Our mission is to make biology easier to engineer. Ginkgo is constructing, editing, and redesigning the living world in order to answer the globe’s growing challenges in health, energy, food, materials, and more. Our bioengineers make use of an in-house automated foundry for designing and building new organisms.
Ginkgo Biosecurity is building next-generation biosecurity infrastructure and deploying the technologies global leaders need to predict, detect, characterize, and respond to a wide variety of biological threats.
The purpose of the Associate Director, Lab Enablement role is to manage, train, and support teams that evaluate and establish operational capability within potential partner labs in US and international locations, including introducing and transferring new testing methods, for both clinical and environmental applications. There will be a significant amount of focus on wastewater testing and sequencing. This exciting, challenging role will deliver tremendous impact for our programs by giving us more flexibility and leverage with our partner labs. It may also prove to be an integral service offering and potential revenue stream if we can demonstrate the value to our stakeholders.
The ideal candidate has a strong background in environmental and molecular biology technologies with protocol development experience. We are looking for someone with significant lab experience (preferably multi platform) as well as nucleic acid extraction from a variety of sample sources. Wastewater sample processing experience is highly desirable as well as understanding the fundamentals of qPCR, ddPCR and dPCR. This role will also require someone with management experience who is creative, flexible, a good communicator, and able to work both independently and collaboratively. Proficiency in creating process structure and workflows is ideal. Expect to spend the majority of the time executing technical projects and tasks (70%-80%), and a smaller portion of time on administrative work (20-30%) which may include managing direct reports.
Responsibilities:
- Lead and oversee Lab Enablement initiatives: lab onboarding and new program set up, establishing operations processes, facilitating method for data transfer between Ginkgo Biosecurity and the lab, creating manual processes as needed, providing virtual or onsite training for new partners
- Serve as a technical resource and advisor for testing protocols and data analysis
- Design enablement plans and be accountable for implementation. Set KPIs; monitor progress, milestones, and deadlines
- In close collaboration with the Quality Team, translate lab enablement projects into repeatable playbooks and checklists
- As needed, manage a team of technical professionals focused on lab enablement
- Plan and prioritize lab enablement work across team members
- Identify and scope supply and equipment needs for lab programs, and work with the procurement team to secure materials as needed
- Define, scope, and implement projects and solutions that enable labs to perform testing protocols for new and existing testing modalities (wastewater, air monitoring, sequencing, etc.) and operate efficiently as needed, domestically and internationally
- Support and advise the team in responding to complex lab issues
- Collaborate cross-functionally to support program needs in the delivery of lab services
- Interface with lab partners, furthering our strong relationships and resolving issues, as needed; manage and own certain lab relationships
- Assist with implementing new processes, tools, systems, and technologies with a lab
- Understand costs related to vendor services and conduct cost analyses to understand and manage the contribution of lab costs to the overall program
- Maintain and manage Lab Enablement KPIs and use data to drive process improvement initiatives
- Tackle the most urgent and immediate problems facing Concentric as a whole
- Support special projects, as requested
- Support late night and weekend coverage, as needed
- Travel domestically and internationally to lab partners, as needed
Minimum Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in a related scientific field
- Minimum 6+ years of work experience in operations, consulting, private equity; experience with lab operations is a plus
- Travel up to 25%, Comfortable traveling domestically and internationally or working with a global organization, particularly Middle East and Africa
- Proven track record of project ownership and results orientation in a team setting
- Ability to adapt to changing needs in an entrepreneurial environment - utility type player
Desired Capabilities & Experience:
- Master’s degree strongly prefered
- Strong analytical skills, with an ability to develop fact-based and informed opinions
- Excellent communication skills, emotional intelligence and an ability to work across organizational boundaries
- Strong organizational skills and ability to multitask and direct the work of others
Total compensation for this role is market driven, with a starting salary of $90k+, as well as company stock awards. Base pay is ultimately determined based on a candidate’s skills, expertise, and experience. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental & vision coverage, health spending accounts, voluntary benefits, leave of absence policies, Employee Assistance Program, 401(k) program with employer contribution, 8 paid holidays in addition to a full-week winter shutdown and unlimited Paid Time Off policy.
We also feel that it’s important to point out the obvious here – there’s a serious lack of diversity in our industry, and that needs to change. Our goal is to help drive that change. Ginkgo is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its practices, especially when it comes to growing our team. Our culture promotes inclusion and embraces how rewarding it is to work with people from all walks of life.
We’re developing a powerful biological engineering platform, so we must remain mindful of the many ways our technology can – and will – impact people around the world. We care about how our platform is used, and having a diverse team to build it gives us the best chance that it’s something we’ll be proud of as it continues to grow. Therefore, it’s critical that we incorporate the diverse voices and visions of all those who play a role in the future of biology.
It is the policy of Ginkgo Bioworks to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees, employment applicants, and EOE disability/vet.
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