Shift Supervisor, Research Operations

Lila Sciences · Autonomous Science Platform

Your Impact at LILA Lila's Research Operations team runs the automated lab workflows that power our science. As a Shift Supervisor, you own the reliable execution of those workflows across your shift, serve as the technical lead for the engineers running them, and directly manage and develop a team of Research Operations engineers. You are the first point of accountability for run quality, the first source of operational guidance for engineers on shift, and a critical link between the bench and the automated systems behind our science. This is an on-site, second-shift role with working hours of 2:00 PM-10:00 PM. You'll lead, coach, and develop some of the most energetic and brilliant minds in Research Operations, creating an environment where they can grow, take ownership, and do their best work. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on operational ownership, takes pride in process discipline, enjoys developing others, and knows how to keep a team and workflows running smoothly in a fast-paced, high-throughput environment. What You'll Be Building Own the safe, reliable execution of automated lab workflows across your shift, meeting quality, throughput, and operational performance targets Serve as the technical lead for engineers on shift, providing real-time guidance, prioritization, and workflow coordination Manage, coach, and develop direct reports, setting clear expectations, providing actionable feedback, and building technical capability and ownership across the team Monitor run performance and system health in real time, independently resolving common issues, and escalating complex problems appropriately Manage accurate shift handoff documentation in real time, ensuring seamless continuity with the incoming team Flag QC/QA deviations promptly and accurately, documenting observations with high attention to detail Partner with scientific, engineering, and automation teams to troubleshoot workflow challenges and improve operational performance, including ongoing relationships with scientific leads Support tech transfer by validating automated workflows against manual processes and partnering with cross-functional teams to resolve process gaps and improve robustness What You'll Need to Succeed 5+ years of hands-on experience in lab automation, research operations, high-throughput screening, or a closely related technical environment Prior formal people-management experience with direct reports in a laboratory, technical, or operations environment, including setting expectations, providing feedback, coaching and developing team members, and driving accountability for performance Experience operating and troubleshooting automated liquid handling platforms (Hamilton, Lynx, Echo, or similar) in a production or research setting Experience leading and coordinating workflow execution in a team setting, including providing direction to engineers, managing competing priorities, and maintaining operational continuity in real time Strong foundational knowledge of the scientific basis for assay design, execution, and interpretation Experience identifying operational issues, performing root-cause investigation, and driving issues to resolution Clear, concise communicator with the ability to collaborate effectively across Research Operations, scientific, engineering, and LabOps teams Bonus Points For Degree in Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Biotechnology, or a related field, or equivalent technical training and hands-on experience Prior experience managing a shift or technical team in a highly automated or high-throughput laboratory environment Experience improving production protocols, supporting tech transfer, or validating workflows from manual bench execution to automated platforms Familiarity with QC/QA systems, deviation management, SOP development, and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, 5S, Kaizen) Familiarity with electronic lab notebooks (ELN), LIMS, or other laboratory operations software platforms Compensation W