Lab Manager

RYZE•Santa Ana, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At RYZE, we believe daily rituals create the foundation for living your greatest life. Our mushroom coffee and superfood products fuel the body and clarify the mind—helping people everywhere unlock their highest potential. We’re a fast-growing, mission-driven team passionate about wellness, innovation, and building a brighter future together. The Role: The Lab Manager is responsible for the overall organization, cleanliness, and operational integrity of RYZE’s physical lab and digital inventory systems. This role leads lab organization standards, oversees lab team training, and ensures efficient sampling and testing workflows. Reporting to the Senior Manager of New Product Development, the Lab Manager works closely with Food Scientists and Lab Technicians to maintain accountability, support R&D efforts, and ensure lab readiness as the business scales.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Food Technology, Chemistry, Biology, or a related field
5+ years of experience in a lab or similar environment, preferably within food or CPG
2+ years of experience managing a lab team or supervising people
Strong experience with lab organization, inventory management, and task planning
Proficiency in Excel and lab data management tools
High attention to detail with a strong sense of ownership and accountability
Ability to work independently in a fast-paced startup environment
Comfort adapting to changing processes and training others on new systems
Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation
Proficiency in Microsoft and Google tools (Word, Excel, Sheets, etc.)
Basic sensory skills to differentiate products by taste and smell
No food aversions or sensitivities (including caffeine or melatonin) due to product ingestion
Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills

Nice To Haves

Experience managing facilities or lab buildings is strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Oversee day-to-day lab operations, including building security, maintenance, and facility coordination
Manage, train, and support the laboratory team, setting standards for organization and accountability
Plan and oversee testing of raw materials, semi-finished, and finished products
Maintain consistent stock levels of raw ingredients and organized finished-good retains (physical and digital)
Support R&D with sensory analysis of raw materials and finished products
Monitor lab equipment performance and ensure regular calibration and maintenance
Manage technical documentation, lab records, and reports
Develop and maintain sampling forms and processes for internal and external stakeholders
Create and document SOPs related to lab organization and office team interaction
Support continuous improvement of lab workflows and systems
(Other related duties may be assigned.)