Lab Manager, Robotics & Scientific Operations

Axiom•South San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Build and run Axiom’s laboratory operations, enabling scientists and robotics engineers to generate massive, exceptionally high-quality experimental datasets for AI models that predict human drug outcomes. The role owns the systems, equipment, supplies, and processes needed to keep advanced cell biology and automated workflows running reliably at scale. It will help bring a new lab online and support operations across cell culture, imaging, automation, and mass spectrometry. Axiom’s mission is to eliminate unexpected drug toxicity and unlock an abundance of ultra-safe medicines. Its high-throughput human liver safety platform combines advanced human cell systems with imaging, transcriptomics, mass spectrometry, and drug metabolism measurements. AI agents integrate these data with chemical structure, human exposure, and clinical reference compounds to predict human drug toxicity and inform safer drug design. Axiom works with pharmaceutical companies and frontier AI labs, using experimental feedback to develop AI capabilities for drug safety prediction.

Requirements

Exceptional laboratory operations experience, with a track record of keeping complex labs productive, organized, and reliable as they scale.
High agency and ownership, including anticipating scientists’ needs, identifying problems early, and driving them to resolution.
Strong attention to detail and judgment about how reagent handling, equipment performance, environmental conditions, and recordkeeping affect experimental quality.
Experience supporting high-throughput workflows, laboratory automation, or integrated robotic systems.
Familiarity with cell culture and the operational demands of primary human cells, organoids, or other advanced biological systems.
Strong planning and quantitative skills, including forecasting demand, coordinating shared resources, managing budgets, and using operational data to improve throughput and uptime.
Ability to build practical systems, SOPs, and training programs that make complex work reproducible.
Hands-on resourcefulness with instruments and facilities, including troubleshooting and coordinating vendors, service engineers, and EH&S specialists.
Clear communication skills and ability to earn trust across scientists, engineers, technicians, and external partners.
Technical curiosity and enthusiasm for robotics, software, and AI agents supporting laboratory work.
Knowledge of procurement, inventory management, demand forecasting, vendor coordination, budgeting, and laboratory setup.
Experience or familiarity with liquid handlers, robotic arms, automated incubators, plate logistics, and integrated workcells.
Knowledge of aseptic technique, primary human cells, multicellular systems, cryogenic storage, and contamination prevention.
Knowledge of equipment commissioning, preventive maintenance, calibration, troubleshooting, and service management.
Familiarity with high-throughput screening, high-content imaging, cell-based assays, and LC-MS sample preparation.
Familiarity with LIMS, electronic lab notebooks, barcode systems, compound and reagent tracking, and experimental metadata.
Knowledge of SOP development, training, assay qualification support, deviation tracking, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions.
Knowledge of biosafety, chemical hygiene, hazardous waste, cold-chain monitoring, laboratory utilities, and EH&S coordination.
Skills with dashboards, advanced spreadsheets, workflow automation, and AI tools.

Nice To Haves

Python or SQL experience.

Responsibilities

Build and run laboratory operations that enable scientists and robotics engineers to generate high-quality datasets at scale.
Coordinate equipment installation, utilities, vendor services, commissioning, and operational readiness for the new lab.
Manage procurement, inventory, and supply planning for cells, compounds, reagents, labware, and consumables.
Maintain reliable instruments and robotic workcells through preventive maintenance, calibration, service contracts, spare parts, and repair coordination.
Coordinate experiment schedules, instrument capacity, staffing, and material preparation to support high-throughput operations and assay development.
Establish systems for receiving, storing, tracking, and handling primary human cells, advanced cell systems, and sensitive reagents, maintaining traceability across donors, lots, plates, and experiments.
Own day-to-day laboratory safety and facilities coordination, working with EH&S specialists on permitting, biosafety, chemical handling, waste disposal, and emergency preparedness.
Partner with software and automation engineers to develop inventory systems, barcode tracking, environmental monitoring, dashboards, and agent-assisted workflows.
Track uptime, throughput, turnaround time, cost, and operational failures; investigate recurring problems and improve systems to scale operations without sacrificing experimental quality.
Build practical systems, SOPs, and training programs that make complex work reproducible and easy to execute.
Coordinate vendors, service engineers, and EH&S specialists to address instrument and facilities needs.