Senior Manager, Sample Management

The Opportunity:

• Provide direct, hands-on leadership to sample management staff, including daily work assignment, prioritization, and real-time problem solving.

• Lead and participate in core sample management activities, including sample receipt, storage, tracking, retrieval, and disposal.

• Ensure smooth day-to-day operation of automated storage systems, LIMS, and supporting laboratory infrastructure.

• Train, mentor, and develop staff through on-the-job coaching, feedback, and performance management.

• Develop, maintain, and enforce SOPs and best practices for all critical sample management processes.

• Identify and implement process improvements to enhance efficiency, reliability, and scalability.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for cross-functional partners, ensuring timely and accurate delivery of materials.

• Work closely with the Director of Sample Management to communicate capacity, risks, and resource needs.

• Support onboarding and ramp-up of new staff and technologies within the laboratory.

• Provide technical leadership and subject matter expertise in tissue culture, including aseptic technique, routine cell line maintenance, culture optimization, cryopreservation, thawing, and recovery.

• Lead the design and execution of fit-for-purpose cell banking strategies, including the creation, expansion, characterization, qualification, release, use, and retirement of research, master, and working cell banks.

• Plan and oversee cell bank expansion activities, including seed-train design, passage management, scale-up scheduling, resource allocation, and assessment of growth, viability, and recovery performance.

• Establish and maintain cell bank inventory controls that ensure unique identification, accurate storage locations, complete metadata, chain of custody, inventory reconciliation, capacity planning, and full lifecycle traceability.

• Define and enforce contamination-control practices for tissue culture operations, including segregation strategies, biosafety requirements, cleaning and disinfection procedures, and appropriate response to contamination events.

• Oversee cell bank quality assessments, including cell identity or authentication, sterility, mycoplasma status, viability, morphology, purity, and other program-specific acceptance criteria.

• Provide expert troubleshooting for tissue culture and cell banking issues, investigate deviations and performance trends, determine root cause, and implement effective corrective and preventive actions.

• Ensure cell culture and cryogenic equipment, including biological safety cabinets, incubators, controlled-rate freezers, and liquid nitrogen storage systems, is appropriately qualified, monitored, maintained, and fit for intended use.

• Partner with research teams to forecast cell line demand, prioritize banking and expansion work, establish service levels, and deliver qualified cell stocks that meet program timelines.

• Lead technical transfer, method standardization, and training for tissue culture and cell banking processes, including oversight of external vendors or contract laboratories when applicable.

Required Skills, Experience and Education:

• BS/MS or equivalent degree in chemistry, biology, engineering, or a related scientific discipline.

• 5-10 years experience in sample management, compound management, or laboratory operations.

• Proven experience directly supervising and leading technical staff in a laboratory environment.

• Hands-on experience with automated sample storage systems, LIMS, and laboratory automation tools.

• Strong attention to detail, operational discipline, and commitment to data integrity.

• A proven background in continuous improvement methodologies.

• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, collaborative discovery environment.

• Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience supporting small-molecule drug discovery programs.

• Experience training and mentoring early-career scientists or technicians.

• Exposure to process improvement initiatives or system implementations.

• Familiarity with vendor-managed laboratory automation platforms.

• Direct experience with Cenevo’s Sample Management Software Mosaic.

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