Operations Support Specialist, Lab Liaison

Renovo Solutions•La Jolla, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lab Liaison owns the service transaction on instruments at an assigned Johnson & Johnson site under the Enterprise Laboratory Instrument Services (ELIS) program. A request comes in, this role takes it, checks what coverage the instrument carries, dispatches it to a Renovo engineer or to a vendor, tracks it, escorts the work, verifies it is complete and closes it out correctly. The role also carries intake. There is no separate service desk supporting North American sites in this program, so requests arrive here directly, from a laboratory, a walk-up, an email or the system. Triaging that intake and routing it correctly is part of the job, not an interruption to it. The role is deliberately laboratory-facing and on site. Escort is a standing expectation, not an occasional task, and much of the value comes from being physically present and known in the laboratories rather than working a queue from a distance. Lab Liaisons are typically assigned a set of laboratories, buildings or departments so ownership is clear. The role reports to the OSS Supervisor or OSS Lead where the assigned site runs those seats, and to the Site Operations Manager where it does not. It works alongside the Life Science Engineers on self-perform work, and the Lifecycle and Relocations Coordinator on assets entering, leaving or moving within the estate. Where a request concerns an asset changing shape rather than being serviced, it routes to Lifecycle and Relocations. Escort is a standing expectation of every role on this program, not a task assigned to a subset of the team. Anyone on site may be required to escort and host OEM and third-party personnel, confirm they meet site access, induction and safety requirements before entering a laboratory, remain with them while they work where the area requires it, and verify the work is complete and documented before they leave. Nobody on this program declines an escort because it is not in their job description.

Requirements

2+ years of experience in laboratory operations, equipment coordination, service coordination, dispatch or a comparable coordination role.
Experience working directly with technical or scientific staff in their own environment.
Experience with a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) or service management platform.
Ability to hold multiple open items across several laboratories without losing track of any of them.
Working knowledge of GxP requirements and laboratory documentation practice, or willingness to be trained to it.
Comfortable working in an active laboratory environment.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a pharmaceutical, biotechnology or research environment preferred.

Responsibilities

Receive service requests from laboratory staff by any route, including in person, email, phone and the system of record.
Triage each request for urgency, scientific impact and instrument criticality, and set priority accordingly.
Confirm the request is complete enough to act on, and gather what is missing rather than returning it.
Route requests outside scope to the correct function, including Lifecycle and Relocations for asset changes, and confirm they land.
Acknowledge the requester so nobody is left wondering whether the request was received.
Check the coverage position of the instrument before dispatching: warranty, service contract, time and materials, or self-perform.
Dispatch work to a Renovo engineer where the platform is self-performed, and to the OEM or third party where it is not.
Raise service requests, quotes and purchase requisitions through the Sourcing and Payments team.
Flag coverage that does not match how the instrument is actually used, in either direction.
Escalate to the Site Operations Manager where entitlement is unclear or the quoted cost is disproportionate.
Build and maintain the scheduled maintenance (SM) calendar for the assigned laboratories.
Coordinate SM timing with laboratory staff so maintenance does not collide with critical scientific work.
Manage deferments and cancellations, with the reason recorded and the compliance impact understood.
Chase overdue and aging work orders rather than letting them accumulate.
Escalate SM that cannot be completed within its compliance window.
Coordinate vendor visits around laboratory availability and scientific priority.
Obtain and check the service report, and confirm it supports the invoice before approval.
Query a service report that does not match the reported fault or the authorised scope, rather than passing it for payment.
Maintain a visible daily presence in the assigned laboratories and be known by name to the staff working there.
Take requests at the bench and give laboratory staff a straight answer on status and timing.
Know the instrument base in the assigned area well enough to anticipate impact rather than react to it.
Surface recurring problems, emerging needs and new equipment coming into the area to the Site Operations Manager.
Own accuracy of work order data for the assigned area, including status, completion data, vendor detail and cost.
Keep asset location, status and coverage position correct in the system of record for the assigned area.
Close work orders with complete data so reporting, invoicing and contractual key performance indicators hold up.
Raise record discrepancies found in the laboratory rather than working around them.
Provide accurate area data for audits, entitlement reviews and reporting cycles.
Meet GxP and client quality system documentation requirements for all work coordinated.
Support audits and quality reviews covering the assigned laboratories.
Follow laboratory safety requirements including biological, chemical, electrical and cryogenic hazards.
Exercise stop-work authority when work cannot be performed safely, and escalate rather than proceed.
Escort and host OEM and third-party personnel in client laboratories and equipment areas, on request and regardless of whose scope the instrument sits in.
Confirm third-party personnel are inducted, badged, trained, and compliant with client site access and safety requirements before they enter a laboratory.
Remain with third-party personnel while they work where the area, the hazard, or the client requires continuous accompaniment.
Confirm the work performed matches what was authorised, and that the area is left clean, safe, and operational.
Verify the service report or work record is complete before the third party leaves site, and route it for invoice verification.
Escalate immediately where a third party arrives unannounced, without correct documentation, or attempts work outside the authorised scope.
Abide by and follow Renovo safety policies, procedures, and injury and illness prevention expectations.
Maintain a safe working environment for self and others when visiting customer sites, laboratories, offices, or operational environments.
Follow applicable customer site safety requirements, OSHA guidelines, and laboratory or facility-specific procedures as required.
Complete required safety training assignments on time.