Facilities/Lab Ops Lead

ROLE: Facilities/Lab Lead

COMPANY

Octant is a clinical stage drug discovery company developing correctors for protein misfolding diseases with active programs in rare diseases and oncology. Octant’s platform, The Navigator, combines high-throughput synthetic biology, generative chemistry, and AI/ML to discover and develop therapeutics against complex cellular mechanisms in human cells.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Octant is looking for an organized, hands-on lab and facilities manager to keep our research operations running smoothly. You'll be the operational backbone of our wet lab environment — managing supplies, equipment, safety, lab infrastructure, and day-to-day facilities needs so our scientists can focus on doing great science. This role sits at the intersection of operations and science and is critical to enabling Octant's high-throughput, fast-moving research environment.

AS A PART OF OCTANT'S OPERATIONS TEAM, YOU'LL:

• Cultivate and manage strategic vendor relationships to ensure a resilient supply chain for reagents, consumables, and critical laboratory equipment


• Drive organizational accountability for lab safety and regulatory compliance, overseeing EHS standards, BSL-2 protocols, and waste management systems


• Own the general laboratory equipment lifecycle, providing strategic oversight for preventive maintenance, calibration schedules, service contracts, and technological upgrades to minimize downtime and anticipate failures before they affect the science


• Exercise rigorous budget stewardship, tracking operational spend and partnering with Finance to align facilities and lab resources with company growth and research milestones


• Develop and govern optimized utilization strategies for shared equipment and high-throughput workflows to ensure maximum scientific output


• Drive continuous improvement initiatives and strategic organizational change to enhance overall lab efficiency and research velocity


• Lead facilities coordination strategy and long-term planning, owning preventive maintenance programs across our site, space planning, lab reconfigurations, and the infrastructure roadmap that supports company growth and research milestones

THIS JOB MIGHT BE GREAT FOR YOU IF YOU:

• Have a B.S. or M.S. in a life sciences discipline (biology, biochemistry, chemistry, or related field), or equivalent experience


• Have 5+ years of experience in an academic or industry laboratory setting, with at least 1 year in a management role


• Are familiar with molecular biology, cell culture, and/or chemistry lab environments


• Have experience with BSL-2 safety practices and chemical hygiene


• Enjoy flexing your stakeholder management skills: able to partner with scientists, finance, and external vendors, set expectations clearly, push back diplomatically, and keep multiple constituents aligned and moving forward


• Have experience with inventory management systems and lab purchasing platforms, e.g., Quartzy


• Enjoy working seamlessly across functions, including coordinating with building management, vendors, and contractors on routine facilities matters


• Are detail-oriented and thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, team-oriented startup environment

The expected annual base salary for this role is in the range of $115,000 to $140,000, depending on experience level. We offer competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage, equity, and 401(k) matching.

Octant is located in Emeryville, California and we work onsite. This role requires the ability to move throughout the facility, occasionally lift and carry up to 35 pounds, and occasionally respond to facility or equipment issues outside standard business hours. Reasonable accommodations can be made to individuals that require them to perform essential job functions.

Octant is an equal opportunity company that values applicants of all backgrounds. We’re committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment. We value less traditional backgrounds, and may consider an equivalent combination of knowledge, skills, education, and experience to meet minimum qualifications. We know that confidence-gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates, so please don’t hesitate to apply — we’d love to hear from you.