Lab Manager, RUO

POSITION SUMMARY:

Join Natera’s Oncology Research Use Only (RUO) team as the Laboratory Manager. You will take ownership of the physical operations, asset management, and Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) compliance for a high-throughput Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) research laboratory. This environment supports internal and externally contracted research studies rather than clinical diagnostic reporting. You will operate with pace and rigor, using data to anticipate bottlenecks and treating lab compliance as the foundation of execution.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Lab Organization & Cleanliness

• Maintain a clean, safe, and well-organized laboratory that meets institutional and company standards
• Establish and enforce workspace organization standards, including bench layouts, labeling conventions, shared-equipment zones, and waste segregation
• Own housekeeping schedules, decontamination routines, and general lab organization, coordinating cleaning and biohazard or chemical waste pickup
• Ensure adequate stocking and organization of consumables at the point of use
• Serve as the point of contact for lab safety, ensuring Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) availability, spill readiness, and adherence to EH&S requirements

Cross-Team Coordination & Equipment

• Think team by partnering directly with Facilities, Engineering/Instrumentation, EH&S, Procurement, and IT to drive lab operations without needing translation layers
• Coordinate preventive maintenance, calibration, service visits, and repair of major instrumentation (e.g., NGS sequencers, liquid handlers, qPCR/dPCR systems, centrifuges, thermal cyclers), minimizing downtime
• Manage vendor and service-provider relationships, including scheduling, tracking service tickets, and escalating unresolved issues based on data
• Own end-to-end inventory management, tracking reorder points, purchasing requests, receiving, and stock rotation for reagents, consumables, and controls

Maintenance Logs & Protocols

• Audit equipment maintenance and calibration logs, ensuring records are current, complete, and audit-ready
• Maintain the lab equipment and maintenance protocols
• Use data to pressure-test lab workflows and documentation to support throughput and reproducibility on contracted projects

Freezer Management & Sample Inventory

• Own storage integrity across freezers and refrigerators, designing organization schemes and capacity planning
• Maintain accurate sample and reagent inventory with clear location tracking, chain-of-custody, and expiration/lot management
• Coordinate space allocation and the archival or disposal of samples in line with project retention requirements

General Operations

• Partner directly with the Director and project leads to keep contracted research projects on schedule, using data to anticipate operational risks to timelines and resolve them proactively
• Onboard new team members to lab systems, safety, and standard practices
• Deliver unvarnished, data-backed operational metrics to leadership, using equipment uptime, inventory health, and project readiness to drive outcome-oriented decisions

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, or a related field
• At least two years of hands-on laboratory experience; lab management experience is strongly preferred

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Deep technical knowledge of laboratory safety procedures
• Practical knowledge of Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) and database query tools
• Rigorous organization and prioritization skills to keep equipment, inventory, and multiple project timelines on track
• Proactive problem-solving capabilities to anticipate bottlenecks and resolve them before they impact project deadlines
• Clear, direct communication skills to connect scientists, internal teams, and vendors without needing translation layers
• Strict attention to detail to maintain accurate logs, inventory, and audit-ready documentation
• Operational resilience to execute decisively during equipment issues, temperature excursions, and shifting priorities
• Think team by owning lab operations and following through with rigorous precision, ensuring the lab functions without friction
• Knowledge of relational database queries is a plus