Lab Manager

What are we doing?Medra's mission is to eradicate disease.What We're Building:We have been quietly building the foundational layers of our Physical AI Scientist platform:Physical AI that can operate scientific instruments with human-level dexterity.Scientific AI that can analyze results, reason about next steps, and close the loop autonomously.This is an incredibly ambitious mission, but we believe that a team of ambitious people with high ownership can accomplish incredible things.The Team:We're a team of passionate, mission-driven people from companies like Tesla, Applied Intuition, SpaceX, Neuralink, Scale, Samsara, and Vercel. We're collaborative and committed to moving fast with extreme prioritization.Our team is opinionated and straightforward. We don't mind intense discussions about tradeoffs. If we have arguments or miscommunication, we resolve conflicts quickly and empathetically. Feedback of all types is not just welcome, but expected.As a team, we're always looking for ways to grow and improve. We love learning new things and then sharing our new knowledge with each other.ResponsibilitiesThe Lab Manager is responsible for the operation, safety, and performance of ML001. This is a hands-on role that owns lab readiness, asset management, inventory, safety and compliance, and lab-level facilities. The Lab Manager works closely with scientists, engineers, and the operations team to ensure ML001 runs as a high-utilization, audit-ready facility.Manage day-to-day lab operations to ensure instruments, consumables, and lab spaces are ready to support scheduled workDevelop and maintain preventive maintenance and calibration programs for all lab equipment, including detailed records and vendor service coordinationBuild and operate the lab inventory program, including par levels, reorder triggers, audit cadence, and vendor management at the SKU levelMaintain the lab asset register, including warranty tracking, service contracts, and lifecycle planningDevelop, implement, and maintain SOPs and lab protocolsManage lab-level facilities work, including HVAC, cold storage, BSL-2 buildout, and equipment layout, in coordination with external facilities vendorsContinuously assess workflow and resource utilization, identifying bottlenecks and recommending improvementsOnboard new scientists, research associates, and engineers on lab logistics, safety, and operating normsPartner with the operations and procurement teams on capital equipment requests, vendor contracts, and service agreementsPartner with science and engineering teams on workflow design, instrument requirements, and integration with automation systemsRequired Qualifications5-10 years of experience managing a biology laboratory in an academic core facility, biotech, CDMO, contract research organization, or pharma research siteHands-on wet lab backgroundDemonstrated experience running a BSL-2 programTrack record of building and maintaining SOPs, calibration and PM programs, and inventory systemsStrong organizational skills and attention to detailExcellent written and verbal communicationPreferred QualificationsPrior experience as a bench scientistExperience supporting multi-customer or contract research environmentsExperience scaling a lab through a buildout or growth phaseLIMS or ELN implementation experienceFamiliarity with lab automation and robotics platformsExperience operating within ISO 9001, GLP, or comparable quality systems