Director Of Research Operations Full-time

Director of Research Operations

About Arc Institute

The Arc Institute is a new scientific institution that conducts curiosity-driven basic science and technology development to understand and treat complex human diseases. Headquartered in Palo Alto, California, Arc is an independent research organization founded on the belief that many important research programs will be enabled by new institutional models. Arc operates in partnership with Stanford University, UCSF, and UC Berkeley.

While the prevailing university research model has yielded many tremendous successes, we believe in the importance of institutional experimentation as a way to make progress. These include:

Funding: Arc will fully fund Core Investigator’s (PI’s) research groups, liberating scientists from the typical constraints of project-based external grants.
Technology: Biomedical research has become increasingly dependent on complex tooling. Arc Technology Centers develop, optimize and deploy rapidly advancing experimental and computational technologies in collaboration with Core Investigators. 
Support: Arc aims to provide first-class support—operationally, financially and scientifically—that will enable scientists to pursue long-term high risk, high reward research that can meaningfully advance progress in disease cures, including neurodegeneration, cancer, and immune dysfunction.
Culture: We believe that culture matters enormously in science and that excellence is difficult to sustain. We aim to create a culture that is focused on scientific curiosity, a deep commitment to truth, broad ambition, and selfless collaboration.
With $650M in committed funding, the vision in the first 2-3 years is to grow to a team of roughly 150 team members, with plans for further significant growth over the decade ahead. 

About the position

The Arc team is expanding quickly and we are looking for an experienced operations leader to oversee the Institute’s Research Operations organization. The Director of Research Operations oversees the lab operations and research support teams to support cutting edge science in a collaborative environment and is passionate about developing infrastructure that will scale with our expected growth.

You will be responsible for managing: day-to-day research and laboratory operations (e.g., procurement, receiving, instrumentation, lab training and lab onboarding etc.), optimizing the function of the lab space, operational support, and research workflows for Arc scientists, facilities management including overseeing core facilities, lab safety and compliance, budgeting and forecasting, research IT/data infrastructure, and planning for the laboratory space in our new building (expected to open in Spring 2023). You will work closely with other institute leaders (e.g., Finance, People, Legal, University Relations & Academic Affairs).

In this position you will

• Lead Arc’s Research Operations function, hiring and managing a high-performing team of lab operations and research support staff to support smooth operation of research activities across the Institute
• Work collaboratively with other functional leaders, including Finance, Legal, People, Scientific leadership as well as University Relations and Academic Affairs 
• Ensure that the Arc lab space, instrumentation, operational support and lab trainings are optimized for efficient research workflows and shared space and instrumentation usage and address key needs of Arc’s scientists
• Oversee Laboratory Safety & Compliance, Facilities, and Permitting at Arc
• Oversee assessment, acquisition, maintenance, training and usage of shared capital equipment at Arc
• Manage tactical operation of Arc’s Core Facilities, which evaluate and deploy new technology and capital equipment to support Arc’s labs and scientists
• Oversee procurement, stocking and receiving of lab supplies and consumables
• Partner on outfitting the research space in Arc’s new 100,000 square foot building
• Collaborate with Finance for quarterly budgeting, annual forecasting, reviewing monthly actuals to budget.
• Support the transition of new labs from affiliate universities to Arc, managing their moves and supporting their onboarding into Arc’s lab space

Requirements

• 10+ years of complex operational support in a wet and dry laboratory scientific setting with 100+ research personnel
• 5+ years of people management experience, hiring and supporting high performing teams
• Significant experience overseeing diverse aspects of a life sciences research organization (safety, facilities, capital equipment, vivarium, budgeting, etc.)
• Preferred: PhD in life sciences or related field
• Ability to assess and design efficient workflows in shared laboratories
• Experience building and maintaining infrastructure to support research activities
• Highly organized, with a drive to actively improve process and workflows
• Excellent communication skills with strong influence and negotiation skills
• Highly collaborative with great enthusiasm for working across cross-functional teams
• Able to calmly and positively navigate shifting priorities and rapid change

Tagged as: Life Sciences