Head of Vivarium

Merge Labs is a frontier research lab with the mission of bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability, agency and experience. We’re pursuing this goal by developing fundamentally new approaches to brain-computer interfaces that interact with the brain at high bandwidth, integrate with advanced AI, and are ultimately safe and accessible for anyone to use.

About the team

Our Bio team designs, builds, and characterizes the biotechnologies that form the foundation of next-generation brain-computer interfaces. We combine molecular engineering, synthetic biology, neuroscience and advanced physical methods such as ultrasound to establish less invasive, high-bandwidth connections with neurons. The Bio team develops our core molecular technologies, validates their performance in vitro and in vivo, and demonstrates their advanced capabilities in animal models. We build custom experimental setups and pipelines and collaborate closely with engineers and data scientists. We work across disciplines to come up with creative ideas and solve some of the most challenging problems in biotechnology.

About the role

As the Head of Vivarium, you will lead the full operational lifecycle of Merge Lab’s in-house rodent vivarium. You will ensure the facility is compliant, well-run, and ready to support neuroscience studies involving mouse and rat models. You’ll coordinate closely with scientific teams, a consulting veterinarian, and external partners to ensure that all in vivo work is executed safely, ethically, and efficiently. You will also help evaluate when studies should be run in-house vs outsourced to CROs and support those external engagements when needed. This is a critical role for enabling our scientific engine; success is measured by operational rigor, compliance reliability, and the smooth execution of in vivo studies.

In this role, you will:

• Lead day-to-day operations of Merge’s vivarium, including scheduling, SOPs, equipment readiness, and facility standards

• Manage IACUC processes, training, and compliance, ensuring audit- and inspection-ready documentation

• Enable neuroscience studies involving rodent surgeries, molecular delivery, imaging workflows, and related procedures

• Maintain strong collaboration with the consulting veterinarian and ensure high standards of animal welfare

• Partner with scientific teams to understand and support upcoming in vivo study needs

• Evaluate in-house vs CRO study considerations and support CRO oversight for toxicity or specialized studies

• Build systems, workflows, and documentation that scale with Merge’s growing in vivo program

• Hire, train, and manage vivarium technicians as study volume grows, ensuring consistent animal care, experiment preparation, and facility readiness

You might thrive in this role if you have:

• Strong foundation in vivarium operations, with experience in a vivarium manager or facility leadership role

• Strong familiarity with rodent neuroscience workflows

• Deep understanding of IACUC compliance, training programs, and vivarium regulatory standards

• Experience running a high-functioning facility - scheduling, readiness, SOPs, and operational problem-solving

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary scientific teams

• A proactive, operational mindset with an ability to anticipate needs and create scalable systems

• Prior people-management experience, including hiring, training, and supervising technicians or operations staff

If you're excited about this role but don't meet every qualification, please apply. As we build, we're hiring for complementary strengths to form a high-impact team.

Merge Labs does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, family status, ancestry, citizenship, U.S. military (state and federal) and veteran status, or any other legally protected status. It is our intention that all applicants be given equal opportunity and that selection decisions are based on job related factors. We are an equal opportunity employer.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities, and requests can be made by emailing [email protected].