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 datasets for AI models that predict human drug outcomes. The role owns the systems, equipment, supplies, and processes that keep advanced cell biology and automated workflows running reliably at scale. The Lab Manager will help bring a new laboratory online by coordinating equipment installation, utilities, vendor services, commissioning, and operational readiness across cell culture, imaging, automation, and mass spectrometry. The role oversees procurement, inventory, supply planning, instrument reliability, experiment scheduling, cell and reagent traceability, laboratory safety, and facilities coordination. It also partners with software and automation engineers to develop operational systems and uses performance data to resolve recurring problems and scale laboratory operations while maintaining experimental quality. Axiom is working to predict human drug outcomes and reduce unexpected drug toxicity. Its high-throughput human liver safety platform combines advanced human cell systems with imaging, transcriptomics, mass spectrometry, and drug metabolism measurements. The company works with pharmaceutical companies and frontier AI labs, with the ambition to develop AI agents that predict drug behavior across major human organ systems.

Requirements

Exceptional laboratory operations experience and 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 using robotics, software, and AI agents to help scientists run experiments at scale.
Experience or skills in procurement, inventory management, demand forecasting, vendor coordination, budgeting, and laboratory setup.
Familiarity with liquid handlers, robotic arms, automated incubators, plate logistics, or 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, or LC-MS sample preparation.
Familiarity with LIMS, electronic lab notebooks, barcode systems, compound and reagent tracking, or experimental metadata.
Knowledge of SOP development, training, assay qualification support, deviation tracking, root-cause analysis, or corrective actions.
Knowledge of biosafety, chemical hygiene, hazardous waste, cold-chain monitoring, laboratory utilities, or EH&S coordination.
Ability to use dashboards, advanced spreadsheets, workflow automation, or 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 cell culture, imaging, automation, and mass spectrometry.
Own procurement, inventory, and supply planning for cells, compounds, reagents, labware, and consumables; anticipate demand and prevent shortages.
Maintain instrument and robotic workcell reliability through preventive maintenance, calibration, service contracts, spare parts, and repair coordination.
Coordinate experiment schedules, instrument capacity, staffing, and material preparation to support continuous, high-throughput operations alongside assay development.
Establish systems for receiving, storing, tracking, and handling primary human cells, advanced cell systems, and sensitive reagents, with traceability across donors, lots, plates, and experiments.
Manage 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 build 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 laboratory systems.
Develop practical systems, SOPs, and training programs that make complex laboratory work reproducible and easy to execute.
Coordinate vendors, service engineers, and EH&S specialists when resolving instrument and facilities issues.