Lab Manager / Senior Lab Manager

Wave Life Sciences is a biotechnology company focused on unlocking the broad potential of RNA medicines to transform human health. Our RNA medicines platform, PRISM, combines multiple modalities, chemistry innovation and deep insights in human genetics to deliver scientific breakthroughs that treat both rare and prevalent disorders. Our toolkit of RNA-targeting modalities including RNAi silencing and RNA editing provides us with unmatched capabilities for designing and sustainably delivering candidates that optimally address disease biology. Our diversified pipeline is focused on our obesity, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and PNPLA3 I148M liver disease programs and also includes clinical programs for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Huntington’s disease, as well as several preclinical programs utilizing our versatile RNA medicines platform. Driven by the calling to “Reimagine Possible”, we are leading the charge toward a world in which human potential is no longer hindered by the burden of disease.

Description

The Lab Manager will lead day-to-day laboratory operations for Discovery Biology and Chemistry teams in the Cambridge site, ensuring a safe, efficient, and compliant research environment. This role is responsible for equipment/instrument readiness, lab space and resource utilization, inventory and procurement, new hire onboarding, and sample/storage governance (including freezers and liquid nitrogen). The Lab Manager partners closely with scientists, Facilities, EH&S, IT, Supply chain/Logistics, and vendors to keep labs running smoothly and to support high-quality experimental execution.

Experience

• MS degree in science or technology, with 5+ years industrial experience; or BS degree in science or technology, with 8+ years industrial experience
• Hands-on lab experience with oversight/operations across biology and chemistry laboratory environments
• Demonstrated experience working with EH&S, Facility management, IT, Supply Chain or interface between internal stakeholders and external vendors
• Demonstrated excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across scientific teams, internal stakeholders and external partners
• Proven ability to organize and manage multiple priorities with strong attention to detail and follow-through

Responsibilities

• Laboratory Operations & Stakeholder Coordination
  • Coordinate with Facilities, EH&S, IT, Supply Chain/Logistics, external vendors, and scientific teams to ensure smooth laboratory operations and timely issue resolution, and serve as the primary operations point of contact for Discovery labs in the Cambridge site
• Equipment & Instrument Maintenance / Lifecycle Support
• Organize routine preventive maintenance (PM), calibrations (as applicable), and repairs for laboratory equipment and instruments
  • Partner with Facilities team throughout equipment lifecycle including new equipment request, support contract management, and end-of-life / replacement planning
• Lab Space, Shared Resources & Utilization
  • Act as the point person for maximizing utilization of shared lab equipment/instruments within existing lab space as well as support implementation of operational standards
• Inventory, Consumables, Procurement & Waste/Disposal
  • Own organization and management of lab supplies and consumables, in collaboration with Supply Chain 
  • Drive consistency in receiving, stocking, and storage practices to ensure uninterrupted lab operations
• Safety, Compliance, Training & Incident Reporting
  • Work with EH&S, Facilities, and scientific teams to coordinate: safety compliance activities as well as required training and onboarding documentation
• Cell Culture Room Hygiene & Scheduling
  • Specifically, maintain schedules and detailed task lists to ensure compliance with cell culture room hygiene requirements
• Sample & Cold Storage Governance (Freezers + Liquid Nitrogen)
  • Own and maintain inventory and optimal utilization of cold storage equipment, including SOPs for sample storage
  • Coordinate off-site storage logistics where applicable (tracking, access, shipping/receiving, chain-of-custody expectations as defined)
• New Equipment Purchasing & SOP Development
  • Responsibilities include request submission, coordination with stakeholders for requirements definition, vendor quotes (supported by procurement), and installation planning as well as establish SOPs and user guidance.
• Laboratory IT Systems & Digital Operations
  • Partner closely with Information Technology (IT) to support laboratory‑related digital systems, instrumentation infrastructure, and data workflows

Key Skills

• Experience working in Biology or Chemistry laboratory
• Hands-on experience with LIMS and/or BMRAM (or equivalent lab management/inventory system)
• Experience programming and/or supporting robotic workstations/automation platforms
• Experience supporting shared instrumentation and multi-team lab environments (high-throughput, cross-functional discovery settings)
• Demonstrated good communication skills, verbal and written communication or presentation skills
• Demonstrated good track record of managing team(s)
• Operational excellence: process-minded, able to build scalable routines and SOPs
• Customer service orientation: responsive and solutions-focused for scientist needs
• Ownership & accountability anticipates issues, drives tasks to closure, keeps stakeholders informed
• Compliance mindset: strong safety awareness and comfort partnering with EH&S/Facilities

Pay Range External Disclosure Statement

The annual base salary range for this position is $87,000 - $136,000.

The range provided is based on what we believe is a reasonable estimate for the annual base salary pay range for this position at the time of posting. Actual annual base salary will vary based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant skills, experience, qualifications, position criticality, and internal equity.  This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus and discretionary stock-based long-term incentives.  In addition to compensation, Wave offers a comprehensive and competitive range of benefits designed to support our employees’ and their families physical and financial health and overall well-being. These include, but are not limited to, company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, life, long and short-term disability insurances, generous paid time off (including a week-long company shutdown in the Summer and the Winter), 401K participation with matching contributions, and Employee Stock Purchase Program.

Wave Life Sciences provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Wave Life Sciences complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Wave Life Sciences expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Wave Life Sciences’ employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge.

We value our relationships with professional recruitment firms. To protect the interests of all parties, and given the large volume of inquiries received from third-party placement agencies, we are not able to respond to all agency inquiries. We do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from candidates for current or future positions. Submission of unsolicited resumes in advance of a signed agreement between our company and a placement agency does not create an implied obligation and, if an unsolicited candidate represented by a placement agency is hired, we are not obligated to pay a fee. Only approved recruitment firms will be allowed to provide services to Wave Life Sciences, USA.