Position Overview
The Senior Operations Manager oversees the day-to-day operations of a high-complexity, high-volume laboratory, ensuring accurate, compliant, and high-quality testing. This role is accountable for operational performance, quality, customer service, people leadership, financial results, and workflow management. The successful candidate combines strong technical understanding with business acumen and takes ownership of site performance, team development, resource optimization, customer engagement, safety, and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Operations Leadership
- Lead a complex, high-performing laboratory operation to deliver accurate, high-quality testing and consistent turnaround times.
- Coordinate daily priorities with operational teams and supervisors to ensure effective staffing, workflow, and resource utilization.
- Maintain current technical knowledge and ensure operational practices remain aligned with applicable requirements and industry standards.
Quality and Safety
- Ensure compliance with applicable laboratory quality standards, regulatory requirements, and safety protocols.
- Prepare for external audits, ensure team members understand their responsibilities, and support audit activities and follow-up improvements.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and sanitary work environment and coordinate facilities and maintenance support as needed.
- Promote a strong safety culture and ensure adherence to relevant safety protocols.
- Monitor laboratory equipment, coordinate preventative maintenance, and plan for replacement of aging equipment.
Customer Engagement
- Build trusted customer relationships through professional, responsive communication and a focus on retention and service quality.
- Understand customer needs and respond promptly to inquiries or concerns.
- Communicate with clients regarding laboratory capabilities, results, pricing, and related service matters.
- Monitor turnaround-time performance and identify opportunities to improve the customer experience.
People Leadership
- Lead a large, complex team across multiple shifts.
- Forecast staffing needs based on sample volume and changing demand; develop schedules that align labor with workload.
- Drive labor productivity and effective cross-training.
- Recruit, select, onboard, train, and develop employees while supporting retention and career growth.
- Coach and hold supervisors accountable for hiring, training, performance feedback, employee relations, and day-to-day leadership.
- Promote an engaged, supportive, and high-performing workplace, with clear expectations and accountability.
Financial and Vendor Management
- Manage laboratory financial performance and align operating plans with budget expectations.
- Identify opportunities to improve profitability and optimize labor, inventory, supplies, courier services, and other resources.
- Oversee external service providers and contractors to control costs, reduce waste, and maintain service standards.
Continuous Improvement
- Lead improvement initiatives that strengthen service, quality, safety, and operational efficiency.
- Maintain a visible presence in the laboratory to observe work, reinforce standards, and provide timely coaching and feedback.
- Lead non-routine projects and special assignments as needed.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in microbiology, chemistry, or a related field required; master’s degree preferred.
- Seven or more years of leadership experience in GMP and/or related industries preferred.
- At least eight years of experience leading frontline supervisors who oversee hourly employees.
- Demonstrated success managing financial performance against defined KPIs.
- Experience leading teams through multiple levels of frontline leadership.
- Ability to manage complex testing and diverse sample matrices.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to interpret technical, business, and regulatory documents.
- Experience preparing reports, business correspondence, and standard operating procedures.
- Confidence communicating with senior leaders, peers, customers, and cross-functional teams.
- Sound judgment and problem-solving skills in dynamic or ambiguous situations.
- Ability to provide technical and operational guidance across laboratory teams.
