About this role
About Brainchild Bio
Brainchild Bio (BCBio) is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing novel therapies for pediatric brain cancer. Headquartered in Seattle, WA, we're building the infrastructure to support a growing lab and clinical footprint and we need a hands-on operator to stand up the systems, safety programs, and physical spaces that will get us there.
The Role
BCB is hiring a Facilities & Lab Operations Senior Manager on a 1-year contract to build our facilities operations and lab safety program from the ground up. This is a foundational, builder role: you'll design and implement the processes, vendor relationships, and safety routines that don't yet exist, while managing a small team responsible for day-to-day equipment and facilities upkeep. You'll partner closely with Research, Lab Operations, EHS, and Tech Ops to make sure our physical environment keeps pace with a fast-moving clinical-stage company.
What You'll Do
Build and own BCB's facilities management program, including preventive maintenance schedules, vendor management, and space planning for lab and office environments
Establish and manage the lab equipment lifecycle: procurement, installation, calibration, maintenance, and decommissioning, including equipment logs and service records
Design and implement lab safety routines and protocols (biosafety, chemical hygiene, waste handling, emergency response) in compliance with OSHA, EPA, and applicable state/local regulations
Develop internal SOPs and processes for facilities requests, equipment troubleshooting, safety incident reporting, and routine inspections
Manage, coach, and set priorities for 1 full-time employee and 1 contractor supporting facilities and equipment operations
Serve as the primary point of contact for facility-related vendors, contractors, landlords, and service providers
Partner cross-functionally with Research, Lab Operations, EHS/Safety Committee and People Ops to align facilities capacity and safety practices with scientific and operational needs
Lead facility buildouts, renovations, or lab reconfigurations as BCB's footprint grows
Own facilities and equipment budget tracking, including cost forecasting and vendor contract review
Maintain audit- and inspection-readiness for safety and equipment documentation
What You Bring
10+ years of experience in facilities management, lab operations, or lab equipment management, ideally within biotech, pharma, or a regulated life sciences environment
Demonstrated experience building processes and safety programs from scratch, not just maintaining existing ones
Working knowledge of lab safety regulations (OSHA, EPA, biosafety standards) and experience implementing compliant safety routines
Prior experience managing or leading a small team, including contractors
Strong cross-functional partnership skills comfortable working directly with scientists, safety leads, and operations/people functions
Experience managing vendor relationships, service contracts, and facilities budgets
Excellent organizational skills and comfort operating with a high degree of autonomy in a resource-constrained startup environment
Familiarity with lab equipment systems (calibration tracking, CMMS, or similar) is a plus
Logistics
1-year contract, with potential for extension or conversion based on business needs
Onsite presence required at BCB's Seattle facility Monday through Thursday
Reports to the VP of Business Operations