Lab Operations Associate

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Flagship Pioneering is a platform innovation company that invents and builds companies that change the world. We bring together the greatest scientific minds with entrepreneurial company builders and assemble the capital to allow them to take courageous leaps. Those big leaps in human health, sustainability and beyond exponentially accelerate scientific progress in areas ranging from disease detection and treatment and nature-positive agriculture to novel applications of AI that are driving the creation of new technologies.   

What sets Flagship apart is our ability to advance science and technology by uniting innovation, company creation, and capital investment under one roof in a way that is largely without precedent. Our scientific founders, entrepreneurial leaders, and professional capital managers are each aligned around an institutionalized process that enables us to innovate and transform for the benefit of people and planet.   

Many of the companies Flagship has founded have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.  

Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. 

THE ROLE

We are seeking a highly motivated, proactive, and detail-oriented Laboratory Operations Associate to join our rapidly growing team. This role will support our research team by assisting with laboratory operations and safety, managing day-to-day needs, and implementing best practices in the lab. The candidate will help optimize R&D operations, support R&D purchasing, and provide support for ongoing projects. The successful candidate is highly organized, comfortable working in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment, and an integral part of a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary team. Excellent communication, record-keeping, and teamwork will be critical.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own laboratory operations which would include ordering, receiving, shipping and inventory management
• Support laboratory operations by cleaning and sanitizing, organizing, and maintaining laboratory space and supplies
• Maintain and execute routine bacterial culture workflows to support consistent protein production, including media preparation, culture scaling, and basic monitoring
• Contribute to formulation workflows by supporting safe handling, preparation, and evaluation of biological materials
• Define and own biological and chemical waste disposal
• Be a role model for a strong laboratory safety culture, including proactive ownership of training, compliance, and continuous improvement of safety practices
• Own laboratory safety training programs, including onboarding of new hires and contractors, and ensure all certifications, documentation, and compliance requirements are current and audit-ready
• Maintain and track safety certifications, training records, and compliance workflows to ensure adherence to both internal standards and regulatory requirements
• Act as an operational leader for lab activities, coordinating logistics, and experimental readiness, including timelines, stakeholders, and execution
• Enforce lab procedures and help manage lab-related documentation and organizational processes such as laboratory cleanouts and equipment calibrations
• Anticipate, troubleshoot, and resolve problems associated with work within the laboratory setting, including occasional off-hours responses to laboratory emergencies
• Other duties as assigned

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree in sciences or related fields with at least 5 years’ experience or master’s with 3 years’ experience. Co-Ops and internships count toward years of experience
• Must be available for onsite employment in Cambridge, MA
• Initiative and ability to manage multiple, competing priorities, to think strategically and execute methodically
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to independently drive initiatives in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of operational domains or projects, with accountability for outcomes across multiple workstreams
• Experience with LIMS, ELNs, and other lab operations software
• Knowledge on regulations relating to lab safety, specifically on biohazard and biological and chemical material handling
• Experience managing or coordinating laboratory safety training programs and maintaining compliance documentation
• Hands-on experience with bacterial culture techniques and maintaining reproducible growth conditions for protein expression
• Experience with molecular biology techniques a plus
• Experience with biological and chemical permitting or RCRA certification a plus
• Commitment to quality and a team player mentality

LOCATION:  Cambridge, MA

ABOUT FLAGSHIP PIONEERING:

Flagship Pioneering invents and builds platform companies, each with the potential for multiple products that transform human health, sustainability and beyond. Since its launch in 2000, Flagship has originated more than 100 companies. Many of these companies have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.  

Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Learn more about Flagship at www.flagshippioneering.com.

At Flagship, we accept impossible missions to enable bigger leaps. Our core values guide us through uncertainty and toward lasting impact.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We recognize that great candidates often bring unique strengths without fulfilling every qualification. If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your background and interest in Flagship.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

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The salary range for this role is $88,000 - $121,000. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Protocos currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits. Compensation and benefits information is based on Protocos's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.