Operations Supervisor

About Provivi Provivi, Inc., based in Santa Monica, California is a Caltech start-up company founded in 2013. Our mission is to provide disruptive chemistry solutions for agricultural, household, and professional pest control that are safe, environmentally benign and have improved performance. We are developing innovative biocatalysis and formulation technologies and are hiring the very best and brightest people to develop and commercialize our products. Role Description As a member of the Operations Team at Provivi, the successful hire will work under the direction of the Director of Facilities & Logistics on various aspects of Provivi’s facilities. The primary focus will be the upkeep of laboratory facilities and operations in Santa Monica. Responsibilities Works cross-functionally with different science departments on multiple tasks related to the facilities and laboratory. Maintains laboratory equipment and glassware by following operating instructions, troubleshooting break downs when necessary, routine cleaning of some pieces, and scheduling service visits. Responsible for maintaining the company's chemical inventory, assets, and SDS inventories. Arranges contractors to come onsite when needed and monitors them. Respond to facility emergencies to solve plumbing, electrical, cleanliness, roofing, and other issues Distribute laboratory consumables and chemicals to the appropriate department. Maintain accurate and cost-efficient ordering by sourcing reliable vendors, soliciting quotes, negotiating best price/terms, and ensuring supply quality. Forecast Facilities and Formulation Materials inventory demand while monitoring for real-time consumption and taking corrective action when needed. Manage and monitor the purchasing cycle by planning purchases, reviewing requisitions, PO creation, PO follow up, support with goods reception, and final payment. Communicate order status and tracking information to all internal stakeholders in a professional and timely manner. Monitor supplier performance and manage actions based on outcomes. Coordinate return of rejected materials to supplier for replacement or credit. Preemptively identify and resolve issues that may impact product availability; ensure major and unresolved matters are escalated to management immediately Responsible for maintaining strong supplier relationship to ensure quality standards, target pricing, and on-time delivery of material is consistently achieved Identify process and system improvement opportunities and, using root cause analysis and other lean tools, determine and implement solutions that drive inventory reduction and elimination of non-value-added activities. Qualifications & Skills Include Desired Education/Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in relevant science field. Required Skills: Self-starting individual with technical aptitude, people skills, and serious commitment to the development and deployment of Provivi's mission and values. Experience and familiarity in precisely following and documenting procedures (e.g. autoclaves, freezers, safety protocols, etc.) Strong oral and written communication skills and effectively communicate status and issues of equipment and orders throughout the team. Ability to adapt to changing priorities and multiple tasks. Must be able to lift heavy objects 15-50lbs Effective organization and interpersonal skills. Strong Microsoft Office skills. Some experience with an ERP system is helpful but not required Knowledge of Spanish and/or Portuguese is helpful but not required Basic maintenance skills (e.g. using a power drill) is helpful but not required This is an on-site role and requires daily on-site presence. Schedule can be flexible within the business needs Salary Range: $80,000 - $100,000 Location: On-site, Santa Monica, California