety resource and point of contact for any safety-related concerns or incidents.