Lab Operations Manager

CREW•New York, NY

1d•$120,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

CREW is hiring a hands-on manager to lead its R&D and laboratory team across carbon removal deliveries and verification, product evaluation and characterization, wastewater and climate R&D, routine sample processing for wastewater utility partners, and technical outputs such as reports, memos, and papers. The manager will work with leadership to prioritize the team's roadmap, make workload and capacity visible across the company, and ensure team members have clear expectations, support, and opportunities for growth. The role requires enough familiarity with wet lab chemistry and laboratory work to assess it, while building systems for goals, progress tracking, request intake, and documentation. The manager will collaborate with wastewater process and climate experts to set research direction. The position is onsite at CREW's New Haven, CT or Brooklyn, NY office, with regular travel to the New Haven lab.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience in applied scientific research, analytical chemistry, environmental science, geochemistry, or a related discipline.
At least 3 years of direct management experience leading, coaching, and developing scientists or technical research teams.
Strong foundation in analytical chemistry, laboratory testing methods, and complex environmental or industrial sample analysis.
Experience managing laboratory operations, including QA/QC, SOPs, equipment, safety, and compliance.
Demonstrated ability to balance competing research priorities, laboratory operations, and commercial deliverables.
Experience building and improving scientific processes, performance metrics, and scalable laboratory systems.
Strong cross-functional leadership and communication skills, including presenting scientific findings to executives, technical teams, and external partners.
Experience managing laboratory budgets, resources, and staffing priorities.
MS or PhD in Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geochemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field; equivalent senior-level experience is considered.

Nice To Haves

PhD in a relevant scientific discipline, particularly aqueous chemistry, carbonate chemistry, or environmental systems.
Hands-on experience with ICP-OES/MS, ion chromatography (IC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), or related analytical techniques.
Experience in wastewater treatment, water chemistry, mineral dissolution, enhanced weathering, or carbon removal MRV.
Experience building or scaling an R&D or laboratory function in a startup or industrial research environment.
Familiarity with LIMS, laboratory automation, statistical analysis, and data management systems.
Experience publishing scientific research, preparing technical reports, or presenting findings to external stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Own the team's roadmap and delivery across carbon removal, wastewater R&D, sample characterization and processing, and technical outputs; decide priorities and ensure work is delivered.
Report team progress, capacity, and blockers to leadership regularly.
Manage, coach, and retain scientists and lab staff through one-on-ones, clear objectives, performance reviews, and career paths.
Hire, onboard, and train new team members.
Set team roles and responsibilities, establish best practices and KPIs, and support team growth and development.
Set internal expectations for validation and verification, and help team members communicate their work clearly to verifiers and partners.
Coordinate with verification technical and project management leads, Technical Operations, and Supply Chain to ensure data is complete and project timelines and expectations are feasible.
Prioritize samples across sites and projects and communicate timelines and blockers to internal stakeholders early.
Coordinate team capacity with the Technical Solutions lead and process engineers to evaluate process improvements and execute R&D efforts.
Develop systems for assessing project outcomes for internal decisions and external reporting.
Oversee product and feedstock characterization, including turnaround expectations for dependent teams.
Maintain routine sample processing as a service, with clear queues, turnaround expectations, and throughput.
Lead daily lab operations, including SOPs, safety and compliance, waste handling, equipment maintenance, sample inventory and tracking, supplies and procurement, and lab space planning.
Establish and maintain goal tracking, progress tracking, and review rhythms, with metrics the team uses to guide its work.
Keep documentation and onboarding materials current so other teams can answer routine questions without interrupting scientists.